How To Kill Mare's-Tail Weed
Things Needed
- Hand spade
- Tiller
- Metribuzin herbicide
Mare's-tail is a common weed also known as horseweed. The plant is an annual that can appear in the spring or fall, reaching heights of 6 feet, with leaves that increase in size the farther down the plant you go. Some varieties of mare's-tail are resistant to glyphosate, one of the most common herbicides. This resistance is especially prevalent in the central United States.
Step 1
Pull up any existing mare's-tail weeds in your yard by hand. Get up as much of the root system as possible. If the weeds are mature and do not come up easily, use a hand spade to dig them out.
- Mare's-tail is a common weed also known as horseweed.
- If the weeds are mature and do not come up easily, use a hand spade to dig them out.
Step 2
Discard the weeds in the trash. Do not compost the weeds, because you may spread dormant seeds with the compost in the future.
Step 3
Till the soil with a garden tiller at a depth of 12 inches. Tillage is the most effective method of mare's-tail control.
Step 4
Apply a metribuzin herbicide to any regrowth that appears the following spring. Follow application instructions on the package. Apply the herbicide when the mare's-tail is 4 inches tall or less. Wait the instructed time for the herbicide to take effect, then till the soil again.
- Discard the weeds in the trash.
- Apply the herbicide when the mare's-tail is 4 inches tall or less.