Last Sunday it was so warm & nice after church. Even though Steven and I were super tired and wanted to take a LONG, Sunday nappy.....we decided we should enjoy the warm weather.
We all decided it would be fun to go with Steven to check some irrigation water on one of his fields (a favorite Sunday afternoon activity in the summer).
We loaded in the Scout and headed out.
As soon as we arrived at the ditch, Logan shrieked and jumped out of the back. He immediately started picking, picking, picking.
I didn't pay too much attention to him at first...until he turned around and I saw this:
SNAKE GRASS!
I will admit to really loving this when I was little.
When we would travel to Utah and stop at the Malad rest stop during the summer, I would pick it and make necklaces out of it in the car.
Logan also enjoys snake grass. He picked so much that we took some to his friend Max to share in the joy!
And, to top it all off....the very next day, the very next day, I received in my email, the weekly newsletter from our local greenhouse. In that email was a list of suggestions of how to 'eradicate' this WEED!
Thought it was kinda funny to read THE VERY NEXT DAY!!
Here's the information from the article - just for fun:
Horsetail, Snakegrass, Jointgrass, or #?*#!grass
Of the many weeds we have to deal with in east Idaho, one of the more difficult to eradicate is Equisetum hyemale, commonly called Horsetail or Snakegrass (or several other 4 letter names). This unique plant is literally a living fossil, having been around for the past 60 million years or so. It is the only living genus in the class Equisetaceae.
The plant bears no leaves, and looks almost like a pot of green bamboo stakes. The stems are jointed and they come apart at each joint - usually with a loud popping sound- you may remember making necklaces out of them as a child. I understand it is also used to adjust clarinet reeds, and in times past it was used for scrubbing pans because of its abrasiveness. But today it is mostly just a much cursed weed that typically develops in moist areas of the yard. It has an insatiable desire for moisture and cannot be over-watered. In fact it thrives profusely in soggy conditions, but once established it can grow on dry, hard-packed soils.
The only organic method of control that I'm aware of is constant cultivation. Dig through the soil when it is moist but not wet and remove as many roots and stem pieces as possible. Then before it reaches 3 inches high, hoe off an inch below the surface. Eventually the food supply in the root is exhausted, but it can take years. Let it get bigger than 3 inches and food begins to be stored in the roots again, and round and round you go ad infinitum. Never touch Horsetail with a roto-tiller. If you do you will understand why it has been around for 60 million years.
Chemical controls are limited. Casoron works fairly well, but must be applied in the late fall or early spring several years in a row, and it can't be used in flower beds or lawn areas. Another possible option is a new product called Hi Yield Nutsedge Control. People have told us that it will control horsetail that is less than 6 inches tall and suppress horsetail that is greater than 6 inches tall. Be sure to mix Spreader Sticker with it for best results.
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