Re: equisetum
Until I have more time to spare, I'll follow Courtney;s advice to leave the leaves on (I have never had too much activity from a batch.) and Kolisko's recommendation to go anaerobic. What I'm trying to find out, I guess, is if it is possible for a 'sun tea' of equisetum (whatever the term: made as one would make stinging nettle tea) to be as effective as a boiled tea. I finally have a good sprayer and I have A LOT of area that needs equisetum regularly. -Allan In a message dated 6/20/03 3:53:55 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Also, has anyone on the list made an anaerobic tea from equisetum? I think it w.b.nice to have 50gals of fermented equisetum sitting around, but would this be of prep quality? equisetum: make the tea and remove the leaves, that helps depress the intense anaerobic situation. I drop an airstone in and bubble it up with a small aquarium air pump. sstorch ___ BDNow mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can unsubscribe or change your options at: http://lists.envirolink.org/mailman/listinfo/bdnow ___ BDNow mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can unsubscribe or change your options at: http://lists.envirolink.org/mailman/listinfo/bdnow
equisetum
In a message dated 6/20/03 3:53:55 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Also, has anyone on the list made an anaerobic tea from equisetum? I think it w.b.nice to have 50gals of fermented equisetum sitting around, but would this be of prep quality? equisetum: make the tea and remove the leaves, that helps depress the intense anaerobic situation. I drop an airstone in and bubble it up with a small aquarium air pump. sstorch ___ BDNow mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can unsubscribe or change your options at: http://lists.envirolink.org/mailman/listinfo/bdnow
Re: equisetum
Good grief! Was only making a request. Please accept my apology for seemingly inferring such negativity. It was not my intent. I haveappreciated and supported all the wonderful things that Allan has done in biodynamics in many ways over a number of years and will continue to do so in what ever way that I am able to do so. I very much appreciate the superhuman efforts, talent and organizing that Allan did to put together October's conference. I appreciate the travel and loss of sleep that the speakers underwent to be there. I enjoyed all of the speakers and am already looking forward to next year's Mid Atlantic Biodynamic Conference. Can't wait. I also appreciate the BDNOW! list and the tremendous efforts that go into keeping it up and running for us all. Thank you to all of the members of this for your contributions. I have built paper files with categories and have been doing so for 3 years of study with the books that I have. I do have quite a few plants growing in my condo close to The White House and I also have an herb garden and trees growing on the roof. All have been sprayed with the preps from JPI and have earthworms growing in the soil. Peace and please keep up the wonderful information and inspiration, Mary Ann Allan, It's fine you've apologized, but I wouldn't go overboard with it. Some people have weak and defiled minds and can't help it, and you aren't responsible for their state--they are. They will punish themselves accordingly until they learn better. There is no reason you should shoulder their burdens and their pain in addition to them doing so. Best, Hugh Lovel Surf the Web without missing calls! Get MSN Broadband. Click Here
Re: equisetum
Dear Hugh Lovel, Thank you, thank you ,thank you.. Music to my soul...thanks for reminding us all to focus on making our corner of this amazing planet better. Peace, Sunny
Re: equisetum
One last attempt at explanation. First off, I didn't make those pictures. The pictures are from a website called THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF EQUISETUM http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/ where the botanical content of the pictures are apparently deemed to be strong enough to offset the potential objectionable portions. Secondly, I had no realization that the pictures were as graphic as they are. I certainly wouldn't have forwarded the link had I seen that was the case. You have to understand that literally from the waist down the picture is not visible on my screen without scrolling, which I didn't do because I was looking for pictures of Hymale. For me, these picture is the first that really that make me realize that Hymale can be identified by SIZE as much as by form. I'd like to get this back on the topic of how to make good 508, something that is really important. If you need me to say that I'm not a pornographer and do not encourage the use of pornography, I'm happy to say that also. Hopefully, from the bulk of my work, this is obvious to many. Again, I apologize to anyone this carelessness has upset. -Allan Please, I hope this does not happen again. I do find the aforementioned disrespectul and degrading to the value of the female. Mary Ann
Re: equisetum
Please, I hope this does not happen again. I do find the aforementioned disrespectul and degrading to the value of the female. Mary Ann Most women probably would - however - unsubscribing from this list (as Sharon did) is certainly a major over reaction to a minor and uncharacteristic stuff up on Allans part - poor reward for the time and effort he has put into running BDNOW for our benefit! The chance that something like this will appear again on the list in the next twelve months is about zero, and I just dont understand why anyone would leave because of this one posting?? Lloyd Charles
Re: equisetum
Dears, Sheesh! When are some folks going to grow up and stop taking offense at the drop of a hat. The picture was a good one of Equisetum Hyaemali. Does one's dirty mind have to interfere with that? Some of us find meaning where we can and ignore the rest, and there sure is a lot of the rest in life. Are we to reject good information when it pushed one or another button? Unfortunately so many do that we have a remarkably poorly informed society. Hugh allen ,you do what you want in your life , i don't endorse that disrestectful view of women, nor do i want to allow it in my home, or teach my son that it's ok . there is nothing natural in that photo. regretfully you had better unsubcribe us.:)sharon - Original Message - From: Allan Balliett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 6:46 AM Subject: Re: equisetum Allen i can't believe you sent that site! I can't believe I found that site! ;-) Ah, Nature!! Visit our website at: www.unionag.org
RE: equisetum
That's what happened to me when I first saw the JPG image on my screen. I use a laptop. Let's not get offended by other people's original good intention. Let's drop this accidental sidetrack all together. So what about this 508? Why would you use equisetum to make it? Regards TaChung Huang (¶À¤j©¾) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Allan Balliett Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 2:41 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: equisetum One last attempt at explanation. First off, I didn't make those pictures. The pictures are from a website called THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF EQUISETUM http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/ where the botanical content of the pictures are apparently deemed to be strong enough to offset the potential objectionable portions. Secondly, I had no realization that the pictures were as graphic as they are. I certainly wouldn't have forwarded the link had I seen that was the case. You have to understand that literally from the waist down the picture is not visible on my screen without scrolling, which I didn't do because I was looking for pictures of Hymale. For me, these picture is the first that really that make me realize that Hymale can be identified by SIZE as much as by form. I'd like to get this back on the topic of how to make good 508, something that is really important. If you need me to say that I'm not a pornographer and do not encourage the use of pornography, I'm happy to say that also. Hopefully, from the bulk of my work, this is obvious to many. Again, I apologize to anyone this carelessness has upset. -Allan Please, I hope this does not happen again. I do find the aforementioned disrespectul and degrading to the value of the female. Mary Ann
Re: equisetum
why cut off your nose to spite yer face Eh? My God, the equisetum was so beautiful I did not even notice there was a woman in the picture, it was the ire that broughth it to my attention. Well, if we must lose some contributors to the list due to this, so be it...life goes on, but your contibutions will be missed...Allen report to the dungeon for your whipping...sstorch
Re: equisetum
Allan, It's fine you've apologized, but I wouldn't go overboard with it. Some people have weak and defiled minds and can't help it, and you aren't responsible for their state--they are. They will punish themselves accordingly until they learn better. There is no reason you should shoulder their burdens and their pain in addition to them doing so. On topic, many years ago I was unable to find the arvense growing anywhere near me, though the hymale grew abundantly in sugar cane ditches south of here in both Georgia and Louisiana. So I asked my mentor, Peter Escher, about the advisability of using the hymale. He allowed that I might as well try it, even though the fine division of leaf in the arvense was a very desirable plant gesture (relating to sulfur, which the spirit moistens it fingers with in order to work into the physical--more or less as a sculptor moulding clay) and it would be preferable to use it. So I harvested a truckload of the hymale. It worked very well indeed. I could see little difference between the two, though it was possible to buy the arvense from Frontier in bulk at quite decent prices. Of course, a truckload for the labor of cutting it with my scythe and loading it with my pitchfork was much cheaper. You'll notice that Courtney, at your conference, identified the equisetum as the most under-used of the BD remedies. I'm not sure that is true, especially if he is basing his view on how much equisetum is purchased from him. His price doesn't compare with Frontier's bulk price, and it sure doesn't match the truckload deal. But let me assure those who have the hymale and don't have the arvense that the hymale works well and it can be used in lieu of the arvense whenever need be. People using equisetum tea as the fluid base in compost tea makers will doubtless want to use the most cost effective type, whichever it may be. It is great on fruit trees and tomatoes, and would be very good on leafy greens in wet periods. Much of the roadblock to putting BD into practice is this crazy idea that everything has to be done just so--as for example thinking one must use the arvense since that is the one Steiner mentioned in his lectures. Keep in mind that in Australia there is no horsetail whether arvense or hymale, so what they use there is the Katurina, also known as the Sheoak. It isn't even the same genus, let alone the same species. But it exemplifies the same principle in its operation, which is what is important. If BD is to wait until the perfect, ideal, ONLY right way of working is found we will fail utterly in putting it into practice. It is the same way with the so-called planting calendar. People sometimes wait for the ideal constellation to plant in--and then it rains cats and dogs and they either can't plant or make a hash of it and have a crop failure. Weather is a bigger consideration than the planting calendar. What is truly perfect is far more subtle, complex, amazing and beyond our grasp than we can possibly imagine. So generally we imagine we are falling way short of being perfect--when we are being more perfect than we realize. Maybe what I'm saying is this. Shame, blame and regret are victim trips--disempowering stuff. The notion that responsibility equals assumption of guilt is equally disempowering. If one is to get things done in life--in short, be empowered--one has to quit whining, take responsibility (shoulder the load) and get to work. To commiserate, go into agreement with other people's victim games, to heap coals on our own heads and the heads of others--what kind of hope, joy, satisfaction will that result in? Growing up with a father who was in a wheel chair, it didn't dawn on me until I was grown what a handicap it might be--because he never uttered a word of regret or sorrow or self-pity, but seemed able to do anything he set his mind to, which was a lot more than most other folks I knew. Gradually I realized we are all handicapped in a wide variety of ways. So what? So we have a choice to make the most out of it or not to. We can enjoy life or not. One of the best ways to learn to enjoy life is to get thrown in prison. It rather clairifies the fact one has a choice. Richard Cory, who had every advantage in life, committed suicide. Job, who had every kind of calamity befall him, unswervingly kept his faith up and his spirits high. One was empowered. The other was not. Some people, with nowhere near the supposed ideal in land, conditions, resources make BD work beautifully. Others seem to fall short here or there and end up failing completely. We have a choice. Best, Hugh Lovel One last attempt at explanation. First off, I didn't make those pictures. The pictures are from a website called THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF EQUISETUM http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/ where the botanical content of the pictures are apparently deemed to be strong enough to offset the potential objectionable portions. Secondly, I had no realization that the pictures were
Re: equisetum
Allen i can't believe you sent that site! I can't believe I found that site! ;-) Ah, Nature!!
Re: equisetum
allen ,you do what you want in your life , i don't endorse that disrestectful view of women, nor do i want to allow it in my home, or teach my son that it's ok . there is nothing natural in that photo. regretfully you had better unsubcribe us.:)sharon - Original Message - From: Allan Balliett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 6:46 AM Subject: Re: equisetum Allen i can't believe you sent that site! I can't believe I found that site! ;-) Ah, Nature!!
Re: equisetum
allen ,you do what you want in your life , i don't endorse that disrestectful view of women, nor do i want to allow it in my home, or teach my son that it's ok . there is nothing natural in that photo. regretfully you had better unsubcribe us.:)sharon Sharon - Don't focus on the bad in life, ok? Look at the beautiful equisetum in that picture. It looks so very happy! I'll have to say that I agree with a woman's right to use her body in any way she is comfortable in doing so. You have your way and this model has her way. Unlike you, she probably would never make a very good farmer. I'll unsub you. Thanks! -Allan
equisetum
At 12:04 PM 10/13/2002 -0400, Allen wrote: I remain pretty confused about identifying the varities of equisetum. As far as I can determing, both Hymale and Arvense appear in BOTH forms, the bush 'pine tree' and the leaveless 'snake grass' or 'joint-grass.' Chadwick says that arvense is the only equisetum that has joints that end with a brown edge. Photos of hymale on the web show it to have a brown edge to the segments. See pictures below http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi It shows pictures and distribution map for the various species. I believe hymale is the naked stem species. I've not heard the brown edge criterion before -- the criterion I've heard is that it be the vegetative, as opposed to the spore bearing stalk. And that comes from RS lectures. praetens seems to be the only species close enough to be confused and it might be close enough for use anyway. For a more detailed botanical keying system see http://hua.huh.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/Flora/flora.pl?FLORA_ID=12395 BTW, it may be too late to harvest now. At least we always try to harvest before summer solstice. You can order dried herb from JPI. But given that it grows in every state, it should be possible to find a local source. I know what equisetum does (anti fungal wise). The interesting part is how and why (in fact the how and why for all the preps). And that leads to some deep thoughts about subtle natures. David Robison
equisetum
At 12:04 PM 10/13/2002 -0400, Allen wrote: There's a good photo display of hyemale at http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/e_berkley.html Gee, Allen. No wonder you had trouble identifying the plants. I did recognize a couple of the homo sapiens but found it rather difficult to focus on plant characteristics. :) David Robison
Re: equisetum
It's my obligation as the moderator of this group to inform everyone that some may find the pictures of equisetum at the link below offensive. I can't retract the earlier post, but I can say I apologize to anyone that I inadvertently offended and I hearby warn the rest that they enter the questionable link forewarned and at their own risk. (Enough said?) -Allan, who hoped that irony was a good excuse for doing anything At 12:04 PM 10/13/2002 -0400, Allen wrote: There's a good photo display of hyemale at http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/e_berkley.html Gee, Allen. No wonder you had trouble identifying the plants. I did recognize a couple of the homo sapiens but found it rather difficult to focus on plant characteristics. :) David Robison
Re: equisetum
Sorry to be out of touch, been entertaining and mucking stalls after all this rain!We've been on the equisetum quest for a while now. I brought a jug of our experiment up to the conference, and caught a moment of Hugh Courtney's time to ask his opinion on the smell. I guess I should have asked other people as well, there was just so much going on. It sat by the door of the conference all Sunday afternoon.WE have hymale. it grows here in the herb garden where we planted it and has spread out gradually to other areas by way of underground propagation, though i never see runners. It grows one to three foot and branches a bit later in the year. it is much larger around than arvense. they are not alike WE've seen some hymale growing along the roadsides near here , much larger than ours .I've had the plants shipped to me to try and get it going here from streambed type areas in new york, and kept it alive as a potted plant. however to put it in the garden on it's own you must try and duplicate it's envirnnment which is as allen describes ,gravelly railroad banks, near streams or boggy areas. we found it growing for miles on a rail to trails project in eastern ohio,and evvirnmentaly clean as well.we do have one a plant in a pot and are trying again to propogate it. THe arvense is very airy and delicate looking when we harvested it in spring, like a soft, tiny, christmas tree, pale green, about a foot tall. the odor of the brew is to me penetrating and most definitely similar to sulfur. it also lingers on the body when you get it on you, maybe why it's effective. it's probably not ..a good idea to plan a romantic evening without a good bath after spraying it! what fun.:)Sharon - Original Message - From: Allan Balliett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 8:04 AM Subject: Re: equisetum At 12:03 PM 10/11/2002 -0400, Sharon wrote: Equisetium arvense is the recommended one for biodynamics, we had the other hymale growing in our garden and did an experiment, with fermenting it. The hymale did not have the strong potent smell as does the arvense, although it is similar. it seems worth the trouble to get the arvense to me. :)Sharon Hymale is the naked stem we call joint-grass. It has no leaves and the spore cone is on the end of the stalk. So it's pretty different. Of course, I don't really know how different the various members of the equisetum family might be for prep making. All have high silica and sort of micro-teeth like scales in their outer surface. Which is why they were used as scouring rush. I remain pretty confused about identifying the varities of equisetum. As far as I can determing, both Hymale and Arvense appear in BOTH forms, the bush 'pine tree' and the leaveless 'snake grass' or 'joint-grass.' Chadwick says that arvense is the only equisetum that has joints that end with a brown edge. Photos of hymale on the web show it to have a brown edge to the segments. There is a good pictorial on arvense (albeit in Spanish) at http://www.uniovi.es/UniOvi/Apartados/Departamento/Biologia.Organismos/Asign aturas/Botanica/Imagenes/Equisetum%20arvense%20(Sphenophyta).JPG I've yet to brew a stinky pot of equesetum this summer. Given Sharon's remarks, I suppose I should change suppliers and start again -OR- locate arvense locally. Any more suggestions on identification? -Allan
Re: equisetum
Allen i can't believe you sent that site! - Original Message - From: Allan Balliett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 8:34 AM Subject: Re: equisetum There's a good photo display of hyemale at http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/e_berkley.html It appears that the pictures that I mentioned earlier that showed hyemale with 'leaves' were actually pictures of arvense. It also appears that hyemale tends to be a much larger plant (over 5 ft at times) while arvense tends to be around a foot tall. Arvense will also range further from swamp, even growing on railroad embankments, as we often see (I assume) it in this area. I don't think I've seen hayemale in this region, but if I went looking for it, I probably should look on stream banks and not around the woods. -Allan
Re: equisetum
At 12:03 PM 10/11/2002 -0400, Sharon wrote: Equisetium arvense is the recommended one for biodynamics, we had the other hymale growing in our garden and did an experiment, with fermenting it. The hymale did not have the strong potent smell as does the arvense, although it is similar. it seems worth the trouble to get the arvense to me. :)Sharon Hymale is the naked stem we call joint-grass. It has no leaves and the spore cone is on the end of the stalk. So it's pretty different. Of course, I don't really know how different the various members of the equisetum family might be for prep making. All have high silica and sort of micro-teeth like scales in their outer surface. Which is why they were used as scouring rush. I remain pretty confused about identifying the varities of equisetum. As far as I can determing, both Hymale and Arvense appear in BOTH forms, the bush 'pine tree' and the leaveless 'snake grass' or 'joint-grass.' Chadwick says that arvense is the only equisetum that has joints that end with a brown edge. Photos of hymale on the web show it to have a brown edge to the segments. There is a good pictorial on arvense (albeit in Spanish) at http://www.uniovi.es/UniOvi/Apartados/Departamento/Biologia.Organismos/Asignaturas/Botanica/Imagenes/Equisetum%20arvense%20(Sphenophyta).JPG I've yet to brew a stinky pot of equesetum this summer. Given Sharon's remarks, I suppose I should change suppliers and start again -OR- locate arvense locally. Any more suggestions on identification? -Allan
Re: equisetum
There's a good photo display of hyemale at http://members.eunet.at/m.matus/e_berkley.html It appears that the pictures that I mentioned earlier that showed hyemale with 'leaves' were actually pictures of arvense. It also appears that hyemale tends to be a much larger plant (over 5 ft at times) while arvense tends to be around a foot tall. Arvense will also range further from swamp, even growing on railroad embankments, as we often see (I assume) it in this area. I don't think I've seen hayemale in this region, but if I went looking for it, I probably should look on stream banks and not around the woods. -Allan
equisetum
At 12:03 PM 10/11/2002 -0400, Sharon wrote: Equisetium arvense is the recommended one for biodynamics, we had the other hymale growing in our garden and did an experiment, with fermenting it. The hymale did not have the strong potent smell as does the arvense, although it is similar. it seems worth the trouble to get the arvense to me. :)Sharon Hymale is the naked stem we call joint-grass. It has no leaves and the spore cone is on the end of the stalk. So it's pretty different. Of course, I don't really know how different the various members of the equisetum family might be for prep making. All have high silica and sort of micro-teeth like scales in their outer surface. Which is why they were used as scouring rush. I don't feel I fully understand why equisetum is what it is. I used to think that the tea was contributing Si but now I think it is much more subtle than that. I sent in a post a while back about JPI's analysis showing that the tea has a high S content. And the plant itself can be described as a Ca plant. RS describes it as pushing back excessive etheric force, as opposed to drawing in higher formative forces, as done by the Si in 501. Or the pulling in of etheric forces as done by the oak bark /skull prep. This sort of connects with Ca and sort of connects with having a purely vegetative stalk. And S is the important catalyst for bringing in higher formative forces. I also note that RS described equisetum in a different context from the other preps. It's separated from the 500/501 axis, separate from the compost pile preps, and included in his discussion of lunar/water aspects connected with remedies for disease. All makes it a very interesting subject. David Robison Stellar Processes 1033 SW Yamhill Suite 405 Portland, OR 97205 (503) 827-8336 www.ezsim.com
Re: equisetum
I don't feel I fully understand why equisetum is what it is. I used to think that the tea was contributing Si but now I think it is much more subtle than that. I sent in a post a while back about JPI's analysis showing that the tea has a high S content. And the plant itself can be described as a Ca plant. RS describes it as pushing back excessive etheric force, as opposed to drawing in higher formative forces, as done by the Si in 501. Or the pulling in of etheric forces as done by the oak bark /skull prep. This sort of connects with Ca and sort of connects with having a purely vegetative stalk. And S is the important catalyst for bringing in higher formative forces. I also note that RS described equisetum in a different context from the other preps. It's separated from the 500/501 axis, separate from the compost pile preps, and included in his discussion of lunar/water aspects connected with remedies for disease. All makes it a very interesting subject. IN one of his lectures, Chadwick mentions that from the beginning of gardening equisetum has been used as an anti-fungal tea. He points out that by it's disposition of growth: commonly wet areas, its signature is profoundly anti-fungal. We identify it differently in BD. I think that it is important to know that in European peasant traditional farming equisetum was apparently used to control fungal outbreaks, at least according to Chadwick, who is rumoured to have known all about such things. -Allan
equisetum
At 12:03 PM 10/10/2002 -0400, Daniel wrote: Could some one please list or point me in the direction of instructions on making equisetum tea. My understanding is that there are two types of equisetum, can you use either? There are many species -- E. arvense or field horsetail is the one indicated. Other species occur, wood horsetail (E. sylvaticum) or giant horsetail (E. telmateia), for example. Related E. pratense is found in New England, upper Midwest, Canada, Alaska. We have always said to use plants with the feathery but non-spore bearing fronds (dimorphic). Easy to distinguish from the many other species that have spore cones and leaves occurring together (monomorphic). See the pictures at www.oregonbd.org Intro class #4. Best to harvest in late spring,before summer solstice. Arvense and pratense are both common North American species and there are also frequent natural hybrids. We have assumed these are basically the same as E arvense as long as the fronds do not have the spore cases on them. Don't use species with spore cones on the end of the same stalk as the leaves and you should be ok. This is one remedy that needs no preparation. Boil the tea well for 20 minutes or so to make sure the good stuff dissolves. You can use fresh or let it ferment -- Kolisko recommended the fermented tea. Dilute about 1:10 to use. David Robison
Re: Horsetail/Equisetum Arvense
Tony Pam, If it's tea for human consumption you're planning on, I have read that it is wise to ONLY collect the horsetail after the first 4-6 weeks of growth after appearing in the spring otherwise it can be toxic to humans. I don't know if this is also true for making compost tea. Jane - Original Message - From: Anthony Nelson-Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2002 11:21 AM Subject: Re: Horsetail/Equisetum Arvense Steve - Pulling horsetail shoots damages the plant? I should be so lucky! I approve of this plant in the right place, but not overwhelming my veg patch. I've dug down three feet into my subsoil (solid glacial clay) without coming to the end of its stolons - I've read that they can extend downwards for several yards. Every spring I pull each shoot as it appears, and appears, and appears; after a decade or more, they are as vigorous as ever. Of course, if I'd _wanted_ them there Naturally, I dry the best leafy shoots for tea making. Tony N-S.
Re: Horsetail/Equisetum Arvense
Daniel - Thanks for that! It's hard to see how my often waterlogged, heavy clay soil could contain excess nitrate, but there's no harm in trying... Tony N-S.
Horsetail/Equisetum Arvense
Hello friends, I have a lot of horsetail coming up. Do I want the single shoot, or do I wait for the feathery leaves, which are starting to show. Are there different uses/applications for the shoot versus the leaves? Thanks, Pam -- ___ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Email.com http://www.email.com/?sr=signup
Re: Horsetail/Equisetum Arvense
Steve - Pulling horsetail shoots damages the plant? I should be so lucky! I approve of this plant in the right place, but not overwhelming my veg patch. I've dug down three feet into my subsoil (solid glacial clay) without coming to the end of its stolons - I've read that they can extend downwards for several yards. Every spring I pull each shoot as it appears, and appears, and appears; after a decade or more, they are as vigorous as ever. Of course, if I'd _wanted_ them there Naturally, I dry the best leafy shoots for tea making. Tony N-S.
