Comments on: Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it A Site About Everything and Nothing Thu, 17 May 2012 21:42:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it by: Rod http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15835 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:55:18 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15835 Roderick, thanks for the comment and welcome to the site. I must say I was both surprised and disappointed to see it regarded as a rampant weed as it looks so atractive. Best Rod Roderick,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
I must say I was both surprised and disappointed to see it regarded as a rampant weed as it looks so atractive.
Best
Rod

]]> Comment on Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it by: Roderick O'Connor http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15832 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:58:38 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15832 I agree about its beauty. We discovered it on the path alongside the north york moors railway above Grosmont, and could not identify it for months. We returned to dig some up, but it rapidly dessicated and died before we could replant. Now I find that it is considered to be a noxious weed, and any surviving spores that I have buried are likely to spread widely in the garden and neighbourhood. Oh well, I agree about its beauty. We discovered it on the path alongside the north york moors railway above Grosmont, and could not identify it for months.
We returned to dig some up, but it rapidly dessicated and died before we could replant.
Now I find that it is considered to be a noxious weed, and any surviving spores that I have buried are likely to spread widely in the garden and neighbourhood. Oh well,

]]> Comment on Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it by: Rod http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15223 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:51:11 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15223 Neville, many thanks - it really is someting a special. I've beeen keeping my eyes open for it but still haven't seen it anywhere else yet. Thanks again for the fascinating infomation Neville, I never came across any of that in my research. Fabulous Rod ! Neville,
many thanks - it really is someting a special.
I’ve beeen keeping my eyes open for it but still haven’t seen it anywhere else yet.

Thanks again for the fascinating infomation Neville, I never came across any of that in my research.
Fabulous
Rod !

]]> Comment on Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it by: Chris Keyworth http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15221 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:04:44 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15221 great info nev regards chris great info nev

regards
chris

]]> Comment on Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it by: Amiguru http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15219 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:13:33 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15219 Rod, I'm still catching up - would have been sooner if HH hadn't sent me on a wild goose-chase :roll: This certainly is an amazingly ancient plant, but don't, whatever you do, plant it in your garden! It is most persistent and resistant to weedkillers; loves getting under walls and the rhizomes once established can go as deep as 40 feet! That is not a typo! Here are some more facts about it: A major use for this plant in the past was as an abrasive. The outer layer particularly is rich in silicon and in the old days they were used for polishing metal, cabinet makers 'sand-paper', for scouring pewter and wooden kitchen utensils, fletchers (arrow-makers) and comb-makers finished their products with it. Apparently, it also gives a particularly close shave - have to try it tomorrow :shock: In Scandinavia it is regarded as a fine substitute for grass in horse-feeding but is not given to cattle as their softer teeth get worn away.....Eee-by-gum! Some more of its common names are: Shave grass; Bottle brush; Paddock pipes; Dutch rushes; Pewterwort; Scouring rush;. All of the above, by the way is from the 800 page botanists' bible, 'A Modern Herbal' by Mrs. M. Grieve F.R.H.S. No W or G used here gov ;) Regards, Neville Rod,

I’m still catching up - would have been sooner if HH hadn’t sent me on a wild goose-chase :roll:

This certainly is an amazingly ancient plant, but don’t, whatever you do, plant it in your garden! It is most persistent and resistant to weedkillers; loves getting under walls and the rhizomes once established can go as deep as 40 feet! That is not a typo!

Here are some more facts about it:

A major use for this plant in the past was as an abrasive. The outer layer particularly is rich in silicon and in the old days they were used for polishing metal, cabinet makers ’sand-paper’, for scouring pewter and wooden kitchen utensils, fletchers (arrow-makers) and comb-makers finished their products with it. Apparently, it also gives a particularly close shave - have to try it tomorrow :shock:

In Scandinavia it is regarded as a fine substitute for grass in horse-feeding but is not given to cattle as their softer teeth get worn away…..Eee-by-gum!

Some more of its common names are: Shave grass; Bottle brush; Paddock pipes; Dutch rushes; Pewterwort; Scouring rush;.

All of the above, by the way is from the 800 page botanists’ bible, ‘A Modern Herbal’ by Mrs. M. Grieve F.R.H.S. No W or G used here gov ;)

Regards,
Neville

]]> Comment on Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it by: Rod http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15045 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:28:37 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15045 Chris, there is something very satisfying about identifying plants and insects etc - I thoroughly enjoy it and have bought several books to help the situation. I may take some better pictures as I did these with a telephoto if you remember just for ID purposes not realising it would be such an interesting and ancient plant Cheers Rod Chris,
there is something very satisfying about identifying plants and insects etc - I thoroughly enjoy it and have bought several books to help the situation.
I may take some better pictures as I did these with a telephoto if you remember just for ID purposes not realising it would be such an interesting and ancient plant
Cheers
Rod

]]> Comment on Field Horsetail or Equisetum Arvense - All About it by: chris keyworth http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15038 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:03:37 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/field-horsetail-or-equisetum-arvense-all-about-it#comment-15038 a cracking photo and write up rod of a very useful and interesting find, stuff metal detecting im off finding plants in future it will dull my pains lol.... regards chris a cracking photo and write up rod of a very useful and interesting find, stuff metal detecting im off finding plants in future it will dull my pains lol….

regards
chris

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