Horsetail has some excellent effects on plants in the garden, so it is successfully used by gardeners in horticulture. It can be successfully used as a natural fertilizer because the plant contains silica, many minerals and essential oils and these are useful substances that are contained in fertilizers. To supply your plants in the garden with it, you can make horsetail manure. Here you will find simple recipes to make yourself and tips for use. You can also use horsetail broth in the garden to prevent fungal diseases in fruit trees and vegetables. Read on to learn how to use horsetail.
What properties does horsetail have?
Horsetail is a plant that has many benefits and uses. One of its most notable benefits is its antifungal properties. It can prevent the growth of fungi, and alsoRepel insects and vermin. How exactly does horsetail work? The plant contains a substance called silica, which is known for its antifungal properties. The plant is also rich in vitamins and minerals, which makes it an excellent choice for strengthening plants in the garden because its beneficial ingredients can contribute to healthy growth.
You can easily make a natural fertilizer from the plant by making horsetail manure for your plants in the garden. You need a bucket or bucket made of plastic or wood. Metal containers are not suitable. Proceed as follows: Add a kilogram of fresh, crushed horsetail. Fill the container with water, cover and let the mixture sit for several days. Don't forget to stir once a day. How do you know when the manure is ready? When no more bubbles appear, fermentation is complete. Then water your plants with the homemade natural fertilizer.
How to use horsetail manure correctly
Dilute the manure 1:5 and water the plants with it once a month. Please note that the fertilizer should not be used in direct sunlight and that the roots and leaves must not be wetted. Water only around the roots. It is best to water early in the morning or evening.
Use horsetail broth against fungal diseases
You can also use horsetail to make your own broth for plants in the garden. To do this, the herb is soaked in rainwater for 24 hours and then boiled for half an hour to dissolve the silica. If you have the brothuse in the gardenIf necessary, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:4 and spray the affected areas several times a day. Later in this post we will explain which plant diseases you can treat with it.
Make fermented horsetail tea
You can make fermented horsetail tea and use it as an effective garden remedy that helps prevent most fruit tree and vegetable diseases. Here are the steps to make fermented horsetail tea:
- Collect 1 kg of fresh leaves and place them in a bucket.
- Add 9 liters of rainwater.
- Let the mixture sit for 1 to 2 weeks, stirring regularly (twice a day is ideal). Fermented horsetail tea is ready when the liquid turns black and the leaves have crumbled into slime at the bottom of the container.
- Filter the tea to remove any residue and leave a clear liquid. Then it is ready and you can treat the plants with it.
An alternative to two-week cold maceration is to steep the tea for just 24 hours. After that, boil the leaves with water for 20 minutes. Before use, you must cool and filter it. This way you can't wait so long and use the fermented tea much sooner.
You can also use dried horsetail
If you don't have fresh horsetail available, you can use the remedyfor your plantsAlso make it from dried horsetail! Pulverizing helps the plant break down more quickly when preparing the mixture, but it also works well with whole dried plants. To prepare the dried horsetail mixture:
Take 100g of dried material. Again, you have two options: you'll get more nutrients if you let this material ferment, but if you want to use up your mixture faster, you can cook it. For either option, simply follow the steps outlined in the basic recipe, adjusting the dry weight (use only 10% of the basic recipe).
When to use horsetail tea against diseases
Horsetail tea is particularly suitable for use in spring and autumn, when illnesses are most likely to occur. Since it is a natural product that is completely harmless to plants, it can be sprayed all year round. The appropriate mixing ratio is 10% fermented horsetail tea to 90% water. Spray regularly to successfully prevent disease.
What diseases can be treated with horsetail
Horsetail tea is particularly effective against the following diseases on plants in your garden:
- Desiccation of seedlings
- Krautfäule
- Powdery mildew
- Sternrußtau
- Rost
- Rotting fruits
- Peach leaf spot
- Apfelschorf
- Grape moth mite
- Different types of septoria and black spot: rose black spot, maple black spot, strawberry tree black spot and others.
