Some strange fungi? that have popped up all over my friends garden overnight. They puff out spores if you touch the top bits.
Some strange fungi? that have popped up all over my friends garden overnight. They puff out spores if you touch the top bits.
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Maybe Stinkhorn
Not that it looks like a fun(guy)gi though
Having looked around the net, there's loads of those Croc! But it's not those or the stinkhorn one. Thanks for the suggestions though! 
Equisetum arvense
Otherwise known as the horsetail
http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-horsetail.html
http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-horsetail.html
Ooooh Croc..... that looks very promising! Thanks for that. I'll let her know.
I'd rather have that than knobmushrooms in my garden!!!
It's been confirmed by my friend that is what it is! Thanks for that Croc. I've been looking for quite a while, how did you find it so quick?
Now.... how to get rid?
google is my friend
getting rid of horsetail...
http://www.henriettesherbal.co...g-rid-horsetail.html
It must be what you put in your search croc! Not knowing where to start I wasn't sure what to put in! 
just put in 'how to get rid of horsetail'
Sarah, my friend, says thanks too Croc! She was beginning to think she'd been invaded by some triffid like life-form from the Iceland volcano eruption!
I thought it was asparagus gone wrong at first!!
oh no! that stuff is as bad as japanese knotweed!
I'm not 100% sure... but I think it grows like knotweed too... in which case getting shot of the stuff is hard work... I think you can go down the route of treating it with the paint on weedkiller... every time a bit sprouts up.
The other way is to literally dig it out... with a trowel... getting every last bit of root up.. and trying not to fragment the root as this will just make it worse.
If its coming from next door then they need to get rid of it too.
I'm not 100% sure... but I think it grows like knotweed too... in which case getting shot of the stuff is hard work... I think you can go down the route of treating it with the paint on weedkiller... every time a bit sprouts up.
The other way is to literally dig it out... with a trowel... getting every last bit of root up.. and trying not to fragment the root as this will just make it worse.
If its coming from next door then they need to get rid of it too.
Reference:
oh no! that stuff is as bad as japanese knotweed! I'm not 100% sure... but I think it grows like knotweed too... in which case getting shot of the stuff is hard work... I think you can go down the route of treating it with the paint on weedkiller... every time a bit sprouts up. The other way is to literally dig it out... with a trowel... getting every last bit of root up.. and trying not to fragment the root as this will just make it worse. If its coming from next door then they need to get rid of it too.
Thank goodness it's in her garden and not mine, and we live many miles apart! Poor Sarah. She says she's just going to keep pulling it up each time one appears in the hope that eventually she'll get shot of it. Not sure if that will work.
If it is like knotweed... and has rhizomes (sp) underground... then pulling it up won't work.. it will potentially make it worse...
I'll have a look later and see if it is a rhizome one!.
My friend lives a mile up the road and a few years ago they moved into this beautiful brand new bungalow... their dream house! It really is gorg. A few months after moving in she starting talking about this weird asparagus stuff that kept growing in her garden... then I got a frantic text message... it was japanese knotweed! It had started forcing its way through the decking on the oriental pagoda thingy... had forced its way into the sides of the Koi ponds... and was heading towards the house.
She has horsetail too!
I'll text her tomorrow and ask her about it. I know that 4 years on she is slowly winning the knotweed war! Its a constant & slow job of painting on they glyco something weedkiller... but its starting to work.
I'll have a look later and see if it is a rhizome one!.
My friend lives a mile up the road and a few years ago they moved into this beautiful brand new bungalow... their dream house! It really is gorg. A few months after moving in she starting talking about this weird asparagus stuff that kept growing in her garden... then I got a frantic text message... it was japanese knotweed! It had started forcing its way through the decking on the oriental pagoda thingy... had forced its way into the sides of the Koi ponds... and was heading towards the house.
She has horsetail too!
I'll text her tomorrow and ask her about it. I know that 4 years on she is slowly winning the knotweed war! Its a constant & slow job of painting on they glyco something weedkiller... but its starting to work.
apparently lime juice kills it cos it likes a certain ph in the soil....
Reference:
apparently lime juice kills it cos it likes a certain ph in the soil...
oooh... or vinegar, lemon juice (stuff in the plastic lemon)... I'd go straight for the hydrochloric acid then!
Spraying or painting on of the weedkiller won't work, you have to put strong rubber gloves on and dip your hands in the weedkiller,then you run your hands up the plant and bruise it,don't pull it out.It can take a few goes it's a bleedin' stubborn thing.
Reference:
you have to put strong rubber gloves on and dip your hands in the weedkiller,then you run your hands up the plant and bruise it,
ooooh... that sounds like a top tip. My mate paints it on her knotweed... I shall be passing this onto her tomorrow
How strange, can't say I've ever noticed this before...then driving through Raincliffe /Forge Valley woods near Scarborough yesterday , it was EVERYWHERE
Spooky!
Reference:
you have to put strong rubber gloves on and dip your hands in the weedkiller,then you run your hands up the plant and bruise it,
Just as well it's not the fungi croc posted then.
It's hideously unattractive, I'll give it that.
Control 
Non-chemical controls
Removing horsetail by hand is difficult. Although rhizomes growing near the surface can be forked out, deeper roots will require a lot of excavation. Shallow, occasional weeding is not effective and can make the problem worse, as the plant can regrow from any small pieces left behind. However, removing shoots as soon as they appear above the ground can reduce infestation if carried out over a number of years.
If horsetail appears in lawns, it can be kept in check by mowing regularly.
Chemical controls
Infestations of horsetail can be weakened with weedkiller.
- On vacant soil, where there are no herbaceous perennials, bulbs or crops, you can spread granules containing dichlobenil (Casoron G4 Weed Barrier) over the ground to inhibit new shoots.
- Weedkillers containing glyphosate (e.g. Roundup, Tumbleweed, Weed Buster and Knockdown Systemic) can be applied in late summer when growth is strong. Before using, bruise the shoots with a rake to ensure effective penetration.
- Glufosinate ammonium (e.g. FITO Garden Weedkiller and Knockdown Weedkiller) will kill horsetail shoots, and may also weaken the root system. Take care when applying these herbicides, as they are not selective and will kill cultivated plants too. Follow the manufacturerâs instructions carefully.
Remember: horsetail is persistent, and several applications - possibly over a number of years - may be necessary to completely eradicate the problem.
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It's hideously unattractive, I'll give it that.
It's not quite so horrible looking once it's 'open'.
Well nature will out! You have to admire a plant that is millions of years old and pisses orrf gardeners still.Yes I have a few in my garden.
Oh one other buggery plant is creeping elder.
Is that ground elder Katty?
I have ground elder... well .. next door have ground elder! I have to dig it up by hand and then put it on the paving to dry out and die!
its not too bad to dig out though... quite satisfying when you get to tug a main root out... it doesn't break up or fragment!
I have ground elder... well .. next door have ground elder! I have to dig it up by hand and then put it on the paving to dry out and die!
its not too bad to dig out though... quite satisfying when you get to tug a main root out... it doesn't break up or fragment!
