Use horsetail tea
Effect of field horsetail
Valuable ingredients such as silicic acid, saponins and nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and calcium make horsetail a valuable medicinal plant. It is not only beneficial for humans, but also for your plants in the garden. A decoction or tea can strengthen them naturally and protect them from diseases and pests.
Preventing pests and diseases
When extracted with water, silicic acid in particular dissolves. This acid strengthens the cell tissue of the plants. This makes it more difficult for pests and diseases to infect the plants. The effect of plant extracts and plant juices is generally still controversial and not clearly proven. You should therefore always take additional crop protection measures such as pheromone traps, glue rings, etc. However, it is important to note that horsetail mainly has a preventative effect and only provides limited help in the event of an infestation.
Make horsetail decoction: Ingridients
- 100 - 150 g/3.5 - 5.2 fl. oz. fresh or 30 - 50 g/1 - 1.7 fl. oz. dried horsetail
- 1 L/2.2 pd water
- saucepan
- sieve
- optional: cotton cloth
Instructions for horsetail extract
- collect green, above-ground parts of the plant by the end of July (silica content decreases when stems become woody)
- decoction: chop up plant parts; soak in water for 1-3 days; boil for 15-30 minutes; strain
- tea: pour hot water over chopped plant parts; leave to infuse for 15-20 minutes; strain
- if used as a spray, strain through cotton napkin
Durability
A decoction or tea of horsetail has a limited shelf life and should always be made fresh when needed. You can store the brew/tea in a closed container for a few days, but then it will start to ferment at some point. This is not so tragic, because then you can simply use the remedy as horsetail slurry.
Use in the garden
- Decoction: undiluted or diluted with rainwater in a ratio of 1:5
- Tea: diluted with rainwater in a ratio of 1:10 - 1:20
- As a plant strengthener: repeat every 2 to 3 weeks
- In case of a light infestation: remove diseased plant parts and dispose of in the household waste; treat the plant several times a day for several days in a row
- Mainly as a foliar spray/fertilizer; if necessary, also apply to the soil
- Spray in the morning in sunny weather without rain
