How to use horsetail as an insecticide and fungicide
How to use horsetail as an insecticide and fungicide
Horsetails (Equisetum spp.) Are plants belonging to the family of Equisetaceae which are commonly called horse tails. They are very effective plants both against pests and fungal diseases and particularly indicated in strengthening the immune system defenses and stimulating their growth.
In our company we can first grow the horsetail (increasing the biodiversity of the company) and then use them in different artisan preparations.
It should be noted that the horsetails are very common wild plants and generally prefer sandy and wet soils and are erroneously considered as weeds (but they become so when we adopt improper agronomic techniques (such as high fertilizations, specializations, etc.).
We can the various types of horsetail we mention: Equisetum arvense, Equisetum palustre, Equisetum ramosissimum and Equisetum telmateia.
Horses, as well as having interesting uses in folk medicine, can be used to obtain a natural insecticide to combat certain insects such as aphids and cochineals, some mites like the red spider mite and also some fungal diseases.
To this end we can prepare both the decoction and the horsetail macerate. Below I describe the methods. In both cases the same doses should be used: 1 kg of fresh horsetail (the whole plant is used except the roots) and 10 liters of water.
Preparation –
For the decoction of horsetail, the plants of horsetail should be soaked in 10 liters of water for 24 hours in a pot. After this time, everything should be placed on low heat for about 30 minutes; after cooling it is filtered with the tools you find yourself (colander, colander, gauze, etc.). For use it must be diluted with water in the proportion of 1: 5 and distributed on plants infested with parasites with a sprayer (or sprayer in case of small quantities). The horsetail mix can be stored in a closed container (preferably in a cool place).
For the maceration of horsetail, the whole is left to macerate in water for about 2 weeks, until a foam is formed. In this period, once a day we will have to mix everything; as containers we recommend glass or earthenware (for ecological and reaction reasons we avoid metal or plastic). At the end of the second week it is filtered and used diluted 5 times as a decoction. It is preserved as the previous one.
Operation and use –
These preparations are rich in silicon so they help plants resist fungal and insect attacks. The use can be preventive (with spraying every 10 days) especially during the spring and summer. To improve the adhesion on the leaf surfaces can be added with Marseille soap (0.3%). It is advisable to carry out the treatments in the late afternoon and in any case after sunset to avoid burns on the most delicate parts of the plants.