How to Maintain Horse Tail Plants

Horsetail plants require regular watering for optimal growth.

Horsetails are often viewed as weeds, but they can be grown as ornamental plants in containers or gardens. A healthy crop of horsetails requires that the soil in which they are planted be kept moist at all times.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Fertilizer with micro-nutrients
• Fluorescent lighting

Instructions

1. Apply small amounts of fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Too much fertilizer might cause nutrient imbalance or lead to toxicity. Horesetails require micro-nutrients for optimal growth; apply a weak fertilizer solution every two to four weeks. Water the plants after fertilizing.

2. Plant horsetails in an area receiving ample sunlight; the plants cannot grow in shade. Use fluorescent lighting with container-planted horsetails located indoors.

3. Maintain the pH of the soil from neutral to mildly acidic. These plants are not particular about the soil type in which they grow.

4. Horestails are relatively hardy plants and do not attract insects and fungi. Plants grown in high-humidity greenhouses are prone to infestation by scales, aphids and mealybugs. Use appropriate insecticides to deal with pests.

Tips & Warnings

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References

• Texas Agrilife Extension Service; Horsetail; 2011
• Florida International University; Cultivation of Giant Horsetails; Chad E. Husby; March 2003