How to Trim Horsetail Bamboo in the Winter

Horsetail's jointed stems resemble bamboo.

Horsetail bamboo, also called winter scouring rush, produces 4-foot, jointed stems that grow from rhizomes. Under the correct conditions, it easily reaches 6-foot widths in as little as one to two seasons if new shoots are not trimmed back as quickly as they appear. Although horsetail looks and grows like bamboo, it is not bamboo. In fact, horsetail bamboo is an invasive bog plant that requires extensive pruning to keep it in check, beginning in late winter.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp, heavy-duty pruning shears or hacksaw

Instructions

1. Wait until the end of winter to begin trimming. The best time is just after winter’s final thaw but before the horsetail turns green and lush with signs of new growth. Start by cutting dead and damaged stems to the soil line by using sharp, heavy-duty pruning shears or a hacksaw.

2. Thin unwanted stems if more trimming is desired. If you want to cut the plant's density, then prune the unwanted stems to the soil line.

3. Trim the entire horsetail bamboo to the soil line in late winter if desired. In spring, the trimmed plant will regrow quickly, but then you can decrease its density with regular cuttings as soon as you see new shoots emerge.

Tips & Warnings

• If you like the look of horsetail bamboo but shun the maintenance it requires, then grow it in pots. Confining the plant in pots controls the spread off-shoots, which means less trimming for you.

• Trimming doesn’t begin and end in winter. Horsetail bamboo maintenance is an ongoing project that requires full attention throughout spring and summer months as well. If you have no interest in horsetail taking over your yard, then trim its shoots to the soil line.

• Each horsetail bamboo stem contains tiny pieces of silica that quickly dull cutting blades. Continuous maintenance of horsetail means that the pruning shears or hacksaw need regular sharpening.

• Avoid trimming horsetail bamboo stems above the soil line. Doing so tends to make the plant top-heavy because the stems usually produce multiple branching systems after cutting.

• Once you plant horsetail bamboo, it is a lifelong companion plant for the rest of your yard. The only way to eradicate horsetail bamboo is to dig it up from soil. That involves digging deep enough to pull out its entire rhizome and attached off-shoots.

References

• Got Shade?: A “Take it Easy” Approach for Today’s Gardener; Carolyn Harstad
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Equisetum Hyemale
• MaasNursery.com: Grasses and Groundcovers

Resources

• The College of New Jersey: Equisetum Hyemale