Horsetail Plant Profile

Horsetail Plant Profile

Horsetail (Equisetum praealtum formerly Equisetum hyemale) is a perennial plant that looks like a reed with joints along its stem. It can grow to three to six feet tall and is also known as Scouring Rush.

It is hardy to USDA zones 4 to 10 and is native to most of North America.

Horsetail is a fern relative and does not produce flowers or seeds. It can be propagated by division.

It prefers to grow in sites with consistent moisture. It can thrive in full sun to part shade.

Horsetail is native to wetlands and in places with shallow water.

It is best grown in a home garden either in a container or at the edge of a pond/water garden as it can be an aggressive spreader when planted in a wet soil location and can quickly form a large colony.

Due to its rough texture and high silica content, the plant is not eaten by deer.

Horsetail: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio, video, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Colin Davan

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If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Lotus Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/08/lotus-plant-profile.html

~ Hardy Waterlily Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2019/07/video-plant-profile-hardy-waterlily.html

~ Little Bluestem Grass Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/little-bluestem-grass-plant-profile.html

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GardenDC Podcast Episode 201: Watering Tips

In this episode, we talk with Andrew Bunting, Vice President of Horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, about garden watering tips. The plant profile is on Alstroemeria and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Garden Yoga from Christy Page of Green Prints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 112: Summer Garden Refresh

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-112-summer.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 165: Gardening and the Weather with Margaret Roach

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-165-gardening.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 121: Gold Medal Plants

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-121-gold-medal.html

This episode is archived at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Watering-Tips-e2m0crk

Show Notes: 1:12 Welcome Andrew Bunting with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 2:03 What has Andrew been up to? The Philadelphia Flower Show and selecting gold metal plants 4:21 Andrew talks about his gravel garden and his vegetable garden 7:32 How does Andrew maintain his gravel garden? 9:19 How to tell when your plants need water (Let the plants be the indicator) 11:05 Some plants look like they’re wilting, but do not actually need water 13:26 What have the weather conditions been this summer in Philadelphia? 15:30 Andrew uses rain gauges and containers to tell how many inches of rain fell 18:57 Kathy uses Cocorahs to find hyper-local precipitation numbers 19:38 What time of day is best for watering? Andrew believes early morning 22:25 Andrew shares where on the plant he waters and what hoses to use 28:30 Andrew uses Flexogen and Dramm hoses and explains why 33:38 Kathy uses hoses that compact themselves which saves time wrapping up the hose 35:57 What watering cans does Andrew use indoors and outside? 40:05 Philadelphia’s rain barrel program and the benefits of rain barrels 42:45 How leaving your leaves or mulch can help keep moisture in your garden 48:12 Products that hold moisture in the soil - such as Soil Moist 51:45 Andrew shares his favorite drought-tolerant plants 57:30 To contact Andrew and learn more about the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, go to phsonline.org and read Andrew’s article How to Water Plants While Away 1:00:17 Plant Profile: Alstroemeria 1:01:48 What’s new in the garden this week? Pollinators are visiting the monarda and sunflowers and Kathy’s harvesting onions, basil, and tomatoes. 1:02:07 This week’s garden tip are on tomato issues 1:02:38 GardenDC won the Best Podcast HORTI Award! 1:03:10 Upcoming events in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area – The sunflowers at the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area are at their peak in Poolesville, MD. Woody Plant Conference on July 19th at the Scott Arboretum. The Takoma Park Garlic Festival at the Takoma Park Farmers Market is now on July 21st. 1:05:01 Check out Groundcover Revolution by Kathy Jentz for low-maintenance alternatives for lawns on Amazon.com and Bookshop.org 1:07:23 Christy Page from GreenPrints on Garden Yoga, a story by Kay Flowers

Links:

~ Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network: https://cocorahs.org/

~ DRAMM Water Breaker Nozzle: https://amzn.to/4bGMbOM*

~ How to Water Plants While Away and Sustain a Summer Garden (phsonline.org)

*Amazon affiliate link. Any purchases made from the link may add a few pennies to the GardenDC account, but will not impact the prices you pay.

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• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/gardendc
  
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• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Interview Edit and Show Notes: Josh Panepento

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Win a Hydro Wine watering system in the June 2021 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest

For our June 2021 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away one Hydro Wine watering system each to three lucky winners.

   The Hydro Wine watering system from BioGreen USA (https://biogreen-products.com/products/hydro-wine) fits most wine bottles and gives your plant just the right amount of water. Gently push the terracotta stake into the pot and load your water-filled wine bottle. Perfect for long weekends or forgetful or busy plant parents. You can decorate the wine bottles to fit any aesthetic!

   To enter to win a Hydro Wine watering system, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Wednesday, June 30, with “Hydro Wine watering systems” in the subject line. In the body of the email, tell us what your favorite article was in the June 2021 issue and why. Include your full name and mailing address. The winners will be announced by July 2.  

UPDATE:

The three contest winners are -
-  Peter Frandsen, Silver Spring, MD
- John Boggan, Washington, DC
- Cindy Walczak, Olney, MD

DIY: Floating Glass Globes

This project is purely decorative to add a bit of flair to a small water garden or a floating floral arrangement. These colored balls mimic the ones used for floating fishing nets, which are rather pricey. I chose colors in the blue-green spectrum to blend in with my container lotus, but you can use whatever color combinations strike your fancy.

Level: easy   Cost: minimal   Use: gardening 

Materials:

- egg carton

- skewer 

- clear glass ball ornaments

- Mod Podge

- gel food coloring

Step 1: Remove the hanger/insert from the top of the clear glass balls. Then, clean any dust or debris inside the balls and let them dry thoroughly.

Step 2: Mix 2 tablespoons of Mod Podge and a squirt of a food coloring gel together in a bowl or cup using a skewer. You can add more food coloring gel or mix colors together, as you desire. Note that the colors will appear much darker now and will dry to a translucent finish.

Step 3: Sit the clear ball with the opening facing up in the egg carton and carefully pour in the colored Mod Podge. Swirl the coloring around and then turn it upside down over the egg carton and let the excess run out overnight.

Step 4: Let the balls dry until clear and then place them in your water garden.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from Amazon.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

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Win a DRAMM One Touch Rain Wand in our June 2020 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

For our June 2020 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a 30" One Touch Rain Wand from DRAMM in the color of your choice to one lucky winner (prize value: $30).
   Water with ease with the One Touch Rain Wand. It allows complete and total water flow control with just one touch of your thumb, thus eliminating the strain from squeezing caused by many current watering tools. It efficiently saves water while watering from one plant to the next. The rain wand is made with aluminum for a lightweight and durable feel and has a rubber over-mold for additional protection at the natural wear-point. It comes in six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and berry with a lifetime guarantee to the consumer.
    To enter to win the 30" One Touch Rain Wand in the color of your choice, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Tuesday, June 30, with “Dramm Rain Wand” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in our June 2020 issue and why. Include your full name and address. Winners will be announced on July 1.

UPDATE:
Our winner chosen at random from among the submitted entries is Tarah Demant of  Washington, DC. Congratulations, Tarah!

Creating an Oasis in Your Garden Talk

On Saturday, June 16, from 10–11:30am, I'll be speaking at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA, on "Water in the Landscape: Creating an Oasis in Your Garden."

Water features and water gardens can be magical additions to your landscape. They can stimulate or calm, sustain native wildlife, and mask ambient noise. Washington Gardener Magazine and Water Garden Journal editor Kathy Jentz explains the basics of installing and maintaining a water feature of any size in your garden and highlights water garden plant choices appropriate for our region.

And no, having a water garden doesn't breed mosquitoes! As a matter of fact, quite the opposite -- water features can be great mosquitoes deterrents. Find out more at my talk.

Fee: $18/person. Code 290 286 0301. Register at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes or call 703-642-5173. Out-of-county registrants, add $2 for programs.

Video Wednesday: Shutting Off Water Sources to Winterize Your Garden

In this video, Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine, demonstrates how to shut off your water sources before winter.

Video Wednesday: Shutting Off Water Sources for Winter

This week's video on Shutting Off Water Sources is incredibly timely with a huge cold front moving into the Mid-Atlantic area. If you have never had trouble with a water pipe freezing and bursting, count yourself lucky. I hear many horror stories from new homeowners who were never told they needed to turn off their outdoor water for winter nor even where the shut-off valve is -- if you don't know where that valve is, make it a point to find where yours is today!

This one is another MonkeySee.com production. BTW, you may have to wait a few seconds for the video to load while listening to a brief MonkeySee.com sponsor commercial. If the above viewer screen, does not work, you can go to MonkeySee.com to watch it her
OR go directly to: http://www.monkeysee.com/play/12085-Winterize-a-Vegetable-Garden-Shutting-Off-Water-Sources