How Does One Make Horsetail Tea?
Since we sent our most recent newsletter, we’ve received numerous responses from friends both near and far. Many of these responses included a question: how exactly does one make horsetail tea? And, once made, how can one use it to help decrease horsetail in the garden?
For those of you fortunate enough not to know, horsetail is a very ancient plant, related to the fern family. It grows in abundance in our region. That would not be a problem, except that it appears to be fond of our monastery’s vegetable garden, and risks to crowd out the actual vegetables. It is very difficult to eliminate by weeding, but a local organic gardener taught us a solution. Horsetail is very high in silica, and it thrives in soil that is poor in that nutrient. By steeping horsetail in water to make a fermented “tea,” and pouring this solution on the garden, one can enrich the soil enough to decrease or suppress the weed’s activity. No chemicals involved!
Here are some simple instructions on how we are using this tea to help transform our garden:
· To be very clear: this “tea” is not for human consumption, but for use on garden patches only. This point will become self-evident once the brew is fully fermented (read on to find out why).
· First, gather up an armful of horsetail (either with or without the roots), and put it in a large bucket with a good lid. Leave about ¼ inch of space at the top.
· Fill the bucket with water so that the horsetail is fully covered. It will float a little. After this, you will want to cover the bucket with the lid because in about a week it is going to begin to smell. That’s a normal part of the fermentation process.
· Let it ferment for several weeks. We’ve been letting ours ferment for two to three months, but it doesn’t need to be that long. If you don’t like the smell of the tea, let it brew for longer. It will eventually get to the point where it doesn’t smell anymore.
· When your tea is “brewed”, strain out the horsetail. Dilute the tea solution to a concentration of 1 part tea to 10 parts water. The tea will do damage to your plants if you pour it on undiluted. Apply to the garden using a watering can.
We have applied this remedy several times throughout the summer, but not more than once a week because it is very strong. So far, it appears to have helped! If you try it at home, we hope that it works for you too.