I am fascinated by how long horsetail grass has been in existence on this earth. I want to plant some in a container, so.it won't spread uncontrollobly in my yard. I think it would look neat in a really shallow type dish. How shallow of a dish would horsetail grass grow in? Any tips for planting?
Also, what unique things have you seen done with horsetail grass?

Answer #3 · Maple Tree's Answer · Hi Connor-As Brooks and Brent mentioned the Horsetail grass requires a lot of water. When choosing a pot for your grass the type of pot can make the difference in how much watering of the plant will need to be done in the summer months. Unglazed terra cotta pots will dry out more quickly as they absorb the water dissipating it into the air quickly. Ceramic pots are better but plastic containers will retain water a lot more effectively than the ceramic pot. Many times I have found it hard to find a plastic pot that looks as nice as the terra cotta or ceramic pots. Planting in an inexpensive black nursery container and then inserting this container in a pot or basket works really well. The plastic container not only holds moisture better but is insulated from the hot sun and warm temperatures when inside another pot keeping the soil from drying out quickly. I have used the horsetail grass in small water gardens along with floating pond plants such as water lettuce and water hyacinth. Water gardens can be a fun, easily built project to use the horsetail grass in to enjoy in gardens and patios. There is no limit to the types of containers you can use that would look nice on patios, decks, or in the garden. I have used the horsetail in half wiskey barrels and galvaized tubs and buckets that really gave a nice rustic look when spotted throughout the garden. The older they looked the better they looked in my gardens. You could plant such plants as yellow iris, Swamp Sunflower, Creeping Jenny, Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), or other plants that prefer damp or wet soil also with the Horsetail that would add color and contrasting foliage textures. I grow a lot of ornamental sweet pototo vines. I really enjoy this easily grown plant that adds bright green foliage color to so many of my pots with other plants during the summer. I think the Margarita Sweet Potato Vine would look great in front of the horsetail grass and cascading over the sides of the container. The sweet potato vine takes a lot of water when planted in pots during the warmer weather but possibly not as much as the horsetail grass. I would grow the horsetail grass in a container set in the middle of a larger pot and the pot filled around this container with quality potting soil. The sweet potato vine could then be planted around the Horsetail grass and watered separately or at the same time depending on both plant's needs. This is just a few ideas and some ways I have used and planted the horsetail grass. Personally I like the looks of this plant in a bowl type of pot. Bowl shaped pots not only look nice with the straigth upright character of the plant but can be found in many different widths. Their depths are normally deep enough to support this type of plant that can grow in shallow water. Although I like this type of pot it will take more attention to the plants watering needs as its soil can dry out much more quickly than a deeper pot as Brent and Brooks mentioned.

Like you mentioned, it is amazing how primitive this plant actually is. It was living in swamp forests millions of years before the dinosaurs. It is definitely facinating to think out of hundreds of thousands of plant species growing on earth today how few, compared to this number, can actually be classified as a living fossil.

John)

Answer #1 · Gardenality.com's Answer · Hi Conner,

Horsetail Grass requires lots of water. It's best used in bog and pond gardens, however, can be grown in containers to control it's invasive nature. If planted in containers it will require more watering than most other plants. Make sure when planting Horsetail Grass in a container or pot to mix in a liberal amount of peat moss or Soil Moist with a professional potting mix. Peat moss is great for retaining water. It would be best to use a deeper pot, however, if planted in a shallow pot watering will need to monitored closely to insure that the soil doesn't dry out.

Hope this helps you.

Brooks Wilson:))