How to Grow & Harvest Horsetail

Plant clumps of divisions in an area that stays moist to wet most of the time. The plant is very happy planted in puddles, on the edge of a body of water or in marshland. The plant is often found potted in aquatic plant stores.

Find established horsetail colonies growing in the wild. When it first emerges, sometimes through the snow, it looks like a black bud on a short fleshy stalk like a short spear of asparagus. Once it reproduces, it dies back and in mid to late April, the regular stalks begin to grow. Do not dig the plant up until after the bud dies back and stalks grow. Also, obtain landowner permission before dividing or harvesting a wild plant.

Dig around the stalks and pry up the rhizomes to replant in another area or another pot filled with potting soil immediately. Do not worry about cutting into major root systems because the plant is very resilient. Divisions and potted transplants are planted in spring to give the plant time to establish itself and give it the ability to emerge the next spring.

Harvest in late spring before fully grown when needlelike leaves are still intact and stalk is narrow. Wait until they reach about 5 or 6 inches tall. Leave some of the stalks unharvested so there will be some horsetail standing during the growing season. The cut part will not regenerate during the current season.