"I cannot even imagine why anyone would want to buy horsetail. "
I was just going to say the same thing... we have it too, the only thing I've found that has really worked to get rid of it is to keep after it whenever it sprouts -- I've pretty much eliminated it from my garden at this point (improving the soil with a lot of organic matter has probably also helped).
Tom, I've been thinking about getting a broadfork too -- last year I wasn't able to till my garden because the previous fall had been so rainy and wet and then the spring was more of the same, and by the time things had dried out enough for tilling I already had lots of stuff planted. I used my regular garden fork the way a broadfork is used -- not actually digging up the soil, just loosening it, before planting my carrots and beets. I really felt that I had less weeds by not tilling, so this year I'm going to give it a try again -- if I still feel the same way I'll probably get a broadfork next year. I think I first heard of them in Eliot Coleman's "Four Season Harvest" book -- Johnny's Seeds sells them and has an instructional video about using them...
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/med...
Claud, I agree that a thread on the natural insecticides and such would be very welcome !
