Plants can only tolerate shade for short periods unless they have sizable quantities of carbohydrates stored in the established rhizomes. Little information on the frequency or conditions required for establishment via spores was found in the literature. We do know that fertile stems are seldom observered in cropped land. Thus, spores are unlikely to be an important means of horsetail propagation, particularly in cropped land. Horsetail rhizomes extend for long distances and are often 3 feet or more below the ground surface.
Rhizomes send up numerous aboveground shoots of two different types at various times of the year.
Tubers are primarily food storage organs but develop into new plants if removed from the rhizome. Rhizome growth accelerates rapidly between June and July and peaks in October. Tubers appear in July and increase in weight until a killing frost occurs. Horsetail Importance and Management in Agricultural Settings Field and Vegetable Crops. Prevention is always preferable to control.