Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Let's talk about fertilizer!

Greg FWIW the State of Mississippi only recommends Reward for Cattails

Bill :

The Miss. Pond Mgt. book by the Coop. Ext. Service {Miss. State Univ. in coop. with DWF&P} lists 3 cattail controls-- Reward , Sonar and Rodeo. But this is dated. I suggest you look into Habitat it has worked well for me. I would not use Reward as all it will do is burn back foliage where Habitat and I assume Sonar will kill the plant roots and all. ewest

Sure you are right the chart I have just shows the one. which thankfully I done need

Greg stated:
"Deb you wanted my opinion here goes. Bob has stated much better than I can the reasons for fertilzing. I base my opinion on past experieinces. I have shocked 3 ponds where they heavily dye the lakes. Two were not fed one was. THe one fed was not too bad prety much a typical pond as far as produciton goes."

Actually I didn't, but you are getting to be fun (and I figure by now I will hear from you anyway )! You stated above HEAVILY dyed, meaning how deep?

As for the cat's, reward will keep the foliage burned back if applied year after year after year. We recommned Rodeo to "get to the root" of the problem. So yes, either we did not explain thoroughly, or the customer was mistaken. Either or both could have happened. The important thing is wether or not you were able to help him, and I am sure you were.

Thanks,

Deb

Bill :

Can't copy chart to here but look at site below at chart pg. 15. ewest

http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1428.pdf

Deb, you did say under another thread to post on fert. one, Not sure of visibility but is blue it is usually around 20 inches or so Zsd. TJust because you can see a disc at more than 24 inches however does not mean the dye is not slowing down phytoplnkton produciton.

Yep it sounds like Claude was mistaken so glad to hear we do agree at least on what is best for cattail control

I think Bob Lusk's replys to this post regarding pond fertilization is the best summary I have read to date. Others, by their replys, have commented likewise. I, as reccommended, have printed these comments for future reference. For those pond owners who fertilize or are trying to decide whether or not to fertilize, his comments are invaluable in my opinion. In fact, I would suggest that they form the context of a future Pond Boss article for those who may miss this post. I was especially intrigued regarding the concept of discontinuing fertilization sooner during the season than normally is reccommended. This concept definitely requires further discussion.

Very good points faw!
It would make a good PB article!

It will be a cold day in that hot, hot place when I pit my experience against that of Bob Lusk. However, to take one of his guiding principals, we do have to manage the conditions in our own ponds, not textbook situations. For my water, keeping a bloom healthy enough to reduce visibility to 18-24 inches is my goal through October. I start fertilizing when the dogwoods bloom, because the water is finally warm enough to begin to bloom as well. I actually quit fertilizing in May or early June because I generally have little run-through after that time, and the bloom will hold. A bloom limited to the early part of the warm season wouldn’t be ideal for me because I hope to be recruiting BG fry periodically all summer, and they benefit from the murkiness in both increased survival and increased food supply. For another thing, I want Tilapia production to continue until dying time.

A few factors that apply to my pond which may not apply to others are a complete lack of weeds of any kind, enough rainfall so that total water volume doesn’t fall very much even in a relatively dry summer, and a primary interest in BG fishing. I also suspect that having a relatively large body of water with much of it being fairly deep and open reduces overall biomass concentration sufficiently so that dangerously low DO is not much of a problem. At least so far, there has never been a fish kill in the pond.
Lou, 13.5