Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Lilly pad removal success?

In 2007 my 5-6 acre pond opened the season with a small 20' x 10' section of lilly pads. I thought great a place for the bass to hide out! Little did I know that by the end of August about 15% of my pond was going to be covered with these lilly pads. I live in Paris, TX. And I could not tell you the type of lillies they are but they are very large up to about 3' diameter and sprout a very attractive yellow flower (at least my wife thinks so - I think they are pure hell. Some of the lillies rest on the surface some shoot up above the water.

Using chemicals to kill the lillies is not an option for us since we water animals and nearby orchards and gardens from the pond. The lake mower is not an option since about half of the lillies are on shore or in very shallow water.

One year I tried cutting them by hand but the next season they were back. Later in year (September) I went out into the lake and pulled a section of them out by hand. The season after that, that section did not regrow. So this year, in a canoe, over a two weeks period in April/May I went out every day for about 2 hours and pulled the lillies out by hand. I would fill the canoe paddle to shore and dump the lillies out on shore. Later on when the lillies were completely dry I burned the b@stards.

Pulling the lillies by hand is hard work but it also would pull up the Rhizomes (sp?) some times.

Now about once every 10 days I go out for about 45 minutes and pull up any new growth of lillies. The new growth is easier to pull up and I am getting more of the rhizomes to come up with the new growth. I do not know for sure if I have solved my problem only time will tell but it sure is nice getting my pond back.

Dan:

I think you'd be safe is spot treating small areas of the lilies with a glyphosate based "pond labeled" herbacide. If you treat a 10' x 10' area once a week, just spraying the leaves, using a correctly mixed dose, I seriously doubt that you would have any water usage issues. In a 5-6 acre BOW, any overspray would be highly diluted.

We have access to a pond with Lilly pads and it has had them for years,

There are 2-3 areas of them but they have not seemed to be a problem.

Then again 2-5 years from now the pond may be covered.

I do know that the water is some of the most clear I have seen so not sure what that is about, or how it stays so clear.

There is a water hole above it that used to be used for a pump house, but it is extremely muddy.

Sounds like spadderdock. I use Rodeo as directed on the label to keep it under control. I have found it produces thousands of seeds. Let just one plant reproduce & spread its seeds & it will start to cover the whole pond. If you leave any reproducing in the pond you will have to spray yearly to keep it from taking over. You should have no unwanted efects on other plants or animals when used as directed.

I also suggest the glysophate type herbicide for the spatterdock. Kelly Duffie (resident water weed specialist) may have another good alternative product. A good alternative to Rodeo with surfactant premixed in it is a herbicide called ShoreKlear-Plus. Directions suggest best time to spray is in summer-fall.

Additional Info:
Shore-Klear Plus is the same type of systemic herbicide as in Aqua Pro, but Shore-Klear Plus has a surfactant included. This product is for use on emerged aquatic weeds and brush in aquatic and other noncrop sites. Shore-Klear Plus is effective on many species including: Alligator Weed, Cattails, Reed Canarygrass, Purple loosestrife, American Lotus, Phragmites, Spatterdock, Torpedograss, Waterhyacinth, Waterlettuce, Water Primrose, and Willows. Application rates normally range from 3.5-4.5 oz per gallon of water. Please refer to specific plant treatment rates on label.

Click on the pdf symbol in this link.
http://tirmsdev.com/Applied-Biochemists-Shoreklear-Plus-p29402