Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Clipper - battling watermeal!

How often can clipper be used? We treated our 1/4 acre pond two days ago and we still have a film of watermeal left? This is the second treatment, the first was over a month ago...signed....impatient!

From the label: "• Do not re-treat the same section of water with Clipper Herbicide more than 6 times per year."

Clipper Label

What was the pH of the water that you used to tank mix the Clipper with?

We used distiller water. I tested our tap water and it was 8.5, the pond was 8.0

*distilled

What was your treatment-dose (both times)?
And what was your treatment-method (specifically, how did you apply it)?

First time 3oz clipper with tsp surfactant in two gallons of water. We sprayed the surface using a pressure tank. Secondtime, everything the same, except 4 oz. of clipper.

*2 tsp. of surfactant

If it is truly a 1/4-acre pond, the 4 oz dose is the minimum rate that I'd suggest.
Application-volume (ie. how much water you mix with it) is somewhat irrelevant; but one should definitely use enough volume to adequately distribute the mixture throughout the pond's surface - or otherwise concentrate the "whole-pond dosage" within the infested areas (presumably the perimeter and/or along the down-wind shoreline).

2 gal of mixture over 1/4-acre (ie: 8 gpa total-volume equivalent) seems very light.
For future applications, I'd suggest using the minimum equivalent of at least 40 gpa (ie. 10 gal for .25 surface-acre).
Reasonably thorough distribution is important since this product may not remain "herbicidally active" for more than a few hours - especially at elevated pH levels. Although it isn't necessary to contact each watermeal plant for the treatment to prove effective, one still needs to use the "hand-grenade approach" (at least place the applications within close proximity of all targeted watermeal plants).

Thank you so much! We didn't realize we could mix it with more water and be effective.

Granted, many product labels (especially the "user-directions") are rarely crystal clear concerning application details. However (and IMO), suppliers/sellers of any pesticide should provide buyers with supplimental guidance (within the boundary of the label) and fill in any infomation-gaps or omissions.
I'm curious. Was your source a web-site supplier? (no names please)

EDIT - BTW, distilled water isn't necessary. If your pond or tap water pH is above 8, it might be best to use a surfactant with buffering capabilities (some surfactants are formulated to lower the pH of mix-water) - or otherwise add a small amount of vinegar to the mix-tank. This step will help prevent the degradation (breakdown) of THIS particular herbicide before it is applied - although this concern is unlikely a factor with the small amount of product that you're applying per treatment - as opposed to the more extensive time-frame required to conduct a multi-acre treatment.

Thanks Kelly, we bought it at a pond store and although the woman is quite knowledgable she referred us to the label when we we asking additional questions. Will look for surfactant with buffering capabilities. Could you recommend how much vinegar would be used as an alternate?

Not sure, since I've never gone that route - but the appropriate dose depends upon your beginning pH level.
In this case, you probably can't drop the pH too low (in the tank-mix solution) - so I'd guess .5 to 1 oz per gallon of water, assuming the objective is to drop the pH from 8.5 to somewhere between 5-7.
If someone else has a better estimate, feel free to chime in.

I'd buy a cheap swimming pool pH test kit and test the tank mix.