Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Cutrine Plus Granular

Hey has anyone here used the granular CP and is it as good as any other type of algaecide on Chara? I might break down and get some to help out with some of my Chara problems. Any pros and cons I should know about?

Thanks,

RC, if the chara is in deeper water then the granules are the way to go. We used it in one pond this year and it worked great. The chara was in 3'-4' of water.

New growth was seen about 4-5 weeks after initial treatment, but the area was treated lightly.

Hey Esshup thanks for the reply. Mine is in about 4 foot of water and deeper as my pond is so clear. I was wanting to treat some around the dock area first and then slowly go from there. Do you think it's to late at this point this year to treat it? Should I wait till late spring next year?

Thanks,

Kelly Duffie and others with experiences should advise us on this topic of Cutrine Plus Granular for Chara control. I have found Chara a difficult plant to control. I would like to know the best way to deal with fairly tall beds of 12" 24" thick with Chara.

Hey Bill that is exactly what I have. I got beds of it so thick my lure will rest on top of it. My GC don't seem to be doing much to it either. I only have 4 in the pond and didn't want to put anymore in there if it's not going to make a difference. I would like to go around the pond and at least spot treat in about 4 spots so I could at least fish in the summer time. As it is now its pretty dang hard to catch anything. It also has to be hard for any of my bass to find any fish in that stuff to eat.

Bill:

My experiences controlling Chara mirrors yours. The older it is, the harder it is to control. We hit patches of Chara that were 15'-20' in diameter, and 12"+ tall with Cutrine Plus and within 2 weeks the area was bare pond bottom. Cutrine Plus was dispensed with a rotary hand held fertilizer or seed spreader. It DID re-grow around 5 weeks after treatment, but I've seen that with FA as long as the nutrients are in the water and sunlight is still available.

I too would like to hear what Kelly and others have to say.

I've eliminated it on 2 different places with grass carp.

K. Duffie's advice on best way to deal with Chara?

In my experiences, Chara does rake out fairly easily. BUT what I don't like is the 'stems' that are broken loose will sink and they are lost to the sediments. This is opposite of many submerged plants that when cut, the stems - leaves will float and then they can be removed. This is IMO a big advantage compared to cutting and attempts to remove Chara.

More info on Chara from Kelly Duffie.
"" The "weed" is actually a form of algae known as Chara, muskweed or by its well-deserved nickname - skunkweed.
You can read more details about this infamous pest HERE:
http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/alphabetical-index/muskgrass/

Chara is a tough critter to tame. Physical removal, when possible, followed by judicious treatments of CUTRINE PLUS Granular seems to work fairly well - up until the time that calcium deposits begin to form on the Chara as the season advances.

Judging by the density and maturity of the Chara in your photos, it may be beyond a successful chemical treatment this season.
Water-hardness (high), excessive water clarity and nutrients are likely major contributors for its abundance."" end quote.

I treated my chara 2 weeks ago (as soon as I noticed it) with cutrine plus granular and it had minimal effect. It can take up to 2 weeks to see results. My pond was re-dug last fall and that's all I have growing in it so far.

I called the manufacturer and was told I could try re-applying it again (sometimes works) but my best bet was to treat it in the spring when the water temperature reached 60.

When you crush my chara in your fingers it doesn't feel very gritty at all. A gritty feel is caused by calcium that encrusts the chara as it gets older and makes it hard to treat. I don't know why my treatment was ineffective, I even applied the CP higher than the recommended dosage.

I wouldn't attempt to rake it out if you only have it in one area as manual removal spreads the chara. Every little piece that drifts to another area is capable of starting more chara. Chara also reproduces by spores.

A chelated copper like CP is more effective in treating chara than copper sulfate and less will be needed.

I hope this helps.