What are my options? Should I nuke the lily and surrounding plants from orbit? Will I have a chance of eradicating it manually? Will grass carp eat it and leave the lily alone? I doubt it.
Seeing how much plant control costs makes me think the nuke from orbit may be my best option to stop it before it gets out of control.
Also we swim in the pond, so I would prefer something safe and ecologically sound.
Greetings:
IMO.... I would not be overly concerned about Curlyleaf pondweed (CLP a.k.a P. crispus) in your pond. Although there are many management approaches to controlling this exotic plant, I believe the best approach is to assist "Mother Nature" through selective plant control. Encouraging dense growths of bottom forms of advanced algae such as Chara and Nitella help "crowd out" dense growths of CLP. Aquathol K is extremely safe and effective on CLP. The ecological advantage of using Aquathol K is that it totally biodegrades into Hydrogen, Carbon, and Oxygen (no swimming restriction). Using a small amount of aquatic polymer with a penetrant and injecting the chemical into the early growing "plant bed" helps in reducing chemical usage. In order to reduce future growth.....I would most definitely treat this plant BEFORE the production of turions.....which is in late April to early May in Ohio. (Water temps 50-60 degrees).
I do believe that some levels of CLP growth is beneficial for a pond or lake considering that it provides early cover for many lakes that have little or no structure. Your lily will flourish just fine with this management approach. Avoid the use of copper, 2,4D, fluridone, and simazine containing products in your pond. These chemicals can adversely affect the growth of your prized lily.
Regards,
Jeff Gray
