New to the forum so don't shoot...but I've been told by a few that cattails will help keep out FA. Is that true? I live in Texas with an acre pond 6-12 feet deep and have tried many things to knock down the FA. Most which have not worked. Any ideas?
Hello CreativePond. Welcome to Pond Boss. Many friendly people here with a variety of opinions and helpful advice so please feel free to ask anything you wish. There is no such thing as a "stupid question"
Cattails will not directly control filamentous algae. The annual growing cycle of cattails will actually add to the overall nutrient budget of the pond or lake unless you cut and remove the leaves right before the end of the growing cycle.
That said, I do believe that a section of cattails adds to the beauty and biological diversity of the overall pond ecosystem. Cattails are easily managed with very small concentrations (3/4%) of glyphosate (Aquaneat, etc.) containing products.
One important issue regarding filamentous algae is that "not all filamentous algae are created equal". There are a variety of species that really need to be identified before a control program is put into place. In northeast Ohio for example, we have a Spring species called Spirogyra spp.. The life cycle of this species is relatively short and often does not require control. Summer species such as "Water-net" (Hydrodictyon) and Pithophora sp. require different management approaches.
