Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Water irises, too much of a good thing

Norm, I have sold them in the past. The problem with these yellow irises when they are in large stands is that the rhizomes are so tough and matted together that it is like digging up bald cypress knees- i.e. it takes a two handed axe to make a dent in them, a sharp shovel does not have a chance. Imagine standing in mud and chopping these roots. The resulting mud explosion which covers you from head to toe is daunting. Only the new, tiny clumps are practical to harvest for sale or transplant. Interestingly, my grass carp root these up but don't seem to eat them or at least not all of them. I can collect them easily floating around the lake. The irises are displacing some other plantings I value-pickerel weed, thalia(American water canna) and my Black Gamecock Louisiana swamp irises.