Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Late fall stocking

Bill Cody can help with input on beneficial submergent and emergent vegetation cultivars - it's available throughout historical forum posts but finding them isn't easy. A partial list of what I've managed to remember follows to try and help [I am not an expert by any means] - but bear in mind any vegetation can become a management problem regardless of it's "beneficial" status:

Submergent

American Pondweed - floating leaves
Illinois Pondweed - floating leaves
Several species of more dense, bushy type pondweeds exist like Curly leaf, Sago, Horned, Baby, Eelgrass, etc. Again, these can all serve as management issues depending on how it proliferates - at least some management is typically required through manual removal, herbicides, or organic management via GC.

Emergent

I have various sedges and rushes which I cannot identify but enjoy along the pond margins as they help erosion/siltation by stabilizing banks.

I also have Arrowhead and consider it's presence beneficial.

Cattails can help stabilize pond shorelines and assist with absorbing wave action leading to erosion/siltation. However, I eradicate all cattails monthly as they are a preferred forage item for muskrats - a population I too am trying to manage. They also can quickly become a management issue requiring intensive management solutions including excavation using heavy equipment = $$$.

Again, I'm only scratching the surface here, and I'm far from an expert. Most ponds are seeded naturally, good or bad, in year 2 of existence and beyond and it's up to us to encourage the "beneficial" and eliminate the "problematic" cultivars.

PS: I failed to include hybrid lilies - on which Cody is our resident expert and he's written articles about them in PB. I'd like to get some going on my ponds this year.