Hello I recently became a pond owner and am faced with getting rid of a bunch of cattail. It appears the pond has not been maintained in quite a while. It is 3 acres and has cattail taking over the shoreline.
I started treatment using Gordon's Pond Master surface and shoreline herbicide. I am wondering if I am going in the right direction and am open to advice. I sprayed as much as I could get to a few days ago and some of the tips are starting to turn brown. I am assuming I will have to spray a second time.
I will. I figure it will take quite a while to get most of it out. I am thinking about leaving some around the two main inlets into the pond just to help filter the water. Would that be a bad idea?
I would choose a different plant like giant burreed. Cattails spread by seed. I would cut off all the seed heads early while phasing out the cattails altogether. Until an alternative establishes, you will have lots of volunteer cattails. Although I have never planted cattails, I rogue a lot out when starting a new pond just from seeds that float in.
I would choose a different plant like giant burreed. Cattails spread by seed. I would cut off all the seed heads early while phasing out the cattails altogether. Until an alternative establishes, you will have lots of volunteer cattails. Although I have never planted cattails, I rogue a lot out when starting a new pond just from seeds that float in.
Just to clarify, cattails are rhizomes that spread to distant sites by seed, but spread locally through their extensive rooted network. To definitively kill, physically remove the plants, roots and all, or use Esshup's recommended mix to poison them (send him a PM).
Rodeo, Aquamaster, Eraser AQ, Touchdown Pro, and AquaNeat are liquid glyphosate formulations and have been effective on cattails. These are broad spectrum, systemic herbicides. Systemic herbicides are absorbed and move within the plant to the site of action. Systemic herbicides tend to act more slowly than contact herbicides. An aquatically registered surfactant (see the label) will have to be added to the glyphosate solution for good results.
I have been killing cattails in my pond for 10 years now using only Roundup and a surfactant. Glystar now even cheaper than Roundup.
For everything else, I stopped using Aquathol Super K and bought a few grass carp .............. I don't even know what a weed looks like now and my old "weed rake" is filing for divorce due to neglect.
The only problem with using Roundup is that it isn't labeled for pond use. The active ingredient is the same, but the rest of the product hasn't been tested for use in ponds. Using a product not in accordance to the label isn't a good thing, and if the State Chemist, the EPA or any other governing body wanted to, I think fines could be levied.
Just asyin'. I have to say this because I'm a licensed applicator.
The active ingredient is the same, but the rest of the product hasn't been tested for use in ponds.
Actually, the surfactant in most Roundup formulations and in many other terrestrial glyphosate brands HAS been tested in aquatic environments. Although "incidental drift" of terrestrial glyphosates (and their Polyoxyethylenealkylamine surfactants ~ POEA) is unlikely to cause adverse effects on aquatic organisms, the "direct application" of such products to aquatic sites is a very different scenario. Google the string "tallow amine surfactant aquatic" for an assortment of associated articles. BTW: In what I consider to be a very unwise decision, Monsanto recently renamed their aquatic glyphosate formulation, which was former sold under the brand name AQUAMASTER, and now call it ROUNDUP CUSTOM. Talk about confusing the marketplace!!!
