Years of Grass Carp & Tilapia have lelft the pond almost weed free for 20+ years. This has done a number on the fish balance in the pond. I now understand that having a 20% weed cover would be a good thing.
A 3 acre pond in North Florida with only one Grass Carp surviving. To the best of my knowledge the Tilapia are few & far between. Only about a dozen very mature tilapia seen in the fall. Never seen anything less than 13". Pond has been LMB over populated for some time. Visibility 2'. Ph near 7. Herons, geese, anhinga, shore birds are regular visitors.
Letting Mother Nature take its course how many years might it take for weeds to return?
Any ideas to speed the process up without investing big bucks?
To speed up the process without investing big bucks I would be looking for areas in the pond that have growth of the weeds you want. From there fence them off the fish and wildlife can't get to them. If you don't have any zones that have weeds you want.... buy what you want and fence them to protect and allow them to get established.
1.5acre LMB, YP, BG, RES, GSH, Seasonal Tilapia I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
I had already planned on using this technique. I had planted a $50. Cypress 2" trunk & a Nutria chopped it down, then came back as it started to recover & trimmed it again. I have tried to trap him & dispose of him, but no luck so far. Your idea is on the to do list to save the tree. 97 degree days make me LAZY.
I am thinking more about the wild weeds, coontail , naiad, fanwort, bladderwort. A place for fingerlings & small fish to hide. Plants a grass carp will control if it gets out of control.
I'd second guess coontail. I've stocked grass carp at 15 heads per acre, and it's not near controlling pond wide coontail. If that's all you have in the pond, then they may control it.
2-3 Seasons of pickerel weeds and you should be able to split them up...........I dig up my spatterdock from another lake, total pain in the ass but it's free.
