pond weeds

I need some advice on pond weeds. Our largely spring-fed pond, built
about 40 years ago, is about 3/4 surface acre and 15-17 feet deep in
the middle. Edges slope so there are reeds & cattails, not such a
problem as I guess they cannot grow in more than 3-4' depth. The
problem is a weed which a Dept of Lands ranger called duckweed. I am
not sure that is what it is since picture on the Web look a lot
different. Our weed leaves are enormous to those I've seen in
pictures.

This weed growth has really increased in the last 5 or 6 years as
there is some drainage into the pond from higher up on the hill where
people are building homes on 5 acres lots is probably from fertilizer
use on lawns, etc. We cannot prevent this influx.

The weed leaves are 2 or so inches long, like a fat spear shape.
Stems are vining and rooted in - they seem to reach clear to the
bottom. There is a seed-head looking thing here and there on the
stems, and is 2 or so inches long, narrow. The stems look for all the
world like philodendron gone aquatic.

Strangely, the bass, frogs & other creatures in the pond are having a
wonderful time and have no problem with this canopy of leaves.

My husband spent the last 2 days in a boat hand "weeding", hauling up
miles of stems and weeds so we can set up a water line from the pond
to our garden. We have to clear this or the leaves will clog the
water line filter. It was discourage as he barely made a dent the
stuff is so thick. He cleared a lot last year and of course, it grew
right back.

Hopefully, you can see the pictures of it at Shutterfly link below:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...2bMXGw&notag=1
Just click on view pictures, then choose slide show - no need for a
password.

Does anyone know what this is and how to get rid of it, or at the
least, reduce it so it doesn't choke the pond to death plus make it
impossible for us to use our water line.

Thank,s
Deb

Well I sure do not see any duck weed.What I do see is Pickerel Rush as
well as some Lizzard Tail..both of which will take over a mud pond in
no time at all.......but I have never ever seen t grow so low and
close to the water surface as in your pics. I know a lot of folks do
not agree, but I have done it for years on end when I had bass and
breama nd cat fish n my mud ponds and that is to use an aquatic
herbcide. Rodeo along with a surfacant works wonders at removing /
killing these plants, as well as what I know of as duckweed. If
directions are followed things will be just fne and no problems with
fish will be had, and its not hard to do as directions state. Its a
loosing battle pulling by had as these plants will regenerate form
small pieces of roots.........so its a losing situation to pull by
hand. Aquatic herbicides have their place and this is one case where
they wold b e worth their use. Basically mix Rodeo and surfacant up
and spray in perhaps 6 foot wide strips, and let a strip between each
sprayed strip go unsprayed......Only do approx 1/2 of the pond. Once
those plants are dead do some more. Remove dead plants before applying
Rodeo each time. This prevents the piond form having a massive low
oxygen content and a fish kill. If sprayed in section s and strips it
works great and no problems with low O2. Rodeo works and works fine,
but its a bit pricey.$120-or so for a quart of concentrate which is
more thanenough to spray that pond completely a few times over. It may
take 3 to 5 weeks of applying and removing but it can be gotten under
control......Unless you kill it at the root level your spinning yur
wheels with that stuff. You may have to reapply more later in the
season or next year as any stuff remaining below the water surface
from being pulled by hand may take awhile to get to the pint it can be
sprayed. Nutrient in the pnd has nothting much to do with those plants
as much as it will feed algae, but that too can be remidied by
redirecting water flow from the upper areas with fertilizer in it to
flow around the pond and not in it, and yu can also treat it with
baraclear which is mainly aluminum sulphate (alum) which locks up
phosphates so therefore no plants can use the nitrates and they die
off....but those plants will not be affected as much since they have
roots in the substrate unlike algae.

Have fun, its gonna be lots of work but it is doable. I have three
large ponds and maintain other natural ponds for other folks, and one
thng yu do not do is plant any plants in them that yur not confortable
with as most will be come invasive in short order and a real pain to
remove. Cat tails and such usually have a depth stop at which they do
not spread any further, some do not.......

Regards

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:10:27 -0700, thistletoes
wrote:

I need some advice on pond weeds. Our largely spring-fed pond, built
about 40 years ago, is about 3/4 surface acre and 15-17 feet deep in
the middle. Edges slope so there are reeds & cattails, not such a
problem as I guess they cannot grow in more than 3-4' depth. The
problem is a weed which a Dept of Lands ranger called duckweed. I am
not sure that is what it is since picture on the Web look a lot
different. Our weed leaves are enormous to those I've seen in
pictures.

This weed growth has really increased in the last 5 or 6 years as
there is some drainage into the pond from higher up on the hill where
people are building homes on 5 acres lots is probably from fertilizer
use on lawns, etc. We cannot prevent this influx.

The weed leaves are 2 or so inches long, like a fat spear shape.
Stems are vining and rooted in - they seem to reach clear to the
bottom. There is a seed-head looking thing here and there on the
stems, and is 2 or so inches long, narrow. The stems look for all the
world like philodendron gone aquatic.

Strangely, the bass, frogs & other creatures in the pond are having a
wonderful time and have no problem with this canopy of leaves.

My husband spent the last 2 days in a boat hand "weeding", hauling up
miles of stems and weeds so we can set up a water line from the pond
to our garden. We have to clear this or the leaves will clog the
water line filter. It was discourage as he barely made a dent the
stuff is so thick. He cleared a lot last year and of course, it grew
right back.

Hopefully, you can see the pictures of it at Shutterfly link below:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...2bMXGw&notag=1
Just click on view pictures, then choose slide show - no need for a
password.

Does anyone know what this is and how to get rid of it, or at the
least, reduce it so it doesn't choke the pond to death plus make it
impossible for us to use our water line.

Thank,s
Deb

On Jul 2, 5:30 pm, A. Paul Ing
wrote:
Well I sure do not see any duck weed.What I do see is Pickerel Rush as
well as some Lizzard Tail..both of which will take over a mud pond in
no time at all.......but I have never ever seen t grow so low and
close to the water surface as in your pics. I know a lot of folks do
not agree, but I have done it for years on end when I had bass and
breama nd cat fish n my mud ponds and that is to use an aquatic
herbcide. Rodeo along with a surfacant works wonders at removing /
killing these plants, as well as what I know of as duckweed. If
directions are followed things will be just fne and no problems with
fish will be had, and its not hard to do as directions state. Its a
loosing battle pulling by had as these plants will regenerate form
small pieces of roots.........so its a losing situation to pull by
hand. Aquatic herbicides have their place and this is one case where
they wold b e worth their use. Basically mix Rodeo and surfacant up
and spray in perhaps 6 foot wide strips, and let a strip between each
sprayed strip go unsprayed......Only do approx 1/2 of the pond. Once
those plants are dead do some more. Remove dead plants before applying
Rodeo each time. This prevents the piond form having a massive low
oxygen content and a fish kill. If sprayed in section s and strips it
works great and no problems with low O2. Rodeo works and works fine,
but its a bit pricey.$120-or so for a quart of concentrate which is
more thanenough to spray that pond completely a few times over. It may
take 3 to 5 weeks of applying and removing but it can be gotten under
control......Unless you kill it at the root level your spinning yur
wheels with that stuff. You may have to reapply more later in the
season or next year as any stuff remaining below the water surface
from being pulled by hand may take awhile to get to the pint it can be
sprayed. Nutrient in the pnd has nothting much to do with those plants
as much as it will feed algae, but that too can be remidied by
redirecting water flow from the upper areas with fertilizer in it to
flow around the pond and not in it, and yu can also treat it with
baraclear which is mainly aluminum sulphate (alum) which locks up
phosphates so therefore no plants can use the nitrates and they die
off....but those plants will not be affected as much since they have
roots in the substrate unlike algae.

Have fun, its gonna be lots of work but it is doable. I have three
large ponds and maintain other natural ponds for other folks, and one
thng yu do not do is plant any plants in them that yur not confortable
with as most will be come invasive in short order and a real pain to
remove. Cat tails and such usually have a depth stop at which they do
not spread any further, some do not.......

Regards

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:10:27 -0700, thistletoes

wrote:

I need some advice on pond weeds. Our largely spring-fed pond, built
about 40 years ago, is about 3/4 surface acre and 15-17 feet deep in
the middle. Edges slope so there are reeds & cattails, not such a
problem as I guess they cannot grow in more than 3-4' depth. The
problem is a weed which a Dept of Lands ranger called duckweed. I am
not sure that is what it is since picture on the Web look a lot
different. Our weed leaves are enormous to those I've seen in
pictures.

This weed growth has really increased in the last 5 or 6 years as
there is some drainage into the pond from higher up on the hill where
people are building homes on 5 acres lots is probably from fertilizer
use on lawns, etc. We cannot prevent this influx.

The weed leaves are 2 or so inches long, like a fat spear shape.
Stems are vining and rooted in - they seem to reach clear to the
bottom. There is a seed-head looking thing here and there on the
stems, and is 2 or so inches long, narrow. The stems look for all the
world like philodendron gone aquatic.

Strangely, the bass, frogs & other creatures in the pond are having a
wonderful time and have no problem with this canopy of leaves.

My husband spent the last 2 days in a boat hand "weeding", hauling up
miles of stems and weeds so we can set up a water line from the pond
to our garden. We have to clear this or the leaves will clog the
water line filter. It was discourage as he barely made a dent the
stuff is so thick. He cleared a lot last year and of course, it grew
right back.

Hopefully, you can see the pictures of it at Shutterfly link below:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...2bMXGw&notag=1
Just click on view pictures, then choose slide show - no need for a
password.

Does anyone know what this is and how to get rid of it, or at the
least, reduce it so it doesn't choke the pond to death plus make it
impossible for us to use our water line.

Thank,s
Deb

Thanks for this comment. I am sure we have work ahead no matter what.
Deb