czechsonofagun
Elite Member
Lot of weed is growing in our pond, Watershield and according to my sources, the only way to deal with it is chemical or mechanical.
I do not use chemicals unless I absolutely have to, and mechanical is a lot of work. I used to comb it out with very simple rake on a rope pulled by a lawn tractor - but it requires one person to walk the rake in the water and mud, never liked doing that.
In last few weeks I built this prototype of a pond rake - using my old rake made from bed frame and rebar, one ten feet long 2x4 and very simple 3pt hookup. It works fairly well in spots where he bank is not too steep, typically first pull gets the weed and second pull the gunk from the bottom (leaves and mud).
On one of those first pulls I got out 2 feet snapper tangled in weed.
The hitch is made from metal I had left over from other projects, there is a pocket the 2x4 fits right in. The rake itself is U bolted to the stud and two steel lines hold the rake in diagonals and in the pocket. Of course I can change the angle of the rake with the 3pt top link.
For next season I am going to rework it and use tines from landscape rake, because they will give me better angle of raking, spaced 3 inches apart and the rake itself only 2 or 3 feet wide. The 2x4 is also a weak point, I already cracked this one, but now when I know it works, I can build it to last.
Oh yeah, and Clementine likes to pose next to the tractor.
I do not use chemicals unless I absolutely have to, and mechanical is a lot of work. I used to comb it out with very simple rake on a rope pulled by a lawn tractor - but it requires one person to walk the rake in the water and mud, never liked doing that.
In last few weeks I built this prototype of a pond rake - using my old rake made from bed frame and rebar, one ten feet long 2x4 and very simple 3pt hookup. It works fairly well in spots where he bank is not too steep, typically first pull gets the weed and second pull the gunk from the bottom (leaves and mud).
On one of those first pulls I got out 2 feet snapper tangled in weed.
The hitch is made from metal I had left over from other projects, there is a pocket the 2x4 fits right in. The rake itself is U bolted to the stud and two steel lines hold the rake in diagonals and in the pocket. Of course I can change the angle of the rake with the 3pt top link.
For next season I am going to rework it and use tines from landscape rake, because they will give me better angle of raking, spaced 3 inches apart and the rake itself only 2 or 3 feet wide. The 2x4 is also a weak point, I already cracked this one, but now when I know it works, I can build it to last.
Oh yeah, and Clementine likes to pose next to the tractor.