Pond Edge Cattails w Landscape Rake

[Big Bri]

This is very well said. . . so i ditto this comment! ! !

No worries from here. I'm all for a cleaner environment and planet. I agree that some things are bad and should not be used. I also think that in most cases, the alternative to chemicals has a tendancy to do more harm and damage to the planet then the chemicals ever will.

Imagine what happens to the quality of the water when you dig into the shoreline to take out those plants. What about the damage to the soil and plants on the shoreline? What about getting that equipment to the shoreline and then returning it to where it came from. It wouldn't be too hard to imagine that the entire process requires 50 gallons of diesel fuel. What is worse to the planet? The total death of a specified plant species in a year or two by applying chemicals to that plant and nothign else? or the repeated, year after year, attack on removing a plant that just grows back again every year?

While this is pretty silly, there is something to the fact that the alternatives are worse then what they replace. The new lightbulbs are toxic when broken and full of mercury. Fuel efficient cars weigh less and are responsible for more deaths of people driving them. Windmills cannot replace a single power plant because they can only operat at ideal conditions and you always have to have power available 24/7, so they are bird killing eye sores that cost tax payers millions of dollars withot actually accomplishing anything.

The list goes on and on. I've gone from being a liberal, democrat, union member to the extreme opoisite who has found that everything we're told has a hidden agenda and it's all about who's making a buck off of it. Nothing that comes out of Washington is designed to help the planet or improve our standard of living. It's all just a scam.

I'm all in support of "YOUR" decission to take out and remove anything on your land that you want, and to do so any way that you want. I'm going to do the same, and in the end, even though we take opposite approaches, I'm betting that we'll both end up with what we want and the planet will still be doing just fine.

Eddie

 

[Western]

Eddie, I wouldn't have taken you to have been a "liberal", after seeing your hunting trophy's.

I do agree with your post also.
As far as cattails, I have some that have showed up this summer, probably brought in by Herons. I plan on "going in" on a day I feel half my age since I currently have but a few.

I have used aquatic weed killer in the past when I had larger ponds and it worked great. like the guy's have said you treat small areas at a time and resist the "over nite" cure approach. I have never used them on cattails though.

 

[parisq]

Thanks for the photos. This is exactly the tact that I'll take, probably in the spring... someone who knows what they're doing with a long-reach machine.

 

[dweitzel]

Thanks for the photos. This is exactly the tact that I'll take, probably in the spring... someone who knows what they're doing with a long-reach machine.

Depending on what you want to do with your pond, go carefully as to not waste time and money. If you want fish or to restock with fish, I was told by local hatchery that I needed 12-16' depth. I had 15' in the middle after checking while pond was frozen.

Once I established that I had the depth, no worries about the cost of the machine to clean the edges. If you have an "established" pond, you may get a water meal or duck weed on the surface that you may or may not need to treat later.

Make sure your equipment operator uses a large bucket. I think mine used something like a 48" bucket.

Here are a few more pics. Enjoy.

 

[Ken45101]

We don't have cattails although my wife wants them.

I'm leary of digging out for more depth for fear that I may start a leak that I can't stop. We have a lot of layered rock here and I'm afraid that digging for more depth could remove clay sealant and open up a path for water to leak out. One of our two ponds never overflows, there is an apparent leak about a foot below the bank (and dampness down the hillside). Even in drought years, the pond holds water, but it never totally fills. I'm leary about any digging.

I'm just passing this along as a thought for some of you before you start digging. Of course in some areas, you don't have this issue.

Ken

 

[20 20]

Depending on what you want to do with your pond, go carefully as to not waste time and money. If you want fish or to restock with fish, I was told by local hatchery that I needed 12-16' depth. I had 15' in the middle after checking while pond was frozen.

.

If you don't mind me asking why so deep? I have seen ponds that are only 5' deep and have plenty of fish. I know trout need colder deeper water but don't understand the 12-16'. Of course I believe the deeper the better but am confussed about this?

 

[HenRut]

Thanks for the pictures. I've only got about 8' in the center of my 1 acre pond and the fish seem to survive the winters okay. Average depth is probably around 4'.

I've had my go-rounds with duck weed and filamentous algae but early season algaecides control them okay, despite "re-seeding" by herons and canada geese. Re the comments about the danger of algaecides, herbicides and the like, I have to say that judging from the number and apparent health of my frogs (the "canaries" of pond health and water environment in general) I can't detect any health or mortality problems due to my use of such treatments. Of course, a trained biologist might know different but a chorus of loud croaks all summer works for me.

 

[Gil Case]

Sorry to see this thread ran out before I got to see it. My problem is not cattails, but pond lilies. They have large tuberous roots and are a bear to get out.
I like the idea of a front loader attachment that is 15' long and could be dropped in the pond and drag them out. Anybody done that?
I have it figured out in my head, but not in reality.
They live in somewhat deeper water, but I'd say they were within 15 feet of shore. I have tried to pull them out by hand but that is brutal, and it is deep-4 ft or more, so hard to work.
My wife planted them in buckets, but the buckets turned over and the lilies got out and are spreading.

 

[lhfarm]

Sorry to see this thread ran out before I got to see it. My problem is not cattails, but pond lilies. They have large tuberous roots and are a bear to get out.
I like the idea of a front loader attachment that is 15' long and could be dropped in the pond and drag them out. Anybody done that?
I have it figured out in my head, but not in reality.
They live in somewhat deeper water, but I'd say they were within 15 feet of shore. I have tried to pull them out by hand but that is brutal, and it is deep-4 ft or more, so hard to work.
My wife planted them in buckets, but the buckets turned over and the lilies got out and are spreading.

Do a search on pond rakes and you will see plenty of designs.

 

[dweitzel]

If you don't mind me asking why so deep? I have seen ponds that are only 5' deep and have plenty of fish. I know trout need colder deeper water but don't understand the 12-16'. Of course I believe the deeper the better but am confussed about this?

Not sure, but for the large mouth bass, hybrid bluegill, regular bluegill, striped bass and channel catfish, the hatchery recommended 12-16'. Fish stocking in Ohio, pond and lake fountains, fish hatchery in Ohio