Removing
pond weeds and aquatic plants in ponds & lakes
When
pond weeds and aquatic plants take over all is not lost.
I have
seen so many pond that have been practically ruined by aquatic plants!
Many invasive rooted aquatic plants can wreak havoc by literally choking
out a pond. Milfoil, Hydrilla verticillata or Hyrdilla, Vallisneria
spiralis or Eel grass, Potamogeton crispus or Curly leaf pondweed,
Typha anqustata or Cat-tails are all common pond weeds that can ruin
the aesthetics of the shoreline and make the pond or lake virtually
unusable.
Using chemicals
can be a last resort but manual removal, much like weeding out the
dandelions from the garden, should be looked on as the very best treatment
for these sorts of plant invasions.
Of course, the plants are growing in nutrient rich "soils"
at the bottom of the pond and these nutrients which form in the muck
need to be reduced using combinations of aeration and natural bacteria
to ensure that the growth of plants is limited.
Recently I had a conversation with a member of a lake association
who were plagued with lake weed problems. They were at the end of
their rope! He told me that it was an artificial lake, was once a
sandpit/quarry around 25 years ago that was purchased when water was
springing up from below.
The sandpit was dug out with many wells used to create a small lake
but in the last few years there has been a proliferation of weeds,
both [submerged/emergent and this year the weeds are thick through
out the lake and there is pungent smell to the water.
In the past owners have managed the lake by dragging a huge home made
weed rake (iron bars with bolts dragged from a boat) along the bottom
which dredged the bottom and removal of floating weeds was performed
by the owners.
It worked slightly but over the last 5 years each year has seen a
dramatic increase in the weeds; there are 3 dominant weeds: a low
to the bottom curly weed matting the bottom, a weed from the bottom
with a tuber growing to the surface, on the tuber are curly leafs
about every 5 inches on opposite sides from the bottom to the top
with what looks like a rattle snakes tail protruding from the surface
and the 3rd one looks like a pond weed with a long thin vine with
a single leaf at the surface.
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Aquatic
Weed Cutters - Best Buys on Amazon
*Affiliate links
|
 Aquatic
Weed Eradicator
Excellent for controlling lake and pond weeds.
Simply skim the weed rake across the water and let it sink.
Retrieve with a short push-pull action and drop the weeds on
the shore. |
 Lake
Rake
The Lake Rake is uniquely designed to be very
effective at removing lake weeds and debris floating on the
surface of the water or pulling and digging the stems and roots
of submerged aquatic vegetation. |
|
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The long term solution
will start with the short term removal of these plants. Using a proper
weed cutter and raker as a harvester will take the work out of the
job...unless you have a group of neighborhood kids looking for part-time
summer employment as weed pullers then you need to use the smartest
tools for the job; a cutter and a rake...sounds simple....but it still
is a lot of work doing the manual removal.
Aquatic
Weed Cutters on Amazon - Lowest Price
*affiliate links,
we may recieve compensationfor purchases made on Amazon.
Remove your Lake or Pond Weeds in Minutes with the Aquatic Weed Eradicator,
similar to the Weed Razer® weed cutter, the Aquatic Weed Eradicator
has a thicker serrated blade on both edges to allow for a push/pull
sawing action to be used for touch weed invasions in ponds.
The Aquatic
Weed Eradicator is uniquely designed to be the most efficient and
effective tool made to cut and removing submerged lake and pond weeds
like milfoil and hydrilla.
The Aquatic
Weed Eradicator's serrated steel cutting blade clears a path 28" inches
wide each throw. Weighing in at around 9 pounds it is light enough
to toss into the pond and reach the weeds growing further out from
the shoreline and it can also cut in deep or shallow water. The serrated
blade slices the weeds right at the base of the growing plant so it
can rapidly clear an area for swimming or recreation from unwanted
invasive weeds.
If you have full grown, mature lake of pond weeds within a 25 foot
radius from your launch point and you want to cut a 4 foot wide path
with each toss, then the Aquatic Weed Eradicator is the perfect tool
for you.
The Aquatic Weed Eradicator has extremely sharp steel blades.
Whatever you want to call it; Weed cutter, Weed Razor, weedrazor,
WeedRazor, Weed razor, this is probably the best way to deal with
problematic aquatic weeds without using harsh chemicals.
Beach
Roller Aquatic Weed System
*affiliate
links, we may recieve compensationfor purchases made on Amazon.
 The
Beachroller is very simple to use and is the long term, permanent
solution to having a weed free beach! Simply put roller in the water,
roller fills with water and sinks to the bottom. Push the Beachroller
back and forth with the 16' handle on the lake bottom.
The roller with 6 custom weed cutting blades, cuts the weeds, rips
out the roots and blast up the muck. Most weeds get cut off and fly
off the roller, so you just keep rolling and do not need to touch
the weeds!
Overtime it rips out the roots, so the weeds do not grow back. Plus
it is blasting up the muck, silt and lake bottom junk, other lake
tools miss.
Clean it up, then just maintain, using the Beachroller a few minutes
when needed, if any weeds or silt tries to move back into your lakeshore
area. Everyone will love having a clean, sandy, weed free beach!
Gets to the problem... THE LAKE BOTTOM!
Cuts the lake weeds. Rips out the roots, so weeds do not grow back.
Blast up the muck and silt, getting down to the hard bottom. Simple
and easy to use for everyone.
Works in very shallow water to deeper water plus hard to reach areas
around the dock.
No maintenance required.
Blades never need to be sharpened.
No power required. No complex set-up.
No permit required.
Lightweight, super strong powder coated 16 foot aluminum handle. Industrial
strength snap spring buttons. Quick attach 4' handle sections.
The Brutal Truth About Pond & Lake Weeds
I have seen a growing number of weed problems in lakes from Northern
Minnesota to Southern Saskatchewan to Western Ontario to Eastern Texas...wow...I
think I touched on every compass point but may have missed your state
or province....but I've heard of it growing everywhere so don't depair...it's
a common problem. Usually, there may have always been areas of a lake
that are exceptionally weedy, but in the past four or five years the
weeds have moved aggressively into the beach area or near docks and
marinas.
Most clients say the same thing: "I'm not certain that I want
to spend thousands on this problem, as there needs to be changes to
how the river valley and lakes upstream are managed to have any real
influence on the water quality and weed levels in our lake. Having
said that, I'd like to be able to clear the area around our dock,
and I think the 'weed razer' looks like a product that might make
that possible."
All I can answer to that is...you need a cutter, a rake and a whole
bunch of elbow grease. There are basically two ways to remove invasive
and unwanted plants and weeds from ponds. Well actually there are
three ways but the third way is to just ignore the weeds and live
with them and don't let them bother you. So in reality there are two
ways:
1
- The Natural Way
Natural
bacteria for ponds
If the pond is small enough just the best way to remove the weeds
or plants is to manually remove it day by day, hour after hour, until
there is none left. Of course it is really tough to completely eradicate
the problem but you can keep it under control just like keeping the
dandelions out of the vegetable garden!
You need a net with a long handle or a good quality aquatic rake to
harvest this pond weed if you want to deal with this problem naturally
or you can look into some carp species that will eat aquatic plants.
2 - The Chemical Way
Aquatic herbicides and pond weed killers
Aquatic algaecides and herbicides are very effective at controlling
unwanted invasive pond species. You should understand that such algae
problems, well...it's not really an algae but an aquatic weed plant,
if they are treated with herbicides can lead to a dependency or resistance
and scientists generally agree that chemical selection pressure that
is applied applied to aquatic weed populations for a long enough period
of time eventually leads to resistance. This means that while the
chemical pond weed killer may work quickly and effectively for the
first few years, unless you are adding a positive treatment with aeration
and natural beneficial bacteria you will just be "chasing the
dragon" so to speak!
Weed
Rakes & Harvesters
A
proper weed harvester is key to getting the job done fast and without
strain or injury. A regular metal rake or a leaf rake isn't designed
for the job...you need a light and sturdy tool that has long teeth
to really catch and hold the cut weeds and bring in large mats of
the debris for removal, or add them to your compost heap! Of course
sometimes, especially in the past before strict environmental laws
were in place, many residents have gotten permission to use a herbicide
in the water to kill their weeds, but cutting and raking really
work well to keep the organic material down and help reduce the
vicious cycle of poisoning and regrowth!
I was once asked about how effective do I think the weed razer would
be if you were to drag behind a slow moving boat or sea doo? This
may sound like a simple yet effective way to cut them but it is
likely more dangerous than smart! Dragging any sort of steel razer
or serrated blade behind a moving boat or seadoo is not recommended.
The blades could be damaged by striking a rock or log or it could
become hooked on some submerged object and damaged the tool or even
the boat! Don't risk it.
Other
Weed Control Products and Strategies
There are products like AquaScreen, which is a screen that is placed
on aquatic plants and stops them from growing, that is often thought
of as a good way to get rid of aquatic plants. We have used AquaScreen
and it is a good product to quickly get rid or hide a weed problem.
We sometimes found the AquaScreen was difficult to install, required
cleaning too often, and was prone to actually have rooted plants
growing on the surface of the screen. The cost of using this sort
of benthic barrier is high as much as $0.75 per square foot which
does not include installation or maintenance. Using a screen of
landscaping fabric or canvas is another do-it-yourself method that
isn't very effective at all. It is better to use the UV strengthened
AquaScreen if you want to use this sort of barrier method of pond
weed control. . The truth is that manual removal is ideal and when
a total mechanical excavation by shovel or bulldozer isn't feasible
then using an aquatic tool like the cutter and raker is the most
cost effective and environmentally safe procedure.
WeedHarvesters
Cost: Extremely High
Effectiveness: Excellent
Mechanical
Aquatic Weed Control Offers: A "Green" solution to pollution
Reversal of unwanted eutrophication Instant and selective areal
weed removal Clean drinking water and opening of stagnant waterways
Complete rooted biomass removal with the AquaRake Revitalization
of local economies Reduction of water-borne diseases Trash &
Debris
Skimmer Boats will: Keep waterfronts attractive & desirable
Enhance tourism at "downtown" waterfronts & parks Reduce health
risks by removing toxic pollutants Reduce watercraft damage
Assist in Hydro power clean-up and functioning Crane Boats &
Aquatic Rakes Environmental spot dredging with crane mounted
clam shells Under weed raking of rooted aquatic vegetation to
provide longterm clear water control Marina maintenance including
pier repair, dock installation Canal maintenance Buoy installation
& recovery General recovery operations
Aquamarine A world leader in the development and manufacture
of water management products, Aquamarine offers: Aquatic Weed
& Plant Harvesters Trash Skimmer Boats Debris Skimmers Crane
Boats Aquatic Weed Rakes Weed & Trash Transport Barges Operational
Support Equipment such as: Shore & Pier Transfer Conveyors Boat
Mobilization Trailers with & without Tilt Decks Dual Duty Combination
Trailer/Conveyors for Mobilization and Material Disposal Special
Systems Design & Construction Available at:
http://www.weedharvesters.com/
Aquarius Systems
Cost: Extremely High
Effectiveness: Excellent
AQUARIUS SYSTEMS provides aquatic weed control equipment to
cut and remove a wide variety of lake weeds including water
hyacinth, Eurasian water milfoil, hydrilla, salvinia molesta,
and other aquatic weeds that make waterways unusable. Many other
aquatic plants are also easily managed with an aquatic harvester.
Contact us today with the name of your lake weed to see if a
weed harvester is the solution for you. In addition to aquatic
weed control, we also supply trash skimmers to pick up floating
trash in rivers, harbors and lakes.
Aquarius Systems, a division of D&D Products, is the oldest
manufacturer of surface water management equipment in the world.
Our complete product line includes aquatic plant cutters and
harvesters, floating excavators, canal cleaners and trash skimming
vessels. In the 1950s, founder John Dauffenbach developed equipment
to battle local aquatic weed problems. In 1964, John and his
brother Doug incorporated D&D Products and expanded that early
vision throughout the world.
Our customers now span the United States and nearly 40 countries
worldwide. Continual research and development have taken the
equipment in this industry from its crude and cumbersome origins
to the finely tuned machines available to you today. Through
hands on management and state-of-the-art innovation, we are
committed to providing high quality equipment, exceptional customer
service and timely factory support.
Available at: http://www.aquarius-systems.com
Aquatic
Rakers & Rakes
Cost: Low
Effectiveness: Excellent
Aquatic Weed Rake Lake Rake This 36" wide aluminum rake comes
with an 11', two-piece rust-proof powder-coated aluminum handle,
detachable polyethylene float and 20' of rope. Use it to skim
floating aquatic vegetation and algae from the water. By shortening
the handle and removing the float, one has a professional-grade
landscaping rake, excellent for dressing beach sand. (Float
colors may vary) Cost $128.0
Available at:
http://www.lake-aeration.com
The WeedShear
Cost: Low
Effectiveness: Excellent
The V Shaped Razor Edged Cutter WeedShear *GREAT CHOICE for
CUTTING long or short weeds, excellent on lily pads and with
some additional work - even cut cattails. Store in a safe place
- The WeedShear is Very Sharp! For Cattail Removal. (if you
cut the cattails just below the water surface they will not
survive - this plant needs oxygen to survive. The WeedShear
will cut through cattails but does require some hard work. The
AVG and the Lake Mower are the only tools that cut cattails
with minimal effort). Cuts a 49" path. Includes 25' leash and
hand sharpener. HOW good is The WeedShear?
We Guarantee it! If it doesnt work better than any other aquatic
hand tool on the market, OR if you are disatisfied with it in
anyway, we will give you your money back. The handle arrives
in 3 pieces with a total length of 9'. It comes with a hand
sharpener to keep the tool effective.
Available at: http://www.lakeweeds
WeedRollerDO2
Dissolved
Cost: Extremely High
Effectiveness: Excellent
The WeedRoller moves in a slow, broad arc, pivoting more than
270 degrees. As it's linked rollers rotate along the lake bottom,
the WeedRoller detaches existing weeds and agitates the lake
bed. This prevents more weed growth, for a clean, sandy lake
bottom and a pleasant swimming area. The WeedRoller easily attaches
to any dock or can be set up on an optional tripod. For initial
clearing, operate the WeedRoller continuously until the area
is cleared.
Operating Depth - 4 1/2-ft. at the power head. Can be increased
in 2 1/2-ft. increments (maximum of 2 kits). Operating Circumference
- Adjustable to more than 270° arc with 21-ft. reach. Slope-1O°
for each flexible joint. Electrical - Power converter: 8 amp
circuit breaker on 28-volt AC side. 110-volt household current
converted to 28-volt AC through power converter. Note: Power
use during operation is comparable to a common housebold ligbt
bulb. Mounting - Round dock posts, square dock posts, optional
tripod mounting kit. Drive Assembly - Includes Smart Switch
with microprocessor.
Motor - Produces 1/8 HP. Roller Tubes - Made of 6" diameter
aluminum. Environmental - WeedRoller has been approved by most
state environmental agencies. Specific approval or permits may
be required. Always follow state and local regulations when
using your WeedRoller. Gather and properly dispose of weeds
that are removed upon initial use. For specific information
regarding your region's regulations, see your local STATE PERMIT
REQUIREMENTS
Available at: http://www.weedersdigest.com/ |
Email us for information
or with your questions.
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