If your pond has been invaded by water lilies, you have a problem on your hand. These can be incredibly difficult to get rid of.
Have you ever wondered why it can be so difficult to remove these beautiful water lilies? Throughout the world, these are prized for their aesthetic beauty, but can explode into a lake or pond due to overcrowding. And when this happens, they consume the oxygen necessary for other forms of life in the pond.
Technically it may sound simple to remove the lily pads, but the actual removal of the lily pads can be very exhausting and time consuming. There are two ways to remove water lilies, either physically or chemically. In a pond setting it is good to get rid of them in sections or ensure aeration if treating the entire pond to ensure oxygen levels for the fish.
Now let us understand both procedures.
physical removal
1. Grass Carp – Grass carp is a way of keeping aquatic vegetation down. It is recommended to keep two small grass carp per acre of surface area to ensure proper maintenance.
2. Rake – The raking method can be difficult, especially if the roots are well established, but it can be done early in the growth cycle.
3. Cut lilies – The Weed Razer works great for cutting lily pads right at the base. This method is similar to mowing your lawn in that you’ll need to do it several times a season, but you can often save some money with chemical treatment; however, it will usually take longer.
chemical processing
Proper treatment can surely give you the best results and ensure relatively less growth of the water lilies.
1. Early Season Growing – Aquacide Pellets are a great choice early in the growth cycle because lilies grow very fast and will take up material from the Aquacide Pellets relatively quickly and the roots will be dead within three weeks. Reapply in three weeks if you still notice some growth.
2. Mid to late season growth: Apply Shore Klear and Cygnet liquid concentrates and they will also kill the root system and again, you can take a second dose three weeks after the first. Apply along with water and spray pads on a calm sunny morning with no rain for six hours.
These procedures will help you greatly when dealing with overgrown lily pads.
