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Do I need to cut down the cattails before I spray them?
ASKED BY: Charlene of Brandon, VT
ASKED BY: Charlene of Brandon, VT

Do I need to cut down the cattails before I spray them?

A: Slashing through cattails would certainly be cathartic, wouldn't it? Well, we don't recommend it – at least not yet. The best way to rid your pond or lake of those nuisance plants is to use a systemic herbicide with a surfactant, like Shoreline Defense and Treatment Booster Plus. Apply the mixture on the plant's leaves with a sprayer. The herbicide then kills the entire plant, rhizome and all.
Destroying that rhizome is critical to controlling cattails. Along with cottony seeds that explode from their brown, conical flowers, cattails propagate via their rhizomes, or root systems, which produce shoots in the fall that sprout in the spring. When you stop their underground spread, you can manage their footprint in your pond or lake.
If you're new at removing cattails from your pond, here are some tips to make it hassle-free.

  1. Treat the cattails between late July and first frost, when the plant is actively growing.
  2. Use a tank sprayer, like the Pond Sprayer, to apply the herbicide to the leaves that are growing above the pond or lake's surface. Make sure they're at least 12 to 18 inches out of the water.
  3. Completely wet the foliage for maximum results when rain is not in the forecast for 24 hours.
  4. Once the plants have completely died and turned brown, you can get out your Weed Cutter and slash through those dead stalks. Aim for the base of the plants, which will allow for easier removal with your Pond Rake.

Cattails aren't all bad. Besides adding to the aesthetic value of your landscape, they also make a good home for a variety of birds, insects, amphibians and underwater inhabitants. Consider leaving a few of the cattails around for those critters – but keep the plant carefully controlled with Shoreline Defense.