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I have a small floating weed in my pond. I think it is duckweed, how do I know and how do I treat it? | Pond & Lakes Q&A

Posted on April 29, 2011 by thepondguy

I have a small floating weed in my pond. I think it is duckweed, how do I know and how do I treat it?

I have a small floating weed in my pond. I think it is duckweed, how do I know and how do I treat it?
Jason – Raleigh, NC

Duckweed can be a real nuisance if not identified and treated correctly. As it is a prolific grower it can quickly make your pond or lake look more like a golf course in a relatively short period of time. Duckweed is a small floating weed with a single root hair extending from the bottom of each individual leaf. Each green leaflet is about 1/8” of an inch in size and you should be able to fit about 5 to 10 on the tip of your finger. Duckweed can sometimes be confused with watermeal which is also a small green floating weed. Watermeal differs from duckweed in that it is much smaller and has a grainy or almost sandy feel to it if you hold it in your hands.

You can treat duckweed with two different methods. The first method is by spraying contact herbicides like Pond Logic® Pondweed Defense™ or Redwing™ directly onto the floating masses with a pressurized tank sprayer. This method typically yields fast results but tends to be a quick fix that ends up resulting in new growth reforming over just a few weeks. If you need to whip your pond into shape for a planned day or two event, then spraying your pond with a contact herbicide may be an appropriate treatment for you.

For longer lasting control of duckweed you can treat the pond with WhiteCap™ aquatic herbicide. This product works by inhibiting the plants ability to produce carotene and as a result chlorophyll is degraded by the sunlight and the weed dies. There are however a few things you will need to check before adding it to your pond to ensure a successful treatment. Most importantly, WhiteCap™ has a 30 day irrigation restriction meaning that if you water your plants or grass with your pond water you will not be able to do so for at least 30 days. Secondly, Whitecap needs to maintain a high concentration in the pond for up to 90 days. If your pond is prone to overflow or has an inlet/outlet chances are that the WhiteCap™ will rinse out of your pond to quickly making the treatment less effective. A good way to visually check your water loss is to color the water body with pond dye. Dye will typically remain in your pond for 2-4 weeks in normal conditions. If your pond looses color sooner then it is a great indicator that too much water is exiting the pond.
As WhiteCap™ is degraded by sunlight it is important that you dye your pond while you are chemically treating the water body. When applying WhiteCap™ use a pressurized tank sprayer and submerge the spray nozzle to apply the herbicide beneath the surface of the pond where it is safe from evaporation and sun exposure.

The best time to use WhiteCap™ is early in the spring a couple of weeks before you normally see duckweed forming in your pond. This will give the herbicide a chance to establish itself in the pond and discourage plant growth before it gets out of control.

Pond Talk: Have you experienced Duckweed in your pond?

Filed under: Cattails, Chara (Algae), Duckweed, Emergent Weeds, Phragmites, Pond & Lake, Pondweeds, Uncategorized | Tagged: cap, pressure, tank sprayer, Watermeal, weed control, white | 4 Comments »

Why do frogs/toads make so much noise? | Pond & Lakes Q&A

Posted on April 1, 2011 by thepondguy

Why do frogs/toads make so much noise?

Why do frogs/toads make so much noise?
Stephanie – Pasadena, TX

With the official start of spring come and gone we are not the only ones excited about the rising temperatures. You will soon be serenaded by the assembly of frogs and toads that set up camp at your pond and lake. These frogs and toads can get quite boisterous as they let out calls that can be heard from miles away.

It is not the warm weather or a particularly good day that makes frogs and toads sing however. When toads and frogs call out they are actually trying to attract a mate. Both frogs and toads are capable of croaking but calls vary between each species allowing their mates to distinguish who’s who amongst the gathering of suitors. It is the male who calls out to potential female mates in an attempt to present itself as the best possible option as it is competing against a long line of bachelors. The size and health of each particular frog or toad, along with temperature can dictate the strength, pitch and carry of its call.

While most people enjoy the ambience provided by these calls, the impressive noise a chorus of frogs can produce can become problematic. If you find the noise troublesome you can try to encourage frogs and toads to move elsewhere by discouraging their habitat. Using tools like a Pond Rake and Weed Cutter you can cut and pull away plant debris and growth from around the shoreline of the pond. Without the protection from predators these frogs and toads will not be as inclined to call your pond home.

Pond Talk: Do frogs and toads tend to use your pond as a serenading staging ground? Have you taken steps to eliminate the noise or do you enjoy it?

Filed under: Benefits of Owning, Cattails, Emergent Weeds, Phragmites, Pond & Lake, Pondweeds, Sago Pondweed | Tagged: acmience, Cattails, frog, lake, lake rake, loud, noise, rake, stubborn, toad, voices, weed cutter, weeds | 25 Comments »

I still have dead cattails standing from last year. Should I cut them down? | Pond & Lakes Q&A

Posted on March 3, 2011 by thepondguy

I still have dead cattails standing from last year. Should I cut them down?

I still have dead cattails standing from last year. Should I cut them down?

Josh – Canton, OH

It seems not even the harsh winter winds and giant piles of snow are a match for cattails growing around your pond. After a much awaited spring thaw you may still see dead cattail reeds standing tall for all to see. Nobody wants an abundance of aquatic weeds overtaking their pond so will managing those existing cattails help you maintain your pond this season?

Cattails left in your pond throughout the season will begin to go into a state of dormancy as we head into winter. While the reed or stalk of the cattail browns out and dies the rhizome, or roots, will become inactive underground until next season. At this time the dead stalks remaining above ground will begin to decompose and add muck to the pond if not removed. To remove these dead cattails from your pond you will want to use management tools like the Weed Eradicator to cut through tough cattail reeds with ease and then use the pond rake to rake them away from the pond. Raking this debris out of the pond before it decays and turns into muck will save you the hassle of rampant algae blooms and weed growth later in the season. If you do notice an abundance of submerged debris and muck in your pond you can start using MuckAway™ or PondClear™ bacteria to help clean the pond once your water temperatures are stably around 50 degrees.

With old stalks cleared from the pond it will be easier to address any new growth that may begin in the spring. Once the cattails begin to show signs of new growth of at least 18” you can begin further treatment. To control active cattails use products like Avocet® PLX as it is absorbed by the cattail reed and delivered directly to the rhizome killing the entire plant. Once the cattail reed has become inactive and brown it will no longer act like a transport system for chemical treatments rendering them ineffective and these stalks can be cut down as well.

Not all cattail growth is bad and many pond owners use cattails to provide shade for their pond, privacy, prevent soil erosion, create fish habitat and some people even cook and eat them. If you choose to leave areas of your pond more natural make sure you mark boundaries along your shoreline to ensure you can monitor the spread of your cattails and control them as necessary.

Pond Talk: Do you leave some cattails in your pond? What do you use them for?

Filed under: Benefits of Owning, Phragmites, Pond & Lake, Pondweeds | Tagged: Cattails, clean, cleanout, remove, spring, Spring Cleanout, weeds | 2 Comments »

How do weeds like Cattails and Phragmites survive the winter? – Ponds & Lakes Q & A

Posted on November 5, 2010 by thepondguy

How do weeds like Cattails and Phragmites survive the winter?

How do weeds like Cattails and Phragmites survive the winter?
Bryce – Grand Rapids, MN

Your gamefish and frogs aren’t the only ones hiding from the cold winter weather. Even your emergent weeds have developed a defense mechanism to survive over the winter. Being perennial plants, they may appear to die when the weather cools down but they are really just buying time until the spring thaw when they will return in all of their glory. Whether or not this is good news depends on how you feel about the presence of these particular plants in your pond.

Plants like Cattails tend to disperse their seeds as fall approaches. As the weather continues to cool the leaves and the stalk of the plant wilt and die only to decompose and become fertilizer for the roots, or rhizomes, of the plant come spring. While the exposed areas of the plant are dying off, the roots of the plant begin pulling in nutrients to store before going into dormancy for the winter. As these roots can be considered the heart of the plant, cutting down Cattail and Phragmite reeds will not discourage new plant growth in the spring.

If you like having Cattails or Phragmites around your pond then nothing is needed to help them through the winter as they are naturally prepared to make a comeback. If you are not a fan of these emergent plants you can make it harder for them to grow back by physically removing the plant roots or by using pond care products to remove their food source and kill the plants including the roots. Applying aquatic herbicides like Avocet PLX while Cattails and Phragmites are still active is infinitely easier than trying to pull their extensive root system from the pond. Avocet PLX is absorbed by the plant and carried to its roots effectively killing the entire weed. Since you don’t want to encourage new growth you will want to remove any potential “fertilizers” in the form of plant decay and muck. Once dead cut and drag any dead reeds and leaves away from the pond and burn or compost them. Using a Rake and Weed Cutter will make short work of these shoreline cleanups and give you the advantage for next season.

Pond Talk: How do your emergent plants react to the cold winter weather?

Filed under: Cattails, Emergent Weeds, Phragmites, Pond & Lake, Pondweeds, Weed Identification, Winterizing | Tagged: avocet, Avocet PLX, hardy weeds, rake, weed cutter, weed survival, winter | 2 Comments »

Are there any tips for treating my pond in the hot summer months? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on July 30, 2010 by thepondguy

Are there any tips for treating my pond in the hot summer months?

Are there any tips for treating my pond in the hot summer months? George – Horace, ND

A lot of our summer activities revolve around our pond. The warm sunny seasons see us hosting parties, swimming, fishing, or just unwinding at the end of the day lounging around outside. Regardless of how you enjoy your down time, you expect your pond to be in pristine condition when having guests at your home or before you decide jump in for a swim. Frustratingly enough, it is the warmer seasons that encourage weed and algae growth that can throw the proverbial wrench in the works. By laying out a few key points on pond maintenance you should be able to keep your pond in excellent condition by knowing what to expect when things go a bit south.

Know It’s Role
When you start to notice growth in your pond, properly identifying it will be the first step to effective treatment. We offer a great Weed ID Guide online that can help you pinpoint exactly what is trying to invade your space. If you are still unsure you can always e-mail pictures to us at mrwig@thepondguy.com or mail us a sample of the weed.

Plan Ahead
Having a party? Keep in mind that it may take up to a week or more to receive full results from a pond treatment depending on what you are treating. Waiting until the day before could result in swimming restrictions or floating growth that has yet to die off. Always read the labels on aquatic algaecides and herbicides for application instructions, dosage rates, and any water use restrictions that they may carry. You don’t want to buy a product that carries a 30 day irrigation restriction of you plan on watering your garden and lawn with your pond water.

Use Aeration Ahead of Time and Keep it Going
Customers who use Bottom Plate Aeration Systems typically run them all day every day to keep the pond circulating and infused with oxygen. Those of you who use a fountain or surface aerator may only run it when you are home and leave it off at night or when you are away. When treating with algaecides and herbicides make sure you keep your aeration running continuously for at least a few days after application regardless. This allows an influx of oxygen during this crucial time when the kill off process robs the water column of the majority of its dissolved oxygen. No aeration yet? If you are going to install an aeration system you will want to introduce it at least a week before you treat, running it in gradually extended increments as to avoid manually turning over your pond by rapidly mixing the bottom oxygen deficient water with the upper oxygen rich layers.

Treat in Sections
In the hot summer months as the water column warms up it will naturally hold less oxygen. In addition to water temperature, dying algae and weeds will also reduce oxygen content. This could potentially add stress to your fish. Treat the pond in quarter sections and wait 10 to 14 days in between sections to allow the pond time to maintain an adequate oxygen level.

Keeping your pond properly maintained with Dye, Beneficial Bacteria and Aeration will give you the upper hand at keeping unwanted growth out of your pond and will drastically reduce the time, effort, and cost of combating weeds when they do decide to make an appearance. With this extra bit of knowledge you can skip out on some stress and effectively treat your pond by choosing the correct products and having a better understanding of the conditions you want to work within.

POND TALK: Are there any other tips you’ve found to help out when treating your pond?

Filed under: Aeration, Cattails, Chara (Algae), Duckweed, Emergent Weeds, MuckAway, Pond & Lake, Pond Clear, Pond Dye, Pondweeds, Sago Pondweed, Season-Long Control | Tagged: Aeration, aeration system, airmax aeration, beneficial bacteria, muckaway, pond dye, PondClear | 6 Comments »

How Can I Create a Fish Habitat Without Overtaking My Pond With Weeds? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on May 18, 2010 by thepondguy

How Can I Create Fish Habitat Without Overtaking My Pond With Weeds? Tyler – Elmo, UT

There’s No Place Like Home

Your fish require adequate habitat to live, reproduce, and grow but who’s really keen on letting weeds overtake their entire pond to aid the cause. Fortunately there are some tricks to help control the natural habitat in your pond and even a few alternatives that can work just as effectively.

Most of us can agree that having a bit of plant life in our ponds is a good thing, but at what point does it get out of hand and become a nuisance? Aquatic Plants help reduce your ponds sun exposure and nutrient load which naturally encourages a cleaner pond with less algae blooms. Lillies can add some color to your pond while cattails will provide a natural wall around areas of your yard giving you a little extra privacy. When aquatic plants are appropriately implemented they are both functional and attractive. The key to keeping your plants in check is by giving them boundaries. Mark the areas of your pond that you feel are best suited for aquatic plants, away from your beach area and dock, this way you will have a visual reference when checking if the plants are trying to spread out of control. You can then remove the plants that grow outside their appropriate areas with Pond Tools or Aquatic Herbicide when necessary.

For those of you with no interest in flexing their green thumbs, Fish Attactors may be the perfect habitat for your pond. These plastic spheres accept 1/2″ PVC pipe which you cut to a length of your choosing. The PVC pipes form a pattern that provides shelter for smaller fish while keeping larger predators at bay. The hollow ends of the PVC pipe also provide an excellent place for minnows to spawn. If you like to fish in your pond, these attractors have a huge advantage over natural habitat as they do not hang up your lure. Man made habitat like the fish attractor won’t contaminate your pond or bio-degrade so you don’t have to replace your habitat each season.

It is not uncommon for people to sink pine trees, pallets, cinder blocks, bricks, and other miscellanous items in their pond. These things will provide coverage to your fish but they may also have adverse effects on your water quality as well. Items that bio-degrade in your pond will add to your nutrient load, so if your are considering sinking a tree or some wood skids in your pond make sure you are compensating with additional PondClear or MuckAway to keep nutrients at bay. Also if you swim in your pond, keep in mind that while some products are degradeable they may be held together with nails or staples. Before adding objects into your pond make sure they are clean and they do not contain any contaminates that will pollute the water. Plastic containers, for example, may provide shelter to your finned friends but what were they previously holding? Oily residues or trace chemicals left that remain on these products can be harmful to your ponds ecosystem so use caution before you sink them in the water.

Advanced planning and considerations will make all of the difference in keeping your pond and its inhabitants happy and healthy. Choosing the habitats that work best in your unique scenario and implementing them correctly will ensure your pond is full of life for years to come.

POND TALK: What types of fish habitat do you use in your pond?

Filed under: Fish, Fish Habitat, Pond & Lake, Pondweeds | Tagged: fish attractor, fish friendly habitat, fish natural habitat, fish pond, plant coverage for fish, porcupine fish attractor, protect fish | 5 Comments »

How can I control Naiad in my pond? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on May 13, 2010 by thepondguy

How can I control Naiad in my pond? Kristin – Modesto, CA

Do You Know Who You Are Dealing With?

When faced with an outbreak of weeds in their pond some pond owners tend to rush into buying aquatic herbicides and algaecides in an attempt to clear up the pond as fast as possible. While we agree with the idea that your weeds need to disappear on the double, you want to make sure you take some time out to identify your intruder. When you know what you are dealing with your can then chose a product to treat it that will give you the best bang for your buck. If you are having trouble identifying a particular weed you can e-mail a couple close up pictures to The Pond Guy at mrwig@thepondguy.com or check out our Weed ID Guide.

What’s The Difference?

Knowing is half the battle in your war against aquatic weeds. So what do you need to know about Naiad to correctly identify it in a line-up of other unruly pond perpetrators? Naiad is an annual plant that branches profusely and forms very dense stands of rooted submerged vegetation. Leaves are dark green to greenish-purple, ribbon-like, opposite or in a whorl of three, mostly less than 1/2 inch long and 1/8 inch wide. Single seeds are found encased in the leaf sheath. Southern naiad reproduces by seeds and fragmentation. Flowers are at the base of the leaves but so small that they can only be observed with magnification. While Naiad is often confused with Chara at first glance, Chara has a strong, unpleasant odor and a crunchy texture that sets it apart from its counterpart. Chara also is very easy to pull out since it has no attached root base.

Pick Your Pony

You will find a stable full of products available for treating Naiad each with their own application methods and water use restrictions. Hydrothol 191 for example is a granular that sinks to the bottom of the pond and is applied with a hand spreader. It carries water use restrictions such as a 3 day fish consumption restriction and a 25 day irrigation restriction. Pondweed Defense on the other hand is a liquid aquatic herbicide that is applied via a Tank Sprayer and carries no water use restrictions. Read each herbicides application instructions, water use restrictions and dosage rates to determine which product is best for you. In addition to Hydrothol and Pondweed Defense, WhiteCap and RedWing are also viable options for treating Naiad.

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Warm

For optimal results you will want to treat your pond when your water temps are above 50 degrees. Waiting for warmer weather in late Spring and early Summer ensures that the weeds in your pond are actively growing and will eagerly take the chemical you add to the water. Once the weeds are killed it is then safe for you to rake them out of the pond using a Pond & Beach Rake or something similar. Keeping your ponds nutrient load in check with MuckAway and PondClear and proper Aeration will make sure you spend less time wrestling weeds in your pond and more time enjoying your ponding season.

POND TALK: Tell us about your experience with Naiad and/or Chara.

Filed under: Algae Control, Algae Defense, Chara (Algae), Emergent Weeds, Muck, MuckAway, Pond & Lake, Pond Clear, Pond Dye, Pondweeds, Uncategorized, Weed Identification | Tagged: algae, algeacide, aquatic algaecide, aquatic herbicides, how can i keep my pond clear, master test kit, naiad, pond maintenance, pond salt, submerged vegetation, water weed rake, Weed ID Guide, weed outbreak | Leave a Comment »

My pond is covered in duckweed. What can I do to treat this stuff? – Ponds & Lakes Q & A

Posted on April 7, 2010 by thepondguy

Duckweed

Q. My pond is covered in duckweed. What can I do to treat this stuff? – Tony in Indiana

Friend or Fowl
A: For the lucky pond guys and gals out there who have never experienced duckweed in their pond, or those of you who think you may have it but are unsure; duckweed is a very small floating plant with kidney shaped leaves and a small hair-like root hanging below. It is approximately the size of a pencil eraser and is frequently misidentified as algae. It can cut off sunlight to submersed plants and cut off oxygen to fish and other wildlife. Duckweed is an extremely prolific grower and can quickly cover an entire pond making it frustrating to treat and maintain. More often than not, duckweed is introduced into your pond by hitching a ride on the feet of waterfowl.

Don’t Go Daffy Over Duckweed
There are two great options available to you in your fight against duckweed. Choosing the product that is right for you depends on the time frame you have to treat your pond. For fast acting, short term results, you can use a contact herbicide like PondWeed Defense®. Treatments with these types of herbicides work best on mature aquatic plants that are in a contained environment. Multiple treatments are typically required for effective short term control. It is important to remember that whenever you are treating large amounts of weed growth, only treat one third of the pond at a time and implement aeration whenever possible to ensure safe oxygen levels. When treating with PondWeed Defense®, we suggest that you use a tank sprayer to apply the herbicide directly onto the weeds. PondWeed Defense® has no water use restrictions, but if you have koi or trout, make sure you test to make sure the carbonate hardness of your water is above 50 ppm (parts per million).

For long term treatment of duckweed, we suggest using WhiteCap™. By adding WhiteCap™ to your pond in early Spring, you will inhibit the weed’s ability to produce carotene, a pigment that protects the plant’s chlorophyll. Without carotene, the sun quickly degrades the green chlorophyll and the weed dies. WhiteCap™ must stay in your pond for up to 90 days for maximum results, so if your pond has a constant overflow or you are experiencing heavy rains, you may need to include additional treatments. WhiteCap™ is degraded by sunlight, so when applying, make sure you spray the product directly into the water and not onto the plant foliage itself. Also, adding Nature’s Blue™ Pond Dye after treatment will help prevent sun degradation as well as track water dilution from heavy rains. WhiteCap™ has a 30 day irrigation restriction.

POND TALK: Have you ever experienced duckweed in your pond? What did you use to treat it?

Filed under: Aeration, Duckweed, Pond Dye, Pondweeds | Tagged: Aquatic Weed Control, nature's blue pond dye, pond dye, pondweed defense, whitecap | 11 Comments »

How do I control floating and bottom-growing algae in my lake? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on September 3, 2009 by thepondguy

No Algae Here!

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: How do I control floating and bottom-growing algae in my lake? – Tom in New York

A: Whether it’s floating or submerged, algae can turn a lake into a green mess in no time. It’s unsightly, it’s sometimes stinky and in extreme cases, it can cause a fish kill. The good news is that algae can be controlled no matter what time of year. It starts with controlling the population and ends with a long-term management plan.

Before we dive in, it’s important to understand the difference between algae and weeds. The term “algae” refers to a wide range of single and multi-celled organisms that live in the water and metabolize carbon dioxide into oxygen via photosynthesis, just like plants. They differ from plants or weeds in that they don’t have true leaves, roots or stems.

In lakes and ponds, the most common varieties of algae include: Green floating algae that creates a “pea soup” appearance; Chara or Stonewort, which are a bottom-growing, seaweed-looking type that can be mistaken for weeds, and string or filamentous algae, which are actually long strings of algae connected together.

Sometimes, pond and lake owners may mistake duckweed for floating algae, but if you look very closely, you’ll find that it’s actually duckweed or watermeal. Check out this blog entry to learn more about controlling this invasive weed.

Population Check

If your pond is coated in pea soup or the bottom is carpeted in Chara or string algae, you can knock back the population with a chemical herbicide like Algae Defense®. It provides quick results and it’s formulated to get a pond under control – especially during the hot summer months. Do not use if your pond or lake is stocked with koi or goldfish. If your pond has trout, check your carbonate hardness with a water hardness test kit, like the Laguna® Quick Dip Multi-Test Strips, and make sure the carbonate hardness is above 50 parts per million (ppm) before using Algae Defense®.

Long-Term Strategy

Algae Defense® by Pond Logic® will solve a crisis, but to keep your pond or lake looking clean and clear, you’ll need to be proactive and develop a plan to manage the algae. The most successful approach centers on cutting off the algae’s food supply – nutrients.

Nutrients can come from a wide variety of sources, like grass clippings, twigs, trees, fish waste, yard and farm fertilizers and runoff. As these nutrients break down, they produce ammonia, which triggers the nitrogen cycle. Nitrifying bacteria surround the ammonia, turning it into nitrites and then into nitrates (nutrients) – which then feed the algae.

So, how do you reduce the nutrients in your pond?
Try these tips:

Buffer before fertilizing: To prevent inadvertently fertilizing the algae, leave a buffer area around the pond. You can also try using organic or low-phosphorus fertilizers.

Aerate, aerate, aerate: Because that muck at the bottom of the pond feeds the algae, you should prevent the buildup with proper aeration.

Reduce the muck: Use natural bacteria like MuckAway™ by Pond Logic® to breakdown up to 5-inches of organic muck per year. You can also rake your pond using a Pond & Beach Rake to remove dead vegetation, leaves and other organics that will eventually decompose on the bottom.

Reduce sunlight: Like all photosynthetic organisms, algae requires sunlight to thrive. Adding pond dye can help provide shade. If possible, consider adding some non-invasive aquatic plants to your pond. The plants, which also consume nitrates, will also be a source of competition for food.

Add beneficial bacteria: You may also consider adding some additional beneficial bacteria, like PondClear™ by Pond Logic®, to your pond or lake. The bacteria gobble through nitrates, breaking down fish waste, leaves and other organics that accumulate in the pond, naturally improving the water clarity.

That green gunk can be controlled in your pond or lake. It just takes a little planning and some proactive management. When you see the results, it’ll be worth it!

POND TALK: When was your worst algae bloom and how did you control it?

Filed under: Algae Control, Algae Defense, Carbonate Hardness, Chara (Algae), Duckweed, Emergent Weeds, Fish Kill, Goldfish, Koi, Muck, MuckAway, Pond & Lake, Pond Clear, Pondweeds, Watermeal | Tagged: algae, Algae Control, algae defense, chara, controlling duckweed, fish kill, muck, muckaway, Pond Clear, PondClear, Watermeal | 24 Comments »

Aquatic Weed ID: Chara Versus Pondweeds – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on May 8, 2009 by justinmcleod

Picture of Chara, a Form of Algae.

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: I have mats of pondweeds in the bottom of my pond. I used Pondweed Defense to treat it, but it seems to be unharmed by it? What am I doing wrong? If there another herbicide I am supposed to use? – Ted of Michigan

A: I remember when I first began treating ponds the importance of being able to identify what I was treating was vital. For example, after talking with Ted we discovered that what he had in his pond wasn’t a pondweed at all , it was actually a form of algae called chara. Chara, (refer to picture on the left), mimics true plants with its shape and form. At times, its hard to tell the difference between chara and pondweeds by just their physical appearances.

Aquatic Weed Identification: Chara Vs. Pondweeds
Even though there are times when it may be difficult to tell the difference between chara and pondweeds there are a few distinct qualities that chara has that will help you set them apart from pondweeds.

Skunky Smell: Chara has an awful musky smell. Simply walking close to or around your pond will tell you right away if you have a chara problem or not.
Easy to Remove: Chara is not as rooted into the pond as pondweeds are and is extremely easy to pull out from the water.
Gritty Texture: Diagnose chara by pulling some out and rubbing it in between your fingers. Chara has a gritty feel to the touch.

Treating for Chara: When treating for chara, since it is a form of algae, you need to use an algaecide. We prefer to use Algae Defense Algaecide, but you can also use Cutrine-Plus Granular as well. Approximately two weeks after treating the chara we sugget to use a Pond & Beach Rake to rake out as much as you can (Note: DO NOT rake out chara before treating it, it will spread). Doing this will help you gain control relatively quickly.

WE CAN INDENTIFY WEEDS/ALGAE FOR YOU!: If you are ever unsure of what you have, just go ahead and send us a sample and we can diagnose it for you. Its FREE. You can either e-mail us a picture of mail the sample to us. See below for instructions.

E-mail: E-mail us pictures at mrwig@thepondguy.com

Mail: Mail weed samples to: The Pond Guy, ATTN: Weed Sample, 6135 King Road, Marine City, MI 48039. When mailing just be sure to ship priority or exprss shipping to ensure the sample arrives quickly and fresh. Also, please wrap samples with a DRY paper towel and place in a plastic bag.

POND TALK: Have any of you had trouble identifying pondweeds or algae? Please comment and let us know how we can help.

Filed under: Chara (Algae), Pond & Lake, Pondweeds | Tagged: algae, chara, pondweeds | 5 Comments »

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