• Archives

  • Categories

  • Pages

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.

  1. 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.
  2. Easy to Remove: Chara is not as rooted into the pond as pondweeds are and is extremely easy to pull out from the water.
  3. 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

Or

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: , , | 5 Comments »

Controlling Pondweeds: Duckweed – Pond & Lake Q & A – Week Ending March 28th

Posted on March 27, 2009 by joemejia

Picture of Duckweed Floating in a Pond.

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: Last year I had an uncontrollable case of duckweed in my pond. It covered my entire 1/2 acre pond! I’ve heard of your product called WhiteCap and wanted to use it this spring. I don’t see any signs of duckweed yet, but was wondering if it is too early to treat.
- Cameron of Michigan

A: Duckweed can take over a pond. This prolific grower can come from many sources although most commonly brought in on the feet of waterfowl such as ducks, geese or even herons. The small plant can stick to the feet or the feathers of such birds and be carried for miles. Duckweed can start out slow and in some cases take several seasons to become a problem, although I would recommend treating for it as early as possible.

There are a few options when treating duckweed. You can use a fast-acting aquatic herbicide such as PondWeed Defense or RedWing although this will only give you temporary relief and require multiple applications of spraying the duckweed directly. These are not usually suggested unless your treatment areas are not contained or you have heavy water turnover. When possible I always suggest WhiteCap. WhiteCap is the least expensive method of treating an entire pond, is easy to apply and lasts an entire season.

We recommend to use 32 oz or 1 quart per surface acre (4-6′ deep) when treating for duckweed. This means Cameron’s 1/2 acre pond can be treated with just 16 oz of WhiteCap!

To answer the question above, treat with WhiteCap in the early spring before the duckweed even appears. This will allow you to get ahead of it before it reaches the surface. Although you don’t generally see it Duckweed is actually growing at the bottom of your pond long before you see it at the surface.

There are also other nice benefits to WhiteCap such as: It works very slowly so there is no chance of oxygen loss that could harm your fish or other aquatic life. WhiteCap is also very effective at controlling most other nuisance aquatic plants. So when your treat for your duckweed you will be controlling most other species as well.

Please Note: WhiteCap needs to stay in your pond for up to 90 days. It is not recommended to use it in ponds with a heavy overflow or when during times of heavy rain. If you are unsure of your pond’s turnover (or amount of water that is exchanged) use Nature’s Blue Pond Dye to shade the water column and track the time it takes for the color to disappear. You may also use Nature’s Blue Pond Dye during a WhiteCap treatment to track turnover and shade the pond from sunlight which can also reduce the life span of WhiteCap.

Filed under: Duckweed, Pond & Lake | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 86 other followers