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lily pads

JPN

Junior Member
618
94
coshocton
Does anyone have any idea how I can get rid of lily pads on our pond? They are so thick in the summer and fall that we cant even get a boat through. I want to get a decent size hole opened up in front of our duck blind. Ive read before that people have to be careful about killing them because doing it to fast will kill fish, but there aren't any in ours so we don't have to worry about that. Would regular weed killer work? If not what do you recommend?
 

moundhill

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,327
103
Hebbardsville..
I'm interested in this also, my favorite fishing hole by my parents house is over run with them, I'm talking you can't even cast into the water because it's all lily pads.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
PM CJD or Riverdude about lily pads. I know they use a big drag cutter on their lake. Drop it in on one side and pull it across. Seemed to work pretty good. As far as getting them out of a pond...Good luck. They are a pain in the ass and I don't know that you can do it in a single season.
 

yotehunter

Member
1,527
36
spencerville oh
There is a glyphosate that is labeled for water. It may take a two year application. And I also know guys that have used the weed razor I think is what its called to get rid of coons tail in a couple ponds.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
Large zones of weed killing will cause a depletion of oxygen as the dying weeds rot. You will have to check with the manufacture on how large a percentage of the pond you can kill at a time...

Depending on the size of area, I have know of people that have sunk black mats or plastic to prevent light penetration in the area they want open either by lowering the water level or by creatively sinking the mats.

They also make pond dies that will block the light from getting down to the bottom, retarding weed growth. This would be a waste of money of the water is constantly being replaced by a feeder stream and spillway.

They make a weed cutting blade that looks like a "Y" that you can drag behind a boat or throw out and drag through the lilies the "V" section has very sharp blades but, by hand its a lot of work!
http://www.thepondguy.com/product/jenlis-weedrazer-aquatic-weed-cutter/aquatic-weed-removal-tools
http://www.thepondguy.com/product/j...quatic-weed-cutter/aquatic-weed-removal-tools

There are two options for chemical use. Pellets or spraying a killer specific to the weed in question.
The pellets are hand broadcast in the spring and attack the plant before it hits the surface. *** I have found this to be a waste of money if you have a really mucky bottom as the muck will "encase" the pellet and prevent it from being absorbed by near-by root systems.

The spray herbicide is applied in the spring as the lilies hit the surface. Its a liquid mixed with water and a kicker (a soapy type additive) that helps the spray adhere to the lily on the surface so it can be absorbed to the root and die. You will typically need 2-3 days of nice weather w/ no rain so the stuff can be absorbed in and taken down to the root. I use a large sprayer on the p boat and drive around and target areas. (proper clothing and protection like covered skin, safety glasses and mask are strongly recommended...) Timing is the key when applying this approach. Work prevented me from hitting it at the best time this year and I only had marginal success...

http://www.lakerestoration.com/t-WaterLily-control.aspx
https://www.lakerestoration.com/product-finder.aspx


http://www.thepondguy.com/
http://www.thepondguy.com/category/pond-and-lake-aquatic-weed-control

Some of the aquatic herbicides can be used for vegetation control on land like weeds or poison ivy BUT I would be cautious of using land based weed killer on water type weeds.
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Grass carp....put several grass carp in your pond and they will single out the lilly pads and eat them down to nothing....at least that's what they did in my pond. I had a nice patch of lily pads until I released 5 grass carp into my pond to control weeds...evidently the grass carp like the taste of the lilly pads...they eat the heck out of them.....and I want some lilly pads!
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
Grass carp....put several grass carp in your pond and they will single out the lilly pads and eat them down to nothing....at least that's what they did in my pond. I had a nice patch of lily pads until I released 5 grass carp into my pond to control weeds...evidently the grass carp like the taste of the lilly pads...they eat the heck out of them.....and I want some lilly pads!

You can have all you can carry from my place Gern- lol

We did the White Amur (grass carp) years ago. There was other vegetation so they never developed a taste for lily pads here. It is cool how big they get over time. 3-4 ft long and huge barrel around diameter. We see them in the summer floating near the surface. Sometimes a boat or canoe will spook one and the amount of water a fish that size can displace will startle you... ( I mess w/ company and tell em they are Bass. lol)
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
What CJD3 said ^^^.

2-4d is usually a better bet than glyphosate for killing broadleaf vegetation, but it's harder to find water-approved 2-4d than it is for water-approved gly. The land use 2-4d "may" do the trick but I'm not going to tell you to do that...lol. The label is the law. Like said above just be careful how much you kill... More death = more oxygen depletion. You'll want to use a crop oil surfactant with 2-4d... Methylated Seed Oil works very well. As long as you apply before the plants seed out you'll be making progress. Rural King or TSC should have all you need.

In regards to the ducks, try to make your shooting hole irregular-shaped. Don't just make a perfect circle or oval in front of the blind. That doesn't look natural. Leave some corners and "lanes." Leave small patches of vegetation in the shooting hole too... Crippled birds swim to the nearest cover... So by leaving some cover in the hole you'll have less effort in retrieving crippled birds.
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
You can have all you can carry from my place Gern- lol

We did the White Amur (grass carp) years ago. There was other vegetation so they never developed a taste for lily pads here. It is cool how big they get over time. 3-4 ft long and huge barrel around diameter. We see them in the summer floating near the surface. Sometimes a boat or canoe will spook one and the amount of water a fish that size can displace will startle you... ( I mess w/ company and tell em they are Bass. lol)

Yep..mine are about 40 inches long now...when they spook it makes a lot of noise and waves....I shot one with a pistol last summer to try and thin a couple out...they are hard to sneak up on for sure.
 

JPN

Junior Member
618
94
coshocton
Large zones of weed killing will cause a depletion of oxygen as the dying weeds rot. You will have to check with the manufacture on how large a percentage of the pond you can kill at a time...

Depending on the size of area, I have know of people that have sunk black mats or plastic to prevent light penetration in the area they want open either by lowering the water level or by creatively sinking the mats.

They also make pond dies that will block the light from getting down to the bottom, retarding weed growth. This would be a waste of money of the water is constantly being replaced by a feeder stream and spillway.

They make a weed cutting blade that looks like a "Y" that you can drag behind a boat or throw out and drag through the lilies the "V" section has very sharp blades but, by hand its a lot of work!
http://www.thepondguy.com/product/jenlis-weedrazer-aquatic-weed-cutter/aquatic-weed-removal-tools
http://www.thepondguy.com/product/j...quatic-weed-cutter/aquatic-weed-removal-tools

There are two options for chemical use. Pellets or spraying a killer specific to the weed in question.
The pellets are hand broadcast in the spring and attack the plant before it hits the surface. *** I have found this to be a waste of money if you have a really mucky bottom as the muck will "encase" the pellet and prevent it from being absorbed by near-by root systems.

The spray herbicide is applied in the spring as the lilies hit the surface. Its a liquid mixed with water and a kicker (a soapy type additive) that helps the spray adhere to the lily on the surface so it can be absorbed to the root and die. You will typically need 2-3 days of nice weather w/ no rain so the stuff can be absorbed in and taken down to the root. I use a large sprayer on the p boat and drive around and target areas. (proper clothing and protection like covered skin, safety glasses and mask are strongly recommended...) Timing is the key when applying this approach. Work prevented me from hitting it at the best time this year and I only had marginal success...

http://www.lakerestoration.com/t-WaterLily-control.aspx
https://www.lakerestoration.com/product-finder.aspx


http://www.thepondguy.com/
http://www.thepondguy.com/category/pond-and-lake-aquatic-weed-control

Some of the aquatic herbicides can be used for vegetation control on land like weeds or poison ivy BUT I would be cautious of using land based weed killer on water type weeds.

talked to my dad today and turns out his friend has one of the cutting blades so Im going to give it a try. Hopefully next spring Ill be able to get something to get it sprayed and try to tame them down some. The pond is pretty good size and theres no way I can do all of it but Id be happy if I can keep an are of it open.
 

JPN

Junior Member
618
94
coshocton
What CJD3 said ^^^.

2-4d is usually a better bet than glyphosate for killing broadleaf vegetation, but it's harder to find water-approved 2-4d than it is for water-approved gly. The land use 2-4d "may" do the trick but I'm not going to tell you to do that...lol. The label is the law. Like said above just be careful how much you kill... More death = more oxygen depletion. You'll want to use a crop oil surfactant with 2-4d... Methylated Seed Oil works very well. As long as you apply before the plants seed out you'll be making progress. Rural King or TSC should have all you need.

In regards to the ducks, try to make your shooting hole irregular-shaped. Don't just make a perfect circle or oval in front of the blind. That doesn't look natural. Leave some corners and "lanes." Leave small patches of vegetation in the shooting hole too... Crippled birds swim to the nearest cover... So by leaving some cover in the hole you'll have less effort in retrieving crippled birds.

Ill have to stop in at rural king and see what they've got. As far as the hole goes do you think I should make it as big as possible infront and on each side? Early season the wood ducks pile in here. It is a really big roosting spot for them.
 

JPN

Junior Member
618
94
coshocton
Grass carp....put several grass carp in your pond and they will single out the lilly pads and eat them down to nothing....at least that's what they did in my pond. I had a nice patch of lily pads until I released 5 grass carp into my pond to control weeds...evidently the grass carp like the taste of the lilly pads...they eat the heck out of them.....and I want some lilly pads!

I dont know if the carp would survive. The vegetation is so thick in there, even when the lily pads die off it still is bad. Each time you row the oar is covered with junk. Also the size of the pond I would need a lot of them and when I checked last they were like $12 a piece. My uncles pond is close to the same size and he had to get 40 of them. way out of my price range for this haha
 

JPN

Junior Member
618
94
coshocton
Thanks everyone for your help! Not a great pic but you can get an idea of what im dealing with. I think there is water there somewhere. lol The pond curves to the left about another 150 yards and there are multiple fingers throughout so I'd never be able to get rid of them....

 
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jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Hard to tell from the pic but it looks like it could be american lotus and not lillies. Which makes sense because wood ducks love roosting in big stands of lotus. I don't see any flowers though so I'm not too sure. Most lotus up here is flowering but it could be further ahead down there. Either way... 2-4d will definitely knock it out. I've dealt with this exact situation many times... Your best approach is going to be spraying it now (or asap) and then pulling the cutter through once everything's dead. If you simply cut it while it's green it's going to be a nightmare trying to clear the cut vegetation out of the hole. If you spray first, all you'll have left to deal with is brittle stems and minimal leaves. It's just like opening up a hole in ice... If the hole isn't clean when you're finished you just wasted your time.

I'd make it as big as possible. It's a double edged sword though... The woodies are in there for the cover... Take the cover away and they'll skirt around it. I wouldn't worry about the wood ducks if i were you. They don't decoy worth a shit anyway. Open the hole up nice and big, pass-shoot a few woodies here and there, then worry about bringing in the big ducks. The mallards will be more attracted to a big shooting hole than a small one.
 
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JPN

Junior Member
618
94
coshocton
Hard to tell from the pic but it looks like it could be american lotus and not lillies. Which makes sense because wood ducks love roosting in big stands of lotus. I don't see any flowers though so I'm not too sure. Most lotus up here is flowering but it could be further ahead down there. Either way... 2-4d will definitely knock it out. I've dealt with this exact situation many times... Your best approach is going to be spraying it now (or asap) and then pulling the cutter through once everything's dead. If you simply cut it while it's green it's going to be a nightmare trying to clear the cut vegetation out of the hole. If you spray first, all you'll have left to deal with is brittle stems and minimal leaves. It's just like opening up a hole in ice... If the hole isn't clean when you're finished you just wasted your time.

I'd make it as big as possible. It's a double edged sword though... The woodies are in there for the cover... Take the cover away and they'll skirt around it. I wouldn't worry about the wood ducks if i were you. They don't decoy worth a shit anyway. Open the hole up nice and big, pass-shoot a few woodies here and there, then worry about bringing in the big ducks. The mallards will be more attracted to a big shooting hole than a small one.

It very well could be I don't know. We always called them lilies and I just assumed that's what they are.

I know what you mean about the woodies not decoying. Some of the time I don't even put out dekes for them. just sit and wait, theres so many sooner or later some are going to land or fly by within range. lol