Weed Control

Gone

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Aug 28, 2005
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389
Looking ahead to next year, what should I use to control weeds around my pier and swimming area? Hasn't been a problem for 50 years but this year the weeds are overly plentiful.

CD
 

bjcsc

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Jun 1, 2006
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1,805
Re: Weed Control

I know a few people who have used fish, carp I think, but they ended up regretting it as they keep their ponds stirred up and cloudy (but weedless). Is this a pond, lake, do you own it? How big is it?
 

Bondo

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70,536
Re: Weed Control

A couple of people have told me that a Salt Lick Block will Kill the Weeds,.........
Don't Know,......... Haven't tried it,........... Yet..........
Rocksalt Doesn't Work,.......
No Dead Weeds,..... But there seems to be Alot More Fish........
 

Gone

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Re: Weed Control

It's a public lake, about 80 acres.
I don't know if Round Up would work diluted that much or if it is harmful to the fish and frogs. I would suspect that there is a specific product available for this.

CD
 

salty87

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Aug 12, 2003
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2,327
Re: Weed Control

yes, please check with the local authority so as to avoid pollution and any possible legal activities that may result from polluting a public waterway.

there are machines called weed rollers that wrap the weeds up. is the water level ever reduced for dock repairs or anything? i think it helps for installation but not sure.
 

xtraham

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Jul 20, 2006
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1,425
Re: Weed Control

how deep is it? drag some chain link fence across the bottom ?..........
 

Gone

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Messages
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Re: Weed Control

It's spring fed and the level varies very little. It's about 8 feet deep out where I would want to "treat". A machete works pretty well but it doesn't stop the new growth.

CD
 

Gone

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389
Re: Weed Control

Potent stuff! They won't sell it to Michigan, the lake is in Michigan.
That's what I was looking for, thanks extraham. I'll let my conscience mull it over.

CD
 

Bondo

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70,536
Re: Weed Control

Google up "Aqua-cide" pellets,.........

I just burnt up a harddrive,+ have No Favorites files at the moment,.........So I can't post their Link,....

Aqua-cide pellets seem to be a little less Harsh as the other link above........
I've been looking into it,...
Also looking into Other alternatives too.....
 

salty87

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Aug 12, 2003
Messages
2,327
Re: Weed Control

we've got hydrilla bad in my local lake (lake austin). authorities have been releasing sterilized carp into the lake and using herbicides. the combination has been successful in other texas lakes such as lake conroe.

here's an article that also talks about herbicides... http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2005/051101.htm

Aquathol K was used at lake conroe, not sure if it's available or not.

here's some more about the efforts at the same lake if you want to read up... http://lakeconroe.com/zForum_521.htm

are other areas of the lake clogging up? if it's hydrilla, it spreads real quick. each piece your prop chops up lands on the bottom and starts growing again.
 

Gone

Petty Officer 1st Class
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389
Re: Weed Control

It's not hydrilla, although that's a problem on the St.Joe river in Elkhart. Hydrilla hasn't invaded our lakes yet.

CD
 

Gone

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Messages
389
Re: Weed Control

Would a "weed wacker" with the blades instead of the string work? I didn't think of that.

CD
 

xtraham

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Jul 20, 2006
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1,425
Re: Weed Control

I thought about a weed wacker thats why I asked how deep it was, 8' feet is to deep for a wacker, I have a extendable shaft on my weed wacker but I think it would still be close
 

CN Spots

Lieutenant Commander
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Oct 19, 2005
Messages
1,612
Re: Weed Control

I'll swing by with my outboard... If I get within 100 feet of the stuff, every last bit of it will wrap around my prop.
 

salty87

Commander
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Aug 12, 2003
Messages
2,327
Re: Weed Control

i doubt a weed whacker would spin fast enough under water. i can see the weeds ripping that sucker right out of your hands...glug, glug. haha

how about a thick tarp weighted appropriately at the corners and sides. drop the first side in, spread it out over the weeds, and weight the other side down. drop a few bags of rocks or bags of cement in the middle so the weeds don't just push it up.

tarps are what works best here but having the lake drained sure does help a bit.

oh yeah, if hydrilla's in neighboring waters it won't take long to get to your water. it's only a matter of time until someone doesn't clean their trailer off.

good luck
 

Bondo

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Re: Weed Control

Ya know what Salty,................Nearly that Same Thought came to Me today at work,...........

We use alot of what's known around here as Marify Paper,.......
It's a tightly woven Plastic of some sort sheet of Canvas,..... EXTREMELY Strong,........
We line some of our Sub-grades with it to Lock Out the Clay,+ Mud from the Crushed Stone we install,.........
As I unloaded a half a roll here at the Shop,....
I got to thinking that a couple pieces, 30' long, by they're 12' width, would pretty much Cover the area between my Neighbor's concrete dock,+ Mine.....
Just Saturday,.... Tom,.. My Neighbor,... was saying that he thought we should Loose a 20yd. load of Sand in that area,...... It'll be easier on the feet,+ better for the Kids swimming,......
Our Own Private Beach,.........

I bet that 20yd.s of Sand would hold that Tarp from Floating Away,.......................................d:)
 
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