Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Water Lily Control

Water lilies can add beauty to a small pond or ornamental water feature.  They can provide a habitat and shelter for fish and other wildlife.  They also shade the bottom of the pond preventing the growth of algae.  Because water lilies are a hardy plant, they can take over a body of water in only a few years.  They can then deter fishing and be unpleasing to the eye. 
Water lilies can be manually removed with a rake but they will come back because they grow from a bulb.  The most effective method of eradicating lilies is to use glyphosate and a surfactant herbicide.  These products will be absorbed into the plants roots and into the bulb, preventing their re-growth.  When lilies are being sprayed, they should be done in portions.  This is because the lilies shade the water and keep the water temperature and light levels down, if they are all removed at once, the water will rapidly warm up and excess light can cause algal blooms. 
     

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