Cattails

Cattails inhabit wet, lowland areas, commonly pond perimeters.  Cattails can grow anywhere from three to ten feet tall.  They require as little as one to two feet of water to reach their full potential but can flourish in as much as four feet of water.  In the United States, Cattails are either the broad-leaf or the narrow-leaf varieties and reproduce by wind-dispersed seeds or through their root systems.  Once established, Cattails make it very difficult to maintain open water. 

 

Glyphosate, a systemic herbicide, is a widely used and highly successful treatment for Cattails and other emergent plants.  Glyphosate is best applied in the early to mid fall when the Cattails are starting to take all of the nutrients out of their leaves to go dormant for the winter.  When Glyphosate is applied at this time it will travel down into the plant's root system along with the nutrients.  This will ensure that there is very little, if any, re-growth in the next season.

 

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in AquaPro, a systemic herbicide that, when applied properly, kills the root system of the plant.  AquaPro is effective on nearly all emergent plants including Cattails, Phragmites, Bulrushes, Sedges, Smartweed, Spatterdock, Purple Loosestrife and Water Lilies.  For best results, use AquaPro in conjunction with Cide-Kick II, a biodegradable surfactant which aids in AquaPro's adherence to the target plant's leaves, maximizing contact and absorption.  Both products are specially formulated for aquatic use and available for order on our website.

 

AQUA DOC offers a Cattail/Grasses Shoreline Treatment Program in which our Aquatic Specialists will treat for emergent species such as Cattails and Phragmites in two or three visits to your property.  As an added convenience, AQUA DOC offers an optional Cutting and Removal Service as well.  AQUA DOC is currently scheduling Fall 2013 Treatments, call us to arrange a free consultation with one of our Aquatic Specialists.