Invasion of the Cattails

Kent-in-KC · Aug 3, 2009

Hi guys. I'm sure this has been talked about before but...

My little pond is getting bearded in cattails. I've tried the usual first things I guess, pulling, whacking, etc. but they are tenacious to say the least. I've even thought about buying a used sickle bar since I'd probably end up putting my tractors in the pond if I tried to bush hog them. Sickle bars are pricey, so...

Anyone got any nifty tips on keeping cattails under control that don't involve poisons? Our land hasn't had pesticides or strong chemicals on it in at least the last twenty years and I kinda like that.

Thanks for your help.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 3, 2009

I've read that if you cut the cattail below the water line or ground surface after it has come out in head, it will kill approx 80%. You need continue for a couple of years to finally get them all. I don't wait for them to head and have been very successful, only had one this year and cut it off last Friday. However I started attacking them immediately after they appeared and didn't let them become firmly established. Usually I can get them from the bank with an extendable limbing/pruning pole saw, but also have used the boat and the pole saw.

Goose · Aug 3, 2009

We had them get started in our sewage lagoon. I finally got some chemical, can't recall the name except it cost over $100 for a gallon, that was supposed to kill them without killing the bacteria in the lagoon.

I tried it and it worked. That winter when the lagoon was frozen over, I soaked them in diesel with a hand sprayer and burnt all above the ice. The next spring, I made a grappler about 8' long and 3' wide with four teeth about a foot long with a chain hooked to the end.

I'd throw the grapple into the water beyond what was left of the cat tails, hook the chain to the loader on my H, back up and pull the roots out. Some of them had tap roots 6' long. That finally took care of them and, knock on wood, haven't had any since.

They're almost impossible to get rid of once they get started, and if they get started in a sewage lagoon they suck all the water out of the lagoon so you have to add water all the time.

JDemaris · Aug 3, 2009

Well, you can always eat them. Historically, Cattails were used to make flour, to make into bread.

I like having them around; they keep the water clean. One good way to limit their growth is to get a couple of muskrats living in your pond - but that may not be an option.

JBMac · Aug 3, 2009

Good idea, JD. The fresh "buds" were eaten by native Americans as well. Don"t eat them after spraying, I don"t think the Native Americans did it that way!

Dave Sherburne NY · Aug 3, 2009

You have cattails because the water around the edges of your pond is to shallow. When building a pond, you should make the edges steeper except in the swimming area . A backhoe would fix it..

MurrayE · Aug 3, 2009

Hi, I tried various methods to eliminate the cattails, the only thing that worked was Roundup. Know that is wrong by some standards, tried everything that was enviromentally friendly, none worked. cheers, Murray

bruster · Aug 3, 2009

Dave is right about the depth being too shallow. A 3 to 1 ratio (1' depth for every 3' out) will keep cattails from growing.

Invasion of the Cattails

Kent-in-KC

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Anonymous-0

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Goose

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JDemaris

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JBMac

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Dave Sherburne NY

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bruster

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