Duckweed
I have three ponds also. The front one and the back one are covered
in duckweed, but the middle pond (near the house) doesn't have a bit. I know it has been "inoculated," I've seen ducks, cormorants, ibises, egrets, and others visit the pond. I've even seen duckweed floating in the pond, but I guess it just dies out because the pond stays free of it. I've been a cave explorer for some 40+ years and now live in some of the best cave diving country in the world (northern Florida). Having spent so much time underground and having friends that actually swim around in the underground water I am extremely anal about putting any kind of chemical where it can get in the ground or groundwater. Herbicides are right out for me. I have no fish in the pond, either. I haven't the foggiest why I don't have any duckweed there. I've tried to search for solutions but haven't found hardly anything promising. Methods of biological control (mainly fish that eat duckweed) have mixed reviews, the majority seem to think it a pretty iffy proposition, if not an outright poor method of control. Mechanical methods (skimming and the like) seem to provide only very temporary fixes. That leaves chemical methods (herbicides), and aside from my reluctance to go that route it isn't a cheap way to go, either. Besides, just about anything that kills duckweed kills a lot of other stuff too, there doesn't seem to be anything like a duckweed specific herbicide. |
Duckweed
On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:51:32 CST, Galen Hekhuis
wrote: I have three ponds also. The front one and the back one are covered in duckweed, but the middle pond (near the house) doesn't have a bit. I know it has been "inoculated," I've seen ducks, cormorants, ibises, egrets, and others visit the pond. I've even seen duckweed floating in the pond, but I guess it just dies out because the pond stays free of it. I've been a cave explorer for some 40+ years and now live in some of the best cave diving country in the world (northern Florida). Having spent so much time underground and having friends that actually swim around in the underground water I am extremely anal about putting any kind of chemical where it can get in the ground or groundwater. Herbicides are right out for me. I have no fish in the pond, either. I haven't the foggiest why I don't have any duckweed there. I've tried to search for solutions but haven't found hardly anything promising. Methods of biological control (mainly fish that eat duckweed) have mixed reviews, the majority seem to think it a pretty iffy proposition, if not an outright poor method of control. Mechanical methods (skimming and the like) seem to provide only very temporary fixes. That leaves chemical methods (herbicides), and aside from my reluctance to go that route it isn't a cheap way to go, either. Besides, just about anything that kills duckweed kills a lot of other stuff too, there doesn't seem to be anything like a duckweed specific herbicide. Maybe it is just my fish. But my little inside pond was covered with it after over wintering the tropicals. I was thinking what a job it was going to be to net it out so I could clean the muck on the pond. Then I purchased 4 small wakins. The only duckweed in there now is what washed up on two fake lilies where the fish can't get to it. I was able to vac the bottom out a few days ago. :-) My Q-tank is another place it disappears with relish. Probably because there isn't much else to eat, other than the food I throw in. IMHO, if the fish aren't fed, they'll eat the duckweed. But in a natural pond, there is a whole lot of other things to eat.... YMMV. ~ jan ------------ Zone 7a, SE Washington State Ponds: www.jjspond.us |
Duckweed
"Galen Hekhuis" wrote in message ... Besides, just about anything that kills duckweed kills a lot of other stuff too, there doesn't seem to be anything like a duckweed specific herbicide. Brevity snips.... ======================== I'm having problem growing it this summer for some reason. It turns beige and dies. I have several tubs I grow it in for the fish, as treats. Usually it grows as fast as I harvest it,... not this year. :-( -- RM.... Frugal ponding since 1995. rec.ponder since late 1996. My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://tinyurl.com/9do58 Zone 6. Middle TN USA ~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö |
Duckweed
Well, I was out this morning looking things over after at really NICE
t-storm that swept through the Springs last night. And what do I behold growing next to some snapdragons that have decided living in the bio-mech filter media (scrubber pads) is preferable to living in the soil of the berm. And they are flourishing too! But anyway, right next to this particularly healthy bunch of snap dragons I seen a few bits of duckweed! My duck weed has been dead for months and NOTHING was growing in the veggie filter and bio-mech filters that I did not put there (except the snap dragons). Healthy looking duck weed too! So, transfered some to the veggie filter and we will see what happens. I put about 5 little duckweed plants (that is about all that was in the other filter so far) in the veggie filter. Will let you know how it grows! Happy ponding! W Dale |
Duckweed
My friend Marilyn Buscher, the Pond Lady
(http://home.wi.rr.com/windyoaks/), has these big greenhouses over shallow water for cultivating water plants. duckweed uses up the nutrients AND shades the water and is not good for business. She basically rigged up something a lot like a pond skimmer to remove the duckweed. It works, it keeps the weed and azolla off her ponds. Ingrid |
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