Training pond maintenance

[marysburg]

Our training pond is about 1/2 acre, with 2 steeply sloped sides, and 2 ends which have a gradually sloped bottom. Bulrushes are taking over in the shallow entry areas. We have tried cutting them off and pulling them out, but it isn't really working. Any ideas out there?

[Max2]

The only way I have found is to get in there and pull them. I wouldn't cut them as that will probably make matters worse. Once a yr I get in our pond and start on an end of the growth and work to the other end. I reach down as low into the water and grab at the base and shake them loose. Because they are tuberous plants sometimes a couple may follow. Once you get the hang of it they come pretty easy. I usually will do an hour or two a day until gone. The pay off is you feel pretty good when the job is done and you see a weeded off area . If you also have algae blooms late season I have found barley straw works pretty good to control that. If there is a good side to the cattails it is watching musk rats enjoying a snack on them.

[marysburg]

|Thanks, guess I'd better get busy. I'll take your advice and do the job a bit at a time. No sense letting them get any worse.