Killing cattails or controlling cattails can be a tough job as these aquatic plants are quite aggressive with a root system that a new stem appears almost anywhere.
Cattails may take time to arrive in your pond or appear in the first year. These guys don’t take long once they start and can become a real pain in no time. On the other hand, they are good in a way. Small fish have a place to hide from predators, birds nest in them, they help break waves to control erosion, and a safe haven for smaller insects to help with the pond’s food chain, even frogs use them to hang. outside. Another useful aspect is to help control the geese with a width of 2 or 3 feet from the pond to the shore, the geese will not want to go through them for fear of their predators.
Cattails are useful in the whole scheme of things, but when or how much is enough? It really depends on the owner of the pond. I personally feel that it is a free aquatic plant that does not need to be purchased or wasted time planting and they come back every year. Over the years I have let them go as they see fit, but they have gone too far.
According to how to kill reeds starting by hand, with a shovel, by cutting and with a machine. Hand pulling them at the base may be an option only if the plant is small and the roots come out with the plant. Using a shovel, there is a much better chance of digging up the roots when removing the cattails. Cutting cattails is another option, just be sure to do this when the pond water level is low, usually just before winter. This will help next year to slow down growth because cut material underwater can’t get oxygen, and be sure to get rid of any dead and decaying stems and seed heads that are in the water. Letting the seeds and stems decompose creates more unwanted nutrients in the water to create more weeds, algae, and manure. A word of caution when removing and disposing of them, be sure to place them in an area where the wind will not blow them or the seeds back into the pond.
Using a machine such as a backhoe can be very effective in removing cattails along with their root system. Make sure the pond does not have a synthetic liner or only has a thin clay liner, as each spoonful in the bucket will remove some of the clay to really remove these roots.
These are the safest ways without using chemicals or risk harming the environment. That said, the chemical form exists, although it is effective in controlling them, we must be vigilant that we do not harm wildlife, other desirable plants, and our drinking water supply. Caution: Some states do not allow the use of chemicals and others require a permit to apply chemicals. Check with your fish and boat or fish and game offices.
The video of how to kill cattails can be seen on you tube, http://www.youtube.com/whatpond
