Weed Killer

[Guest IanG]

In the interest of science is there any safe or selective water weed killer that can be used in lakes. Or any method of removing (killing)large amounts of canadian fringe lilly(small leaved variety) without killing the lilly we want to keep. I suppose whats needed it a systemic which you can spray on leaves but becomes inert when in contact with water then this would be safe as it would only be taken down to the root systems of the plants you sprayed. Has no one developed such a product?? Come on Fisons, ICI or someone out there.

 

IanG

 

[This message has been edited by IanG (edited 11 May 2000).]

[Guest Steve Burke]

Ian, I'll contact Bruno Broughton and ask him for his advice and post it here. As the country's most well-known fishery management he's bound to have come across this problem.

 

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Wingham Fisheries

www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham.htm

[Guest Steve Burke]

Bruno's sent me his usual comprehensive answer - 2 pages of it!

 

Briefly he says that the fringed water-lily (nymphoides peltata) is native to East Anglia but that some well-intentioned but misguided people have transferred it elsewhere. It has small 4" diameter frilly-edged leaves and yellow flowers. I assume this is the one you mean, Ian?

 

Unfortunately it's very difficult to kill off and anything that does so will also kill ordinary lilies. The chemicals often used on larger-leaved lilies (Roundup etc) don't work on the fringed variety.

 

The most effective weedkiller is Casoron-G which comes in pellet form and is widely available from your local agricultural suppliers (see Yellow Pages). By the way always shop around and ask for a trade price - I got a huge discount on Casaron-G for Wingham recently. Casaron is absorbed through the roots and should be used late winter/early spring before the plants have started growing so it's worth mapping the areas you want to treat this summer.

 

Finally don't forget you'll need written approval from the Environment Agency and an "approved person" must carry out the work. Luckily one of the Wingham members is a landscape gargener and has the right qualifications, and he was also able to get hold of a mechanical sprayer which saved a lot of time.

 

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Wingham Fisheries

www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham.htm

[Guest IanG]

Thank you Steve for the trouble you have been to and I greatly appreciate your time.

Please pass on my thanks to Bruno.

 

Was it effective on your water-which I must visit soon.

 

IanG

[Guest Steve Burke]

Early indications are that we have hardly any weed this year compared with normal and the water is stained green. In other words the weed may have died off and the nutrients it used have been taken up by algae. Hopefully this is part of a natural cycle rather than just the, as if it's the latter I'm going to have to continue to spend thousands a year!

 

You're very welcome to have a guest day at Wingham. In fact I'm thinking of arranging a fish-in for Forum members in the summer. However, it will depend on whether we're full up by then. So watch this space!

 

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Wingham Fisheries

www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham.htm