No matter what kind of garden or plant life you nurture, you always run the risk of weeds at your Florida home. When you have a pond with a steady supply of water and nutrients, the risk is even greater. Luckily, there are several methods of pond weed control in Tampa that will prevent damages to the plants you actually want there.
Biological Control
The first step towards weed control is trying to manage the weeds at a biological level. Many individuals use another fish that specifically eats weeds, preventing the plant from affecting other plants in the pond that local fish use for food. The most popular fish for biological control is the triploid grass carp, which requires a permit and adhering to strict care guidelines in the Florida area.
Chemical Control
Much like weeds on land, there are multiple different herbicides that can kill weeds around your pond. The most common brands that are used are Aquathol K, Aquathol Super K, Copper Sulfate, Captain, Captain XTR, Reward, Rodeo Roundup Custom, Hydrothol 191, Sonar, Avast, Habitat, Weedar, Clipper, and Sting Ray. Before using any type of chemicals around your pond, check to make sure the weed-killing active ingredient is not also harmful to the particular breed of fish you supply.
Mechanical Control
If you don’t want to add additional fish or chemicals in your pond, you may want to use a mechanical method of extracting weeds, like a weed harvester. With mechanical removal, you don’t have to wait for the weeds to eventually die or be eaten; instead, your results are immediate, treating both the presence of the weed and removing the root to prevent future growth. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about the environmental impact of the harvester, since it doesn’t emit any excess chemicals into the water or soil.
The Benefits of a Weed-Free Pond
Weeds can easily invade an ecosystem, suffocating other plants and animals that would thrive in the area. Weeds take away the nutrients that the rest of the ecosystem needs. By removing the weeds from your pond and surrounding areas, you make the area safer for any living organism in the area. Weeds have the power to ruin your entire pond, if you let the problem progress too far. Charles Aquatics offers all three forms of weed control, making them the easy choice for maintaining the health of your pond and plant life.
