Aquatic vegetation has the best growth rates when water temperatures are above 60 degrees, so depending on your geographic location, start assessing your pond before temperatures reach this point.
Control Aquatic Vegetation Before it Becomes a Problem
Timing is essential to ensure you're getting the best effects of your pond management efforts.
If you start too early or wait until the plants begin to go dormant, you are wasting your investments, whether time or money. On the other hand, if you don't start management until after the vegetation has become a significant issue, it will take an even greater effort to regain control.
Nuisance aquatic vegetation is one of the most common issues among pond and lake owners. If left unchecked, it can not only limit the fishable area of your pond but also increase sedimentation rates and potentially cause a fish kill.
Early Spring is the Best Time to Nip Aquatic Vegetation Issues in the Bud
The best management method for nuisance vegetation is to start early in the spring before the plants become well established or have overtaken a vast area of the fishery.
In our part of the world, we start looking for signs of vegetation growth beginning mid-February. Typically there are little to no vegetation issues at this time, depending highly on the severity of winter weather; starting at this point in the season allows us to get ahead of the growth curve.
By starting management at this point in the early Spring season, you're either helping prevent plants from getting past germination or treating vegetation that hasn't had a chance to build up its nutrient reserves and is easier to control.
Reduce Water Clarity to Reduce Vegetation
One of the best preventative measures is to reduce the clarity of your pond or lake.
Depending on the size of the fishery, you can use either aquatic dye or fertilizer to onset a planktonic bloom. Yes, a clear pond that you can see 5' or deeper is great for viewing fish, but it is prone to be overrun with nuisance vegetation.
By reducing the clarity of the water, you are limiting the areas in which light is available for plants to complete photosynthesis. This makes the areas that will need treatment throughout the remainder of the year much more manageable.
In addition, if there is vegetation already present, then treating it now will require a lower concentration of herbicide than after it has become established and starts covering a larger area of the fishery.
Effective vegetation management at the right time of the year can take what seems like an uphill battle and turn it into a simple seasonal task. By getting started before the growth gets out of hand, you will see more return on your investment and spend more time enjoying your fishery!
