Get Rid of Weeds in Your Pond While Keeping Your Fish Safe
Ponds are amazing landscaping features that add to the curb appeal of your home — they replace expensive and energy-thirsty lawns while adding beauty to your space. Even though herbicides are the most effective solution to keep your pond area weeds-free, they can affect the overall well-being of your fish. If you want your pond to be completely picturesque, learn safe ways to get rid of weeds around the pond without harming fish.
RISKS OF USING SOME WEED KILLERS
You shouldn’t just pick any weed killer off of the shelf because it may contain harmful chemicals that can be harmful to aquatic life. Most weed killers are made using different toxins that are harmful to aquatic life, so you should closely look at the ingredients list.
You can also opt for all-natural weed killers until you know exactly what you’re doing. Most homemade weed killers consist of salt, white vinegar, and dishwashing liquid. While this mixture is fine for general spraying in the pond, you still need to be careful about potential runoff that these weed killers will leave in your pond.
If you don’t want to mess with the process, it’s safer to go for specific treatments rather than using home remedies.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF WEEDS AND SOME TREATMENTS
Floating weeds
Floating weeds usually appear around the edges of your pond and the easiest way to remove them is to take them out manually. Because these weeds don’t have any toxic chemicals on them, you can reach in with bare hands or even with a rake.
You can also use different chemicals or commercial weed killers to speed up the process if you’re short on time. Busy gardeners should gravitate towards a systemic herbicide that breaks down quickly in the water, posing less risk to aquatic pets.
Emergent and submerged weeds
Fluridone is one of the ideal weed killers for weeds that exist in the water. Emergent weeds usually appear in shallow water and they will be partially over the water and partially submerged. Submerged weeds, on the other hand, are mostly under the water and their edges are above the waterline.
Because you can yank or pull these weeds out by hand, you should go for chemical weed killers. Depending on the type of weeds, you should choose a moderate pond weed killer that doesn’t contain many chemicals.
Algae without roots
Cleated copper, also known as copper sulfate, is the ideal type of weed killer for this type of weed. You can use pond weed killers with copper sulfate with complete peace of mind because water treated with this chemical is completely safe for both aquatic animals and humans.
NON-CHEMICAL WEED KILLERS
UV clarification
You can use different UV (ultraviolet) clarifiers to break down and remove free-swimming algae. This method is better for smaller areas with shallow water and might not work for bigger water bodies. Because you only use UV rays to break down algae, it’s also safe for humans, fish, and wildlife. You can use a pond filter to suck up dead weeds from your pond.
Manual removal
You might not be too excited to see this method on the list, but you can reach into your pond and manually remove different types of weeds and algae. When you’re manually removing weeds, make sure that your hands are completely clean and free of toxic chemicals that can harm the plant life and fish in your pond. It’s better to put on gloves to ensure your safety.
Feed your friends
You can use different fish species to control problematic weeds. Grass carp and koi goldfish love to munch on water hyacinths, water lilies, and other weeds. This method is not only cost-efficient but also doesn’t need much input from you. While using your aquatic pets to get rid of weeds is a good idea, it isn’t practical for extremely overgrown ponds.
WRAPPING UP
While most commercial weed killers claim to be safe for use around aquatic creatures and animals, you should always choose the ones that are tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). No matter which type of weed killer you choose, make sure to follow the instructions closely to get the desired results. Some products even list a waiting period for swimming, fishing, and livestock, so always read the description carefully and take note of these warnings.