How to kill cattails?

[mnsledder]

With spring water levels being very low I have a lot of cattails and some type of grass
that are completely dry-what's the best way to kill them? I did take a mower over the
grass and cattails and now the stalks are sticking a couple of inches above the dirt-soon
to be covered by water when the levels go up later this spring. Digging them out one by one
would be a major chore! Anyone have any luck getting rid of them?

 

[thunderstruck88]

can you try extra strength Weed Begone? or call up your local garden center and ask them what to do may be something out there thats safe but can get rid of this stuff at the same time GOOD LUCK

 

[HIGHLANDER]

i think thats illegal to do here in illinois

 

[dab102999]

.

 

[samc]

Elbow grease - have to remove the root. If you going to use chemicals - shhhhhhh

 

[G]

The best thing to do would be to move away to someplace where there are no cattails to begin with. You will never get rid of them. They smile when you spray chemical on them and the DNR thinks they are flowers so you are supposed to leave them alone. You can burn them, mow them and pull them up by the roots and they will come back. They are probably growing on the moon as we speak. At least in low-lying regions.

 

[scott_b]

I believe right after you cut them if you spray a high concentration of roundup right on the cut area it will start to kill them off. It may take several years of doing this and you probably want to consider adding this chemical into an area that will be flooded but that should give you a start...

 

[booondocker]

Before you break the law and kill with some nasty poison you don't want in your water table, I would get a huge sheet of black plastic sheeting, and stake it down over the cut over area, and leave it there for a few weeks. With no sunlight and lots of heat, it should cook the area enough to kill most of it. Try and get the area as flat as possible by laying the plastic down and boards or cement blocks on top of that. Lack of air, and sun will do wonders at getting rid of anything you don't want to grow. It gets really hot under the plastic.

 

[G]

And two weeks after you take the plastic off the grandchildren of the cattails you killed will take root and grow and grow and grow. If you have a low-lying area where water naturally stands you will get cattails. The only solution is to build up the low-lying area with fill so water does not stick around. If it is a low spot in your yard this is easily done. If it is a ditch or coulee you can't be restricting water flow with fill.

 

[scott_b]

Maybe pouring salt over the area (watersofterner tablets) would be a more environmentally friendly way to kill these.

 

[harvest1121]

There has to be something. The pond we have in my neighborhood is sprayed by a company and they all die. If you google it there has to be something.

http://blog.thepondguy.com/2008/06/23/controlling-cattails-phragmites-pond-lake-q-a-week-of-may-2nd/

 

[sms]

If you cut them below the water it it will kill them. I have a pond and this worked for me. It may take you a summer to get them all, as some will pop up in other areas but it worked for me on a 2 acre pond with no chemicals. I cut them and raked them out. Good luck

 

[g_eich]

Save yourself a lot of work and use a product that is made for water. Aqua Master is basically round up for water (legal). You might have to order it from an agricultural place. Its not cheap but works well for water applications of weeds and lilly pads.

 

[booondocker]

His post says the area to be cleared is completely dry...wate solvent products won't be very effective in dry applications.

 

[harvest1121]

So what happens when it rains it will go into the water. Use something that is made to be used around the water. Or cut them down and till them up if its dry land now.

 

[kap]

Save yourself a lot of work and use a product that is made for water. Aqua Master is basically round up for water (legal). You might have to order it from an agricultural place. Its not cheap but works well for water applications of weeds and lilly pads.

I use the same product in my pond, controls them real well. I keep a small area of cattails for fish and they do real good as a filter.

 

[luke_duke]

Sounds like what the gov't considers wetlands. If you have a neighbor or someone that might not like you, make sure they don't see you clearing it out. The poor dirt farmers here in Ohio get a little nerved up when we hear that word.