Do you have a small pond on your property? Is it overrun with the extremely invasive aquatic plant hydrilla? If so, you aren't alone. This native-to-Asia flora has been in the United States since the 1950s, and now spans from Texas to Florida, and as far north as Maine. While many have tried to conquer this nuisance plant, few have succeeded. Fortunately, the pond liner industry brings new hope to the ongoing problem.
Hydrilla -- As Invasive As It Gets
The reason you can't get rid of this problem-plant can be attributed to the way in which it grows. Hydrilla spreads via tubers, which are essentially seed pods stuck to the roots of plants. Hydrilla are also capable of growing up to one foot per day.
You could go out and pluck every single hydrilla out of your pond today, but if you didn't dig up every root too, your diligent efforts would be completely erased by tomorrow.
The Fruitless Efforts Of Hydrilla Removal
Considering the fact that hydrilla has absolutely zero ecological benefits, people have tried all kinds of ways to nix this impossibly invasive plant. Pesticides might work for a while, but those deeply-bedded tubers can last for years after the green part of the plants are dead. Just when you think the problem is solved, you'll see the bottom of your pond suddenly shoot forth a whole new batch of weeds.
Draining your pond is about as effective as herbicides. Long periods of sunlight exposure will kill the tops of the plants, but if your pond isn't left without water for long enough to shrivel up those tubers, your hydrilla will come back.
Making your pond deeper won't work either, unless you plan to make it extremely deep. Hydrilla can grow from depths of up to 30 feet.
New Hope From Pond Liners
There is one way to rid your pond of hydrilla for good. You don't have to dump dangerous herbicides in your pond that could harm native plant and animal species, and you don't need to spend your summer shoveling full-steam toward the center of the earth. What you do need to do is contact a pond liner professional and ask them to install a flexible rubber liner in your pond. Flexible rubber liners smother the plants, and the tubers. Best of all, they stay in place and continue to work for years.
Small ponds can be equipped with rubber liners in a single day. The pond will be drained via pump, and then a small amount of sand will be laid to cushion the liner from sharp rocks and/or debris. The liner is then carefully unfolded and positioned before a bed of clean mineral fill is dumped on top.
If your hydrilla problem is excessive, your liner specialist may choose to cut a series of small holes in your liner to allow the gasses produced by the decomposing hydrilla to escape. If the gas can't escape, you run the risk of the liner bubbling up or ballooning.
Finally, you can place desirable aquatic plants in the mineral soil (ones that don't completely take over your pond), and the pond is filled back up with water.
Your new rubber liner will require no maintenance whatsoever; the durable material can withstand even the harshest of winters without any additional care. Most flexible rubber pond liners come with a manufacturer's warranty of 20 - 25 years, so there's no way those relentless hydrilla tubers will outlast this weed eradication technique. You can look forward to a long, hydrilla-free life for your small pond.
It's tricky to get rid of a hydrilla problem in your small pond, but it's not impossible. Contact a pond liner specialist today and set up an appointment to beat your hydrilla challenge for good. You can also visit http://billboardtarps.com/ to learn more.
Share8 May 2015
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