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[Road's End Farm <organic87@frontiernet.net>]

On Nov 14, 2010, at 12:10 PM, Idell Weydemeyer wrote:

I think it is important to be very careful with Tordon. Tordon is toxic to fish and gets in the water table  [. . . ]  Perhaps the cattails will die with just dilute Roundup painted on them -- Roundup is said to be the least toxic of many herbicides but supposedly it is the inert ingredients that can cause many problem.

 

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On Nov 14, 2010, at 10:51 AM, jwlehman@aol.com wrote:

I have a new six acre pond and the cattail clumps are getting established around the pond's edge.  About three weeks ago as a test I went to about six of those clumps cut off several of the stalks about 3 inches above the ground and applied a mixture of about 25% Tordon, 25% Roundup and 50% water.  [ . . .] . Next spring I intend to treat all of the clusters as I don't want the pond's banks lined with cattails. 

I just checked a Roundup label (readily available online). Quoting from that label:

"Do not apply directly to water, to areas where surface water is present or to intertidal 

areas below the mean high water mark. Do not contaminate water when cleaning equip- 

ment or disposing of equipment washwaters."

It sounds as if this would be a really bad idea, with either the Tordon or the Roundup.

Maybe your local Soils and Water office can tell you some way to control the cattails without causing other problems?

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly

Fresh-market organic produce, small scale