permaculture

[<permed@nor.com.au>]

>I have a problem with Cat tails clogging up the 
>pond in the Guarani indian reservation where I work once a week here in 
>Sao Paulo, Brasil. I hear that they are edible, but don't know if the 
>Guarani would be into eating them, as they are pretty traditional in their 
>ways. Apart from pulling them out by the roots, is there some way that we 
>can reclaim the pond to stock some fish??? 

Cat tails (Typha) like most aquatic plants have a depth limit, thus 
bottom attached plants including cattail don't grow in water deeper than 
1.5m (5ft). On the edges rushes, sedges and other water plants clean the 
water by trapping matter, taking up excess nutrients and heavey metals, 
destroying pathogens and parasites, and driving the whole aquatic food 
chain. The cattail's doing an important job around the pond (it's a good 
spp for wetland waster water treatment). Harvest it for mulch before the 
seed heads mature - this also stops the seed from spreading. Deepen (even 
enlarge if possible) a section of the pond to over 2m (7 ft) to have some 
clearwater surface and encourage control by traditional harvest for food 
& fibre.
I have a small filtration pond planted with cattails (we call them 
bullrushes) perched up at the inlet to a 3/4 acre dam with a clearwater 
bowl 5m (16ft) deep. The rushes have not taken over and we remove the odd 
seedling emerging around the big dam - which has excellent water quality 
and produces fish, eels and freshwater prawns.

Robyn

Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Education Centre
home to: 
Permaculture Education
ERDA Institute Trust
Nimbin Eco-Village Project Office
Robyn Francis - permaculture designer & educator
PO Box 379, Nimbin NSW 2480 Australia
permed@nor.com.au  www.earthwise.org.au