Bean Bog

[linz]

Hello
I'm new here and am hoping someone can give me some advice on how to eliminate bean bog growing in my pond.
It has overtaken the pond to the extent that we can't see the water.
I tried pulling it out by hand but that seemed to make it worse
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Just keep on pulling until you reduce it to a level that you are satisfied with.

 

[addy1]

I just removed a bunch from my small deck ponds. It has taken around 4 years to get to a point where I had to remove some. I just yank it out, comes up real easy.

I like the plant, love the spring flowers it has. But it can take over a small pond, just like almost all of my pond plants, they grow like weeds. Without yanking some out they take over.

 

[Lisak1]

Bog bean is currently one of my favorite plants in my pond. Like @addy1 said, it takes a while to get established but once it does it can quickly take over. Mine is quietly creeping out the back side of the pond into dry land - it comes up easily though so I'm not concerned.

 

[linz]

Hi Geezer
Thanks for getting back to me so soon. I appreciate it very much.
We've been doing that. Actually we've tried pulling the roots as well but they
are such a tangled mass and the pond is too deep in the middle to get at the roots.
So, are you saying that if we continue to remove only the leaves it will do the trick?

 

[addy1]

So, are you saying that if we continue to remove only the leaves it will do the trick?

Grab a sharp knife, serrated works great, pull it up and hack the plants off, (don't stab your liner) Just pulling the leaves won't help it will regrow. Cut a bunch of stems. Cut the root bundles.

I like the growth in my fishless deck pond, one more plant filter for my big pond.

 

[MitchM]

Welcome linz!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

As @addy1 clarified, the entire plant must be removed including the roots.

 

[adavisus]

Bog Bean has a very fast growing rhisome, it will trot six feet in a month or two. Identifying the rhisome, snipping and yanking its length out is the most efficient removal.

If you have a plank across the pond you could set a large tub on the plank, toss the the cuttings in, leave them to drain and dry in the sun, easier to dispose of bulky volumes of plants....

 

[addy1]

Not here, mine has never grown that fast, inches not feet.

 

[linz]

Thanks for the advice. We just spent about 12 man/women hours this trying to pull them out.
We can only reach the roots that are about a foot from the edge After that the sides are too steep and the depth in the middle is also too deep to reach the bottom. Maybe scuba gear will work
I suppose we'll have be resigned to the fact that we'll need to keep cutting the "leaves".
Thanks again
Greg

 

[linz]

Bog Bean has a very fast growing rhisome, it will trot six feet in a month or two. Identifying the rhisome, snipping and yanking its length out is the most efficient removal.

If you have a plank across the pond you could set a large tub on the plank, toss the the cuttings in, leave them to drain and dry in the sun, easier to dispose of bulky volumes of plants....

 

[adavisus]

Floating grapnels would work well in that situation, while you think about rigging up rafts, planks

 

[linz]

Floating grapnels would work well in that situation, while you think about rigging up rafts, planks

Thanks for the suggestion.
This is becoming a great "question & answer topic". which might be interesting enough to do a garden show of some kind. It could be called "The Curse Of The Killer Bog Plant". What do you think?
Cheers
Greg

 

[adavisus]

The topic of how not to clear a pond of weeds might have legs

Am all for doing it the easy way....

There's not much a hook on a pole, or a grapnel on a line can't drag out of a pond, if folk are picky about going paddling