i have a dock on a cove, off a river,but all around it is hyacinth, whats best method of getting rid of it?

Question

i heard of some pellets and spray chemicals,any other options? wheres best location to buy,larger hardware stores or what???? help, i cant even get my boat out!!!

Answer 1

Water Hyacinth is an invasive species that is causing problems in many areas of the country. If you had it in a pond, and could afford it, chemicals could kill it. Because you are located in an embayment of a river, chemicals are probably not an option, and in fact may be illegal.

Your only option is to remove it physically. Keep in mind that it will grow back, and it won't take long. I have a friend who had a similar problem in a backwater embayment off of the Ohio River.

He had a pontoon boat with a 125 horsepower outboard motor and docked at a floating dock amid water hyacnith. He had a welding shop weld up a homemade dredge that was 8' wide and fastened to his pontoon boat using chain. He drug the dredge behind his boat to uproot the vegetation. Once he found where the underwater stumps were located, it was a fairly simple job. The first time he cleaned around the dock and cleared a channel to clear water was time consuming and difficult. Now, he dredges the area monthly in under an hour. Problem solved.

His rig so impressed others in the area, that he quickly paid for the dredge and actually makes a fair amount of cash for keeping other docks clear.

It is hard to describe in words what the dredge looks like, but I'm sure you can picture some kind of solution in your mind.

Good luck with your problem.

Answer 2

These plants are hardy and have been a problem to sea fearing people for some time. A chainsaw and a hedge trimmer is a good place to start. Hack and slash it out of there and haul it away to be burnt later or to the dump for disposal. It thrives in a variety of sun lights and soil types as well as being resistant to attack. The best you could do with sprays is to make them not so pretty...but they'll still be there. Its going to be a lot of work, but hauling it out is the best.