Water Hyacinth Control: How To Get Rid of Water Hyacinth

Water Hyacinth is a free-floating aquatic weed found either on the surface of fresh waters or anchored in mud. Water Hyacinth is known for its wide fleshy green leaves and pretty looking purple flower. Plant size ranges from a few inches to a meter in height.

Water Hyacinth is a very troubling aquatic weed because of its potential to spread quickly resulting in sizable infestations over large areas of water. The plant is native to South America but has found its way in the US where it frustrates pond owners and water property managers.

Water Hyacinth can grow in mats up to 2 meters thick which can reduce light and oxygen in waters, affecting water chemistry and causing a significant increase in water loss due to evapotranspiration. It also causes transportation and recreational problems, hampering activities such as boating, fishing, and swimming.

If you're having a problem managing an outbreak of Water Hyacinth, our easy to follow DIY guide below can help you to eradicate Water Hyacinth from your water property for good.

Identification

Water Hyacinth is not a hard plant to recognize. It grows about 3 feet tall and develops lavender flowers which have a distinctive yellow spot on just one of its six petals. Their leaves are large, broad and fleshy. This is one of the fastest-growing plants ever, so if you have it on your water property, you can't miss it because of the dense sprawling mats they create.

Using this description and image will help you to identify whether the weed growing in your pond is water hyacinth. If you need help identifying the plant, contact us and we will do our best to ID the weed you have and offer control suggestions.

Inspection

Where to Inspect

Walk around your lake or pond and determine how big of a Water Hyacinth invasion you have. Survey your lake or pond and determine what the best and safest plan of option there is to take. You have to take into account how the lake or pond is utilized not only by humans but also by the fishes and aquatic life which inhabits the water.

What to Look For

If you have Water Hyacinth on your pond, it's hard to miss it. Watch out for its big broad fleshy green leaves and long stems. If it has matured enough, you will see beautiful looking purple flowers. Don't be fooled by its beauty, you don't want this fast-growing plant around.

Treatment

Before handling any chemicals it is vital that you first put on the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for safety (gloves, glasses, mask).

To treat a Water Hyacinth outbreak, apply Ecomazapyr 2 SL Herbicide. The active ingredients in this product do a great job in killing Water Hyacinth and they also can control a large range of other aquatic weeds which may become a problem on your water body.

Step 1 - Mix and Apply Ecomazapyr 2 SL Herbicide

Determine first how much Ecomazapyr 2 SL Herbicide you need by measuring your water body. For aquatic applications, you will need to calculate the surface area by measuring length x width and the volume of your pond or water body by measuring length x width x depth. The application rate of water hyacinth is 1 to 2 pints of Ecomazapyr 2 SL Herbicide per acre. 

Using a backpack sprayer or hand-pump sprayer, apply the mixed solution to your pond or lake during ideal temperatures (when water temperatures are about 50°F or more during Spring or early Summer). Use a fan spray nozzle to ensure an even coating on the water surface.

Step 2 - Follow Up Application

If the pond is heavily infested with Water Hyacinth, it may be necessary to treat the pond or lake in sections and let each section decompose for about two weeks before treating another section. This is because decomposing aquatic weeds lower the oxygen levels in ponds, increasing the risk of aquatic life, such as fish, suffocating. Treat only a 1/3 of the pond at a time, waiting 14 days before treating the next section. Water Hyacinth can be a recurring problem so monitoring your water is key and repeated application is vital.

Prevention

To keep Water Hyacinth from returning on your pond, we recommend applying Vision Pond Dye. Vision Pond Dye hinders plant development by blocking sunlight into the water and also gives your pond a clean blue color.

Measure the appropriate amount of Vision Pond Dye into a bucket based on your pond area measurement findings. The label recommends applying at a rate of 1 quart per 1 surface acre of water at a 5-foot average depth.

Pour the pond dye over the edge directly into the body of water and the water's natural movement will disperse the dye.

Key Takeaways

• Water Hyacinth is a free-floating weed which grows freakishly fast and creates dense mats in the water.
• Applications of Ecomazapyr 2 SL Herbicide has proven to work best against Water Hyacinth and will kill growths quickly.
• Applying Vision Pond Dye after a herbicide application works as a great preventative measure that prevents Water Hyacinth growth and improves the look of your pond.