Wild Rice Control: How To Get Rid of Wild Rice

Wild Rice is an aquatic plant native to North America and grows predominantly in the Great Lakes region. This large-seeded species primarily grows on lakes, marshes and rivers and its yellow to reddish grains have been eaten by Native American tribes like Ojibway, Menomini, and Cree tribes for centuries as a staple food.

Wild Rice is known to have very tall thick stems that stick up out of the water where established which can get in the way of fishing and other recreational activities as well as hurt the appearance of a water body.

Wild Rice has always been difficult to control and if left untreated it can infest waters at an alarming rate. If you have a Wild Rice problem on your lake or pond, it would be wise to implement and carry out a control program before they dominate your body of water. Our helpful DIY guide below covers all the necessary advice and recommended products needed to get rid of Wild Rice quickly and affordably.

Identification

Wild Rice can grow up to ten feet tall and has thick spongy stems that form roots on the lower nodes. Its leaves are flat and strap-like and are up to two inches wide. Including its sheath, the leaf can reach three to four feet long.

The leaf surfaces are smooth with rough margins. What makes them stand out the most are their flowerheads which grow at the top of the stem--bushy with multiple branches that have drooping branchlets and spikelets on the upper branches.

Using this description and image will help you to identify whether the weed growing in your pond is wild rice. If you need help Identifying the plant, contact us with a close up high-quality photo of the weed and we will respond back with the correct plant ID.

Inspection

Where to Inspect

Wild rice usually forms in the fall around marshes, lakes, and riversides. Walk around your lake or pond to observe the wild rice stand and determine just how big of an infestation there is. This is important for the purpose of knowing how much chemical product you need to treat the weed.

Survey your lake or pond and determine what the best and safest plan of option there is to take. You wouldn't want to harm any beneficial desired vegetation, fishes and other aquatic creatures.

What to Look For

Wild Rice is a very large grass and if it is well established, it's hard to miss. Look for thick stems that can grow 10 feet high and large leaves as well as those large seedheads which can be 2 feet long and a foot wide. Upper branches are simple and grow upwards while the lower branches having droopy branchlets.

Treatment

Before carrying out chemical applications, make sure to first put on the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of gloves, glasses and a particle mask for safety.

Our recommended product to treat wild rice is 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide. This emulsifiable concentrate may be applied to aquatic sites, but will have to be performed in strips or sections at a time. If this is not followed, then fish or other aquatic invertebrates, and non-targeted plants will be affected.

2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide is not recommended for rice paddies where shellfish are of economic importance or for desired species of rice.

Step 1 - Prepare the 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide

Before mixing and application, you will need to calculate the size of the water body you wish to treat to determine how much product you will need. For water bodies, the measurement is usually done by calculating the acreage. To do this, measure the length, width, and average depth of the water body in feet then divide by 43,560 (Length (ft.) x Width (ft.) x Average Depth (ft.) / 43,560 = Acre-feet).

2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide should be applied at a rate of 2 pints of product per acre. You can apply the product in a backpack sprayer or a hand sprayer to do small sectional or spot treatment applications on your waterbody.

Fill your sprayer with the appropriate amount of 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide. Replace the top and shake the sprayer to make sure the product is well mixed and you will be ready to spray.

Step 2 - Apply 2,4-D Amine Selective Post Emergent Herbicide to the Wild Rice

Spray the 2,4-D Amine Selective Post-Emergent Herbicide on the Wild Rice that is protruding out of the water either along the shoreline, or spot treat where they are concentrated on your water body.

Due to the toxicity of the product, you will need to conduct treatment in sections or lanes, waiting until treated vegetation has disintegrated. During the growing season, foliage that has been treated will take between 2 to 3 weeks to decompose after first application.

A re-application may be necessary 30 days after first application. However, do not exceed more than 2 treatments per season. Wild Rice can be a tough weed to remove so monitoring your water and retreating the problem areas as directed on the label directions will take some time.

Prevention

To discourage Wild Rice from coming back, we recommend applying Vision Pond Dye. Vision Pond Dye is helpful in stopping development of aquatic weeds like Wild Rice by blocking sunlight into the water and also gives your pond a clean blue color.

The proper rate depends on your pond surface area and depth. A typical treatment is 1 quart per surface acre of water at a 5 foot average depth. Simply add the dye in a bucket and pour it at the edge of your water body. The water's natural movement will disperse the dye to the entire pond.

Key Takeaways

What is Wild Rice?

• Wild Rice is a native grass that produces edible grains and creates dense stands on water properties.

What Products to Use For Wild Rice?

• We recommend an application of 2,4-D Amine Selective Post Emergent Herbicide to treat Wild Rice infestations. This product is harmful towards desired rice, aquatic life and vertebrae's.

Preventative Treatment for Wild Rice

• Applying Vision Pond Dye after treatment can help to prevent re-establishment of wild rice and can restore the look of your pond, giving it a natural blue color.