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Exotic Aquatic Invaders!

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Water Hyacinth Threatens Texas Lakes Ponds

Beautiful glossy deep green succulent exotic plants bearing blue to white flowers that hide it's true aggressive nature! This is a predator! Very attractive, but very aggressive, this invasive weed can double in seven days, and can outrun most control methods in a hurry. If you ever turn your back, it will attack.

One major problem is the erratic flowering and seeding. Since the plant has no particular season for flowering, it flowers anytime it is growing. These flowers then produce seed, which replant. This means, that it never stops reproducing itself for the entire growing season! Hence the need for season long control. Once the plant dies back for the winter, it should be attacked early when greening first begins, or it will rapidly grow out of control.
Use of contact herbicides is effective in controlling the plant tops, but does not necessarily kill the entire plant. Since the plant is perennial, it may come back. Systemic herbicides like 2,4-d and glyphosates are effective. Late season treatments will require the maximum dosage, and may not be completely effective. New growth occurs almost immediately. This may be result of the plants built in survival mechanisms. Any damage seems to spur new plant development.

As with most vegetation control, juvenility is a factor. This fact can not be over stressed! The earlier in the growth process they are treated, the better the chance of control. Moderate herbicide applications seem to cause increased reproduction, and if the plant that is sprayed is not killed, it is even more difficult to to kill with anything but maximum dosage. The time to start treating water hyacinth is at the moment it is discovered. This plant should be treated in the same manner as the old joke about Chicago voting: It should be done early and often!

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