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Treating Cattails with Catt Plex

We often receive calls from customers regarding Catt Plex, a contact herbicide, and how to best use it to treat cattails. Many people fail to understand that there are specific guidelines for being able to successfully kill off cattails. You may feel inclined to spray Catt Plex the moment you see signs of growth from the plants. Just because there is growth, it does not mean it is a good time to treat. Cattails can be a beneficial plant to have in a pond's ecosystem until they become overgrown. Not all cattails are the same. Click here to read more about native and invasive species of cattails. Catt Plex is a wonderful product if applied correctly and within the right conditions.

It is a common mistake for our customers to jump the gun and attempt to treat cattails or request treatment as soon as they see growth in their cattails. Cattails will not properly respond to treatment until at least mid-summer, around mid-to-late July. In the spring and early summer, cattails are growing excessively. The roots are sending all of its nutrients and energy towards leaf production and growth. If you were to spray too soon, the roots would shoot the chemical right up through the leaves. All you would see is browning of the leaves. You can apply as much product as you want, but you will just be wasting product and not have dead cattails. Catt Plex will kill down to the root if applied correctly.

To help the Catt Plex stick to the plants, it is best used with a surfactant, like Plex Mate. The plant must have 1-2 feet of growth above the water. The taller the cattail, the more receptive the plant will be to the Catt Plex. Air temperature also plays a role in the success of treating cattails and must be consistently around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Having one warm day in a week will not cut it. Catt Plex must also be applied when there is no rain in the forecast to avoid the risk of chemical runoff. Check the weather forecast and be sure that there will be no rain for at least 24 hours after application. This will give the product enough time to stick to the plant and work its magic. Many of our customers fail to meet these specifications and become frustrated when they do not see any results.

Within two weeks, you will notice results if you have applied Catt Plex correctly. Once the Catt Plex has done its job, you can either pull out what remains of the dead plants or let them decompose in on their own. Don't forget that if you let them decompose, you could start to build up muck on your pond floor, and will need something like beneficial pond bacteria to eat up this material.

Here at Sanco, we care that our customers understand both the process of treating cattails successfully and the product you use to treat them. Understanding these aspects of cattail treatment can guarantee the results that you hope for if you choose to treat them on your own. Give us a call if you have any further questions regarding your cattails or using Catt Plex with other pond weeds.