Using Eurasian Milfoil as mulch or compost

[daniel@ozarkforest]

Does anyone have any experience in using Eurasian Milfoil (that pond weed that chokes out our nearby spring-fed lake) as a garden mulch (directly applied) or as compost? Any ideas as to the nutritional content versus seaweed?

[purplebean]

I did a search for you and came up with all kinds of info. on eradication/control of the Eurasian Milfoil, with off-hand comments about composting it for gardens is a good way to recycle the managed Milfoil. They didn't go into detail about the special composting methods, so I would assume it could be composted like any other organic matter. :rolleyes:

:)

[daniel@ozarkforest]

Thanks, seems to be a concensus that it can be composted, hopefully of useful value. Now the next problem of the best way to remove it!

Dan

[maburleson]

I had the same question about using aquatic vegetation, so I wrote ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas.) They suggested that the growth of such vegetation is due in part to an abundance of nutrient runoff in the lake. They warned to be sure that the lake was not contaminated from runoff or been treated with any chemicals to control the vegetation growth. Otherwise the using the vegetation in composted form was said to be a great soil amendment. Websites with more information they suggested were, http://mnlakes.org/main_dev/news/educationandpersistence.cfm and http://www.in.gov/dnr/soilcons/pdfs/fivelake.pdf
Hope this helps, if you just want to control the weeds however, triploid (grass) carp are a good alternative. I talked my neighbor into using these instead of copper sulphate and the weeds are nearly gone, not sure if the like Eurasian Milfoil though. Good Luck

[Pharmerphil]

I have a friend who does use this as mulch, the dnr was elated to see him drag it out of the lake he was harvesting it from.
on the issue of prevention, yes, grass carp do a very good job of controlling it

[daniel@ozarkforest]

The trouble with Grass Carp is that the water is very cold from a large spring which feeds the lake so apparently they do not eat very much in cold water. We have put loads of them in the lake and have stocked the entire county with Grass Carp after they escape into the creek.

Anyone know of any good dredging equipment or techniques for getting the milfoil out of the lake?

Dan