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any tips on how I get pond iris out of my very overgrown pond?

mandyian62mandyian62 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hi, I have inherited a pond with 15 years of pond iris growth. There is almost no room for any water now so I want to clear it all out and replant with more manageable plants.The top growth is easy to pull but the roots have massive tubers and they formed a six foot long 2 foot deep solid mat which I can't break up....I have tried a pruning saw, sheers, garden fork, spade, trowel......any tips appreciated :-)

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Cut back the foliage with strong sharp scissors.
    You now have a chance to see the roots, which are a 3-D puzzle for you to solve :)
    Gently lift one of the top ones, use a fork if it helps, to separate it as far back as you can. Cut it off with a sharp spade and some welly. They are quite brittle and will often break of their own accord.
    Choose another one and repeat. And repeat...
    You can't cut through the whole lot, as the rhizomes cross and crisscross each other in all directions. Doing it one at a time takes a while, but is less physical effort.
    Don't dump the rhizomes where they have access to soil, they will regrow. Best take them to the tip if you can, or bag them, but they take ages to rot down!
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    We have just emptied our Lily pond. We did manage to cut the roots using secateurs and long handled cutter. Took a few days and was very hard work. If the pond has a liner then do take great care using a fork anywhere near it.
  • karen paulkaren paul Posts: 230
    mandyian62, I had the same problem but with a smaller matted clump a few years ago, it was too heavy to lift clear of the pond so I just used an ordinary DIY saw to hack off chunks that I could get to (being careful to not be anywhere near the liner!) As buttercupdays says, throw the clumps away unless you're wanting to transplant it. I also cut the seed heads off after flowering so new plants don't start growing outside the pond.
  • mandyian62mandyian62 Posts: 2
    thanks everyone - you have confirmed what I thought might be the case - hardwork, perseverance and hand tools needed! 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I've cleared tons of iris pseudoacorus from our lake and I found it snapped off in chunks if you follow them as @Buttercupdays suggests.
    No magic wand, but perseverance wins in the end.
    Devon.
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