copper sulphate for control of moss on slipways

[Ezgoing]

hi guys

Does anyone have any experience of using copper sulphate for control of moss on slipways, steps at piers etc?

Thks

[captnjack]

Copper sulfate is HIGHLY toxic to fish. In this country you can't apply in to water without alot of rules to follow. Mechanical removal or pressure washing the worst of it away followed by spot treatments of a zinc moss control product would be a "friendlier" approach. Zinc is toxic too, but not nearly to the same degree.

[jyasaki]

As Jack says, mechanical removal is the friendliest.

A park here that uses a concrete boat ramp as a divers ingress/egress has used a spray application of bleach every now and then. If you don't apply it too heavy, it breaks down quickly to salt water, so will only affect the immediate area.

jky

[Dry Run]

We have the task of controlling marine growth on the slipway at The Camber Dock in Old Portsmouth. Regular pressure washing is by far the most effective way to remove weed etc and has a minimal impact on the enviroment. We also treat the washed surface with a product called Ecoslip, which is a very expensive "marine growth inhibitor" and I have to say is pretty ineffectual.

I have seen bleach used in the past (before we became responsible for the slipway) and it always seemed to work very well - not sure on the legality of using it these days though???

[Ruari 29]

We use a petrol garden strimmer with heavy duty line, works well on concrete slip.

[Bigmuz7]

When I first saw this thread a few days ago I was going to post with the same remark that copper sulphate was pretty deadly aquatically, but because you mentioned moss, I wondered if you were confusing it with Iron Sulphate, or Ferrous Sulphate which is what gardeners used to use, to kill moss in lawns etc. Im not so sure it would be as toxic, due to irons properties and also given the amount of iron work there is afloat, albeit not generators of sulphate, mostly oxide ! (ie rust), but in a tidal area, I cant see any chemical really having as good an effect as physical removal.

[jyasaki]

The advantage of chemicals (assuming you don't nuke everything around) is that it kills the existing growth, and the spores. Mechanical removal gets rid of existing, but repopulation tends to be a little quicker, I think.

Some of that depends on how often putting the effort in is practical; if, say, every 3 months or 6 months (or whatever your growth rate is) is acceptable, then mechanical removal will be fine.

jky

[captnjack]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

When I first saw this thread a few days ago I was going to post with the same remark that copper sulphate was pretty deadly aquatically, but because you mentioned moss, I wondered if you were confusing it with Iron Sulphate, or Ferrous Sulphate which is what gardeners used to use, to kill moss in lawns etc. Im not so sure it would be as toxic, due to irons properties and also given the amount of iron work there is afloat, albeit not generators of sulphate, mostly oxide ! (ie rust), but in a tidal area, I cant see any chemical really having as good an effect as physical removal.

Copper sulphate used as an aquatic algaecide but you have to be fairly precise about application rates etc. In this country it requires a pesticide applicators license etc.
Copper(II) sulfate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Over here in the States, iron sulphate is used on lawns and zinc sulphate is used on roofs for control of actual moss. Both are registered herbicides but available to homeowners.

I assumed the "moss" was a slimey algae which wouldn't have a "root" (rhizoid) like an actual moss, but maybe I was wrong? I guess it would be good to know the actual species of plant(s) you're trying to control.

[m chappelow]

We did at one time use some sort of acid that got rid of the weed think now we just pressure wash it ,,,
mind to say a mile or so upstream there or were some of the largest ship yards ,steel and chemical making plants in europe,,though they have cleaned their acts up recently .

[captnjack]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

We did at one time use some sort of acid that got rid of the weed think now we just pressure wash it ,,,

Compared to what I launch on, this is already immaculate! Are those land rovers of yours struggling on that?