Will it hurt the plant to burn the dead stuff off in a ditch. I want the plants there for water erosion but need to clean up all the dead foliage.
I would remove this and burn it somewhere else. This could, potentially, damage some of the existing plants to burn on top of them. You can remove any dead growth at any time, and do a good tidy up in the winter during dormancy.
I want to use cattail as a decoration. I wanted to know if it carries ticks?
Normally, ticks will grow and live wherever they can! They aren't the most preferred home for tick, though.
Here is an article that will give you information on these plants: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/cattails/controlling-cattails.htm
Cattails were taken from the Cumberland River and moved to our 800 gallon garden pond 3 weeks ago. Cattail is planted in a nursery pot with holes and small rock as a medium. New shoots came up from rhizome about a week after transplant. At 3 week point, now, I noticed brown tips on the original plant and brown tip and brown spots on ends of new start. Base appears to be browning some as well. Just shock from the transplant 3 weeks ago just starting to show or do I have another issue?
I suspect the change in environment. Brown tips usually mean too much or too little water. Were they growing on the banks of the river or submerged below? Try to replicate the exact conditions where it was growing.
Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/cattails/growing-cattails-in-pots.htm
I have a 1.4 acre water surface pond that I have taken care of for years. Stocked with trout, bass and catfish. All fish are doing great. I use pond dye and natural bacteria products to control algae in the summer. I always have a great area for my cattails that grow 6 to 10 feet tall all summer long. This year they did not come back anywhere in the pond only a few on the sides. I didn't change anything from other years. The only thing is that we had a lot of snow melt and high water for most of the spring. Any advise on what may had happened.
I suspect the high water may have caused some rot or suffocation. It's odd though that they didn't reproduce readily from seed. Here is more about their control issues:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/cattails/controlling-cattails.htm
th this? My house is end of the road down from other homes. There is a ditch that over many years has formed and I get the catch all and when it rains, it floods. The water stands in the ditch most all time except in really ot days. Would cattails help with this? I'm looking for a plant to make it look nicer. Thank you!
Be sure to read this before you decide on cattails. You may get more than you bargained for.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/cattails/controlling-cattails.htm
Here are more ideas:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/wet-soil-trees.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/wgen/water-tolerant-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/slope-hill/planting-a-rain-garden-on-a-hill.htm