how to get rid of bullrushes

Hi Julie, and welcome to GoY. This sounds like an awfully big 'hole'. Forgive me for asking but is this a deliberatly 'dug' hole or could it possibly be a natural wet area and the previous owner has planted the bull rushes because nothing else would grow?
As for answering your question. I have to admit I don't know, sorry.....Ian

Hi Ian thanks for your interest.
the hole was dug deliberatly and the mound of earth that has been left behind is now covered in grass and looks like a strange hill, we are hoping to get some heavy digging equipment in and use it to fill in the hole once the rushes have been removed.
Julie

Welcome to GoY Julie, I'm a newbie too and have been made very welcome.
You have quite a task on your hands, but good luck with the project.
I think it would be better if you could lift all the bulrushes before doing anything else.

just put all the soil back as it will naturaly kill them.however you either have very clay soil or your water table is very high.you mite have to pile even more soil on top if its to close.

Whatever you do, dead-head them! They have a nasty habit of 'exploding' seeds which drift everywhere.

Good luck with the removal - I'm afraid I have no idea how deep the roots are. I suppose you could try digging one out and find out?

Welcome to GOY. Shall I send you some of our coypus? These horrible rodents destroyed almost all of our bullrushes which I grew with great care from seed!
Oh! I see you are in the USA. Perhaps you already have equally unpleasant rodents over there which would do the job. Didn't coypu originally come from South America? But do Americans mean 'typha latifolia' when you say bullrushes or some other kind of plant?

i would bury them and dead head them,point taken spritze and if you want it done quicker cover it all with a piece of weighted black polythene.you could dig them out but it will be a mission.the roots arnt horribly deep its just water plants tend to fuse together.if you are in more of a hurry get an old bread knife i found is best and cut it brutaly into pieces you can carry.if you decide to cover it the old plants will become good fertaliser

Thanks for your help guys.
Not sure if the hole has a pond liner or not yet, but I guess i'll soon find out once i get my waders on and get stuck in. Looks like we will be having pond clearing BBQ's and calling in all our friends and family, wonder if the local scout troup would be up for a bit of wet work ???
Keep the ideas coming
Julie x

sounds like a good fun idea.being natural be ready for some natural life you mite want to save.did you get frogs or toads in the early spring breeding.if so it would be nice and good for conservation to have a realy small natural pond for them.toads and frogs have a natural homing instinct to go back to were they were born x

We will be re housing any little wild friends found in a purpose built area that will be encouraged to grow wild , where the pond will be in a more friendly place (not in the middle of the plot and by no means as big) and hope that any frogs ect will help out on the veg plot by keeping slugs and snails at bay.

brilliant julie