Pond Algae

Pond algae types and information

Warm Winter Creates Early Season Algae Problems

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Greetings everyone!

We’re breaking out winter hibernation here and while it is already March, we’ve remained busy throughout the late winter season. It was such a mild winter through most of the U.S. that in some places algae never really went away, or wasn’t missing for long. In other words, the graphic below sort of went out the window!

So for most of the winter we’ve been treating ponds with all season pond bacteria to help keep them a bit cleaner and work to keep algae blooms down. As always I’ve visited with a lot of pond owners and discussed the merits of aeration and muck reduction. Aeration of course is good at any time of year, and muck reduction is usually a warm weather activity but both are worth investigation.

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Can Adding A Pond Aerator Reduce Algae?

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There is a common misconception that many pond owners help perpetuate, and that’s simply that pond aeration can stop algae growth. This statement, indirectly, has some truth to it, but generally speaking simply getting an aerator in your pond may or may not help with algae problems. One can’t blame a happy pond owner when … Read more

Stacking The Odds Against Pond Algae – The Introduction

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Over the years, the use of beneficial bacteria in ponds has helped to clear up, clean up, and restore a number of ponds, and in doing so, algae has been reduced too. This has been one of the positive “side effects” of treating a pond naturally or organically.

Compared to even 10 years ago, the use of the good bugs has grown to the point where most pond owners have at least heard of some of the benefits, whether they may believe in it or not is another thing. Suffice it to say though that the commonly used chemical algaecides, so widely used in the past, are not as favorable as they once were.

There is a growing awareness (which is a good thing) that oftentimes chemicals are not the best solution to the problem, and that addressing some underlying causes may just make more sense. It’s not just in ponds where this is happening of course. Home owners are looking for more natural alternatives for lawn care, pest control, and many other things. Go to any WalMart today and you’ll find some organic produce too, which you never would have imagined seeing “back in the old days”. Sam Walton would probably be proud.

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Working Against Algae In A Large Pond

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Large ponds have special challenges when you’re dealing with an algae problem. Compared to small ponds where you can remove some of the stuff pretty easily, a large body of water doesn’t always make this all that easy. Although there are similar reasons why algae might thrive in any pond, the fact is that large … Read more

Working Against String Or Hair Algae In A Small Pond

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String algae and hair algae are common problems in small ponds and water gardens. In the video included below, we cover the step by step process of trying to turn a pond around and clear the algae in a safe manner. A couple of things to note. When we talk about beneficial bacteria in the … Read more

Stacking For A Small Pond With Green Water Algae

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The video below will take you through the steps that we would try to remedy the problem of green water algae in a small pond or water garden. There are a couple of additional things we should mention here too. You won’t find barley or barley straw noted in the video but that’s a viable … Read more