If left to the elements, a pond will deteriorate and grow algae blooms.
No one likes to deal with messy chemicals and filtration systems when it comes to your beautiful, integrated pond. Not only can this detract from the aesthetics of your landscape, chemicals can harm the environment. But if left to the elements, a pond will deteriorate and grow algae blooms; stagnant, untreated water spells disaster. If you’re looking for a natural way to keep your pond clean and functional, read on.
Straw
When straw decomposes in water, it releases a natural chemical that kills algae. This clever trick has been discovered by internet enthusiasts. Straw is cheap, harmless and easy to introduce to your pond’s ecosystem. Wrap the straw in something like a net or panty hose, so that it doesn’t escape and ruin the look of your pond. Then, simply hide it under a waterfall or somewhere where water is flowing. This is a good way to keep your pond clean over time.
Manually
Using something like a used toilet brush, you can skim the surface of the pond and gather up excess algae. When done daily, you can limit the amount of work you do when the algae blooms are too much to handle. You can also rinse your pond filter every single day–this will ensure clean filtering for clearer water.
Peroxide
This is probably the least-intrusive chemical you can add to your pond, and it won’t kill your other plants. Be wary if you have fish, though–introducing too much could kill them, even though pond fish are generally very hardy. It chokes out the algae and leaves your water clean. Regular hydrogen peroxide is fine, though you should look up a ratio online for your specific pond size to find out how much to add.
Need a pond or a water feature added to your landscape? Lehnhoff’s Landscaping is here.
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