Pond Maintenance

[littlebigboss]

This year we have two majors problems with our ponds : reed and algae invasion. The worst is the reeds, one of the pond is so badly infested that we see no other solution that to wait for the dry season and use a backhoe to clear everything. But the reeds start infesting our other ponds down the stream, any suggestion how to deal with that ?

The algae seem more manageable. Our neighbor suggested we harvest them and use them as fertilizer. It would be easier if we could find a way to stop them to grow, but they are much easier to "harvest" than the reeds, so it could be an option if we can't find a better solution.

lbb

Edited August 20, 2009 by littlebigboss

[ozzydom]

This year we have two majors problems with our ponds : reed and algae invasion. The worst is the reeds, one of the pond is so badly infested that we see no other solution that to wait for the dry season and use a backhoe to clear everything. But the reeds start infesting our other ponds down the stream, any suggestion how to deal with that ?

The algae seem more manageable. Our neighbor suggested we harvest them and use them as fertilizer. It would be easier if we could find a way to stop them to grow, but they are much easier to "harvest" than the reeds, so it could be an option if we can't find a better solution.

lbb

Heavy algael bloom is in most cases caused by nitrates being washed into the pond during the "wet", the nitrates could be coming from nearby farming land or even birds such as ducks ,if you have to many.

There are poisons for aquatic weeds but it is better to stay far away from them, hand removal is about the best way to remove reeds and constant vigilance to rip them out as soon as they are spotted.