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Blanket weed mania!!!

Little JanLittle Jan Posts: 43
in Problem solving
Hi I built a pond this winter and it has established itself over the last few months. It is about 7mx3m . The water has cleared but over the last 4 weeks blanket weed has taken over. I do need more plant cover and I added barley straw about 2 weeks ago but should I treat it ( chemically) before adding more floating plants ? It annoyingly wraps around the oxygenators which it’s so hard to separate from when trying to remove with my stick. It thrives mostly around the sides, pots and stones. Any guidance and help would be really welcome !! Ty 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited July 2020
    Get some Blagdons Barley Straw extract and treat the pond according to the instructions ... follow up with a dose of their Sludgebuster. 

    Perfectly safe for plants and wildlife and it’ll sort the blanketweed out. You can get them on Ama*on. 
    😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Little JanLittle Jan Posts: 43
    Ty before adding some floating plants? Or at the same time ? 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    It won’t hurt the plants so it doesn’t really matter. We sometimes have to treat our pond several times each summer if it’s very sunny. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Little JanLittle Jan Posts: 43
    I hope you get paid by GW for your advice ! Thanks so much , lovely to have the advice 😁
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    👍 🤣 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    The Which? review of blanket weed treatments gave top billing to Nishikoi Clear Waters. I have used it and it’s excellent. I experienced exactly the same pond problems as you, Little Jan and Clear Waters did the trick, and continues to do so.

    The powder - like Blagdon’s it’s completely safe to wildlife - proved to be far more effective than bales of barley straw. Barley straw extract is better in my view.
    Rutland, England
  • Little JanLittle Jan Posts: 43
    Thank you Ben, after being a bit murky it cleared so well and I thought I had cracked it! Too much confidence . I think a more direct intervention is needed 😁
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