The difference with aquariums is it’s advised not to have them in any sunlight, because of excess algae growth, whereas a pond is outside and will be receiving much stronger light than any aquarium light will offer.
I suspect that 'balancing' a large washing up bowl half full of stones is a somewhat tricky business.
I think the OP's question still stands - if we remove the plants and wash them off and reintro them to a cleaned out pond, are we probably reintroducing blanket weed?
Having tried this - washing out the micro pond and the stones and applying barley straw extract. But the blanket weed came right back.
Thanks folks, I should have said no fish just plants, the ones there were either in small baskets with low nutrient soil for ponds or "floaters " that were supposed to be the oxygenators but seem to have rotted away. I do have some large pebbles in there too. I usually fill it with rain water from the butts, I'm thinking of using tap water but letting it stand for a day before I put anything in.
In a natural pond, having sufficient surface cover tends to reduce the amount of blanket weed but it can still grow - particularly in the warm weather we have been experiencing. The smaller the pond, the more problematic but balance of surface plants and oxygenators will usually do the job ( along with a bit of judicious twiddling every so often ).
I think the OP's question still stands - if we remove the plants and wash them off and reintro them to a cleaned out pond, are we probably reintroducing blanket weed?
Having tried this - washing out the micro pond and the stones and applying barley straw extract. But the blanket weed came right back.
You may think you have cleaned the plants but blanket weed is extraordinarily difficult to remove completely - there's no doubt rinsing it off helps but eradicating it completely from a growing plant is much akin to winning the lottery
The difference with aquariums is it’s advised not to have them in any sunlight, because of excess algae growth, whereas a pond is outside and will be receiving much stronger light than any aquarium light will offer.
That's generic information given to beginner hobbyists to make it easier. I've grown coral in greenhouses with no algae issues. Someone I used to speak also had their reef tank under a glass roof.
Algae needs nutrients to grow, it can't grow on sunlight alone. Whether its a pond, aquarium, fish or no fish, the science remains the same.
"Light is the most limiting factor for algal growth, followed by nitrogen and phosphorus limitations. Algal productivity is often correlated to levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)"
I've fought and succeeded against algae for 15 years, it's something that aquarists get passionate about.
My advice would be to reduce phosphates, nitrates and other trace nutrients (fastest way on a small pond would be water changes)
Scoop out as much algae as possible
Increase the amount of plants (most can be planted straight into gravel so they use nutrients from the water instead of substrate)
Shading, via positioning or dye is fine, but not always achievable.
I find the blanket weed is there in the spring. By the time the pond plants start to grow again and the sun is hotter, the weed disappears. I’ve never used anything to get rid of it. My plants are taking off now, half the surface is covered in forget me nots soon the lilies will grow bigger leaves and cover the rest of it. The only plants I have in pots are Marsh Marigolds the rest are just in the water. I have heard that shallow or small ponds can suffer worse with blanket weed.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
"I would set the pins backup and them immediately start using the
treatment. That way the blanket weed, if still there, won’t have chance
to take hold."
I didn't understand that.
The joys of autocorrect - it should have said ‘set the pond back up’ not pins backup 🙄 The poster said he had removed everything and cleaned the plants so I just meant start again and treat from day one in case they were still contaminated.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
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The smaller the pond, the more problematic but balance of surface plants and oxygenators will usually do the job ( along with a bit of judicious twiddling every so often ).
Fire said:
You may think you have cleaned the plants but blanket weed is extraordinarily difficult to remove completely - there's no doubt rinsing it off helps but eradicating it completely from a growing plant is much akin to winning the lottery
Algae needs nutrients to grow, it can't grow on sunlight alone. Whether its a pond, aquarium, fish or no fish, the science remains the same.
http://www.krisweb.com/krissheepscot/krisdb/html/krisweb/stream/nutrients.htm
"Light is the most limiting factor for algal growth, followed by nitrogen and phosphorus limitations. Algal productivity is often correlated to levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)"
I've fought and succeeded against algae for 15 years, it's something that aquarists get passionate about.
My advice would be to reduce phosphates, nitrates and other trace nutrients (fastest way on a small pond would be water changes)
Scoop out as much algae as possible
Increase the amount of plants (most can be planted straight into gravel so they use nutrients from the water instead of substrate)
Shading, via positioning or dye is fine, but not always achievable.
My plants are taking off now, half the surface is covered in forget me nots soon the lilies will grow bigger leaves and cover the rest of it.
The only plants I have in pots are Marsh Marigolds the rest are just in the water.
I have heard that shallow or small ponds can suffer worse with blanket weed.
The poster said he had removed everything and cleaned the plants so I just meant start again and treat from day one in case they were still contaminated.
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham