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Dye to prevent duckweed and algae

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    PP I find the pond snails tend to appear on weed at the surface in the warm sunshine ... the rest of the time they spend their time more hidden ... maybe yours are still lurking around somewhere?

    Or maybe the water doesn't contain enough calcium?  See here

    http://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/habitats/pond/identifying-creatures-pond/snails/ 


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





  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904

    Thanks Dove. That might be worth checking. Rhodies and azaleas go a dinger here. I'm "talking" to a guy who sells snails with a view to re-populating so hopefully he'll know how to rectify that if it is indeed the problem.

    Sorry Firefly0 I hi jacked the thread but I was genuinely interested in the product till I came up with more snags. image

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    I would never put chemical junk in a pond. It's like prescribed drugs, they might work but always side effects.

    I had ramshorn snails for years but never see them now, no idea why

    Last edited: 06 June 2017 12:42:16



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096

    All very interesting

  • GaryRGaryR Posts: 32

    Is it still possible to create a small pond that won't turn in to into bog by using oxygenating plants? I was interested in the pond section on Fridays episode but as others have stated, I'm not keen on using chemicals either, no matter how safe they seem.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Small ponds do get warm which encourages algae. Some shade from the full heat of the day helps. You often hear that ponds should be sited in full sun but I think that's so the water lilies flower well. There are many statements like that in gardening that are passed on (and on) without understanding of the reasons. 



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • I have always been much worried about using any kind of treatment for my small pond, for years I never ever had any problems,

    I use to use barley straw and all the natural methods but from the past few years the problem of algae is gone huge, according to my experience of pond keeping, shading the pond is the best way to avoid these nasty weeds, and I guess dyes is the best way to do it.

    I am not having any problems as such ( not if any I do not know of), Thanks to firefly0 - I have been using the Hydra dye from past 2 years-- mainly "hydra blue water dye"

    It takes a very tiny amount of it to dye my pond and I just bought it for, I don't remember I guess may be a 10 or 14 quid...and most importantly keeps the weed off my pond...:)

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    I garden for wildlife, state of water for the inhabitants is more important than appearance for me. image



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    I only had blanket weed the flowing year after digging the pond, Dove will remember how I used to go down there and twiddle it out when I was caring for my mum, very therapeutic ?

    now the weed has filled the pond I never have any blanket weed or green water, its in full sun all day long,  

    i think the amount of plants is the key to a clear pond.  I wouldn't use anything in there either, it's full of all sorts of creatures.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    I wouldn't use chemicals either - but Extract of Barley straw is just that, so no different to putting a bundle of barley straw in the pond, except it's more practical in a small pond. image


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





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