Pond Algae Maintenance

Plant some vegetation, such as grass, flowers and shrubs, around your pond. Grow out the grass surrounding your pond, rather than mowing it down. The 10- to 20-foot strip of vegetation around a pond helps reduce the nutrient flow into the water, reducing the amount of life-sustaining elements necessary for the growth and reproduction of algae.

Skim out the existing algae with a garden rake. Work the rake around the edge of the pond and under overhanging vegetation. Pull the removed algae particles away from the border of the pond to discourage regrowth.

Apply barley straw to your pond during the late spring or early summer months. Use 0.025 lbs. of barley straw per square yard of pond surface. Place the pile of barley straw in the center of an old sheet. Gather the corners and edges of the sheet into a bundle and secure with a loop of heavy-duty twine. Make multiple bundles for large ponds.

Tie the barley straw bundle to a rock or brick using the twine. This small weight will help keep the bundle near the bottom of the pond. Attach another piece of heavy-duty twine that measures slightly longer than half the width of your pond. This long length of twine allows you to retrieve and refill the bundle.

Attach the free end of the long piece of twine to a nearby shrub, tree or other heavy structure. Toss the straw bundle into the center of the pond. When using more than one bundle to treat a large pond, place the bundles evenly apart. As the oat straw decomposes in the presence of oxygenated water, it releases a chemical compound that may help prevent the growth of new algae cells. Replace the straw in the bundle toward the end of July and again the following spring.