The benefits of Barley Straw

  What is Barley Straw Pellets!!

UltraClear Barley Pellets offer a safe, effective, natural way to clarify pond water and can be safely used with all other UltraClear products. Barley Straw has been used for over a hundred years to clarify ponds.

ULTRACLEAR BARLEY PELLETS

The pellets are so easy to use. Cleaner and easier than the bales (and requires a lot less space than the unsightly bales). UltraClear Barley Pellets are 100% safe for fish, birds and plants.

UltraClear Barley Pellets are fortified with humic acid prior to the pelletizing process. Humic acid enhances water quality, water softening and balances out the effects of phosphate in the pond water.

The slow decay of the barley pellets produce essential, beneficial bacteriaand enzymes  that helps maintain clarity in the pond. The optimized pellet size offers maximum surface area for controlled decay. It is not a chemical. UltraClear Barley Pellets can be used during spring, summer and fall. So get a head start on controlling your pond environment!!

Apply 8 to 16 ounces per 100 gallons every 4-6 weeks or as needed. Doesn't get easier than that. No mess, no fuss!!

UltraClear Barley Pellets can be applied directly in the pond by hand and your pond aerator will disperse it throughout the lake.

Water Lily….friend or foe??

Water Lilies

Yellow Water Lily ( Mexican Water Lily)

American White Water Lily

Physical Characteristics of the water lily: 

A large oval shaped fleshy leaf, that is green on the top of the leaf and reddish purple on the bottom of the leaf. The leaves are very large, up to 10” in size. The water lily is an emergent aquatic flowering plant, known as a decorative aquatic plant. It floats on top of the water but has a stem that is rooted at the bottom of the pond or lake. The flowers are big and can be white, yellow and pink.

Elegant Water Lily

Where Does it Grow?

Water lily can be found in ponds, lakes, calm streams in undisturbed waters.

Water Lily….friend or foe??

Well deer, beaver, muskrats and other rodents like the water lily. They will consume the leaves. Pond gardeners purchase water lilies for their small outdoor ponds, and is much easier to manage in a small pond. Water lilies are very pretty and as long as it is kept under control, shouldn’t be a problem.

But water lilies are invasive once they get established. The can be cut down or pulled out but can regrow for the seeds and rhizomes left behind.

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Natural Management Options:

Using the Beachroller Weed Eliminator will remove the plant at the roots. It cuts and pulls the stems out of the pond bottom.

The Weed Razer is another great and also inexpensive tool for cutting plants at the roots. Then use the Weed Rake to remove it.

Keep that water moving…..a pond fountain or pond aerator is the best way to keep this aquatic plant under control.

How to identify and control Filamentous Algae

What does Filamentous Algae look like?

What is Filamentous Algae?

Individual algae cells that connect to make together to make long visible strings and can become matted.

Where does it grow?

Filamentous algae starts to grow at the bottom in the shallow part of ponds and can grow on rocks in the shallow waters also. Filamentous algae can float to the surface and collect together forming mats. There are several species of this algae and many can be living in the pond at one time.

Pros and Cons of Filamentous Algae:

Parts of submersed aquatic plants are beneficial because it provides habitat for bugs and worms and in turn this is food for fish and wildlife like reptiles and birds. Although Filamentous algae has no direct food value for wildlife, as it dies off, the bacteria and fungi from decomposition provides food for aquatic bugs.

Management Options for Filamentous Algae:

There are many types of weed removal products on the market that can cut down and remove the weeds, and it certainly makes the job so much easier. It is important to remove as much as possible because many of these plants can regrow from fragments left in the pond.

For Filamentous algae you can use a lake rake or weed raker with net and a long pole to remove from the pond.

Non-toxic pond dye can prevent or reduce the growth of aquatic plants by blocking sunlight , however this can also suppress the natural food chain in the pond.

Ultra Clear Liquid Concentrate

Farm Blue Dry Packs

We offer two choices of all natural pond dye in liquid and dry packs. Both types are very concentrated as you can see with this small amount added to the pond.

Finally, to keep the algae growth down and to push whatever does grow towards the shore for easier removal, a floating aerating fountain would be ideal for larger ponds and lakes, and great for aeration is a lake aerator. For smaller ponds, a decorative pond fountain will aerate as well but make a beautiful display while keeping the algae at bay!! For larger lakes that need aeration but want a larger water display, a floating lake fountain would be more appropriate.

To take a look at all of our pond and lake products and also see more blogs and videos, please go to https://discount-pumps.biz