Carter's Water Garden

We are approaching the time of year when I usually start getting calls about string algae… As a matter of fact, I have had a few already this year. We have had a bad winter in Tennessee – several snows, extended freezing weather, LOTS of rain, etc… So there are definitely excessive nutrients in our ponds that are feeding this String Algae growth. AND as we warm up and the sun returns, there is always a short time window where the water is warm enough to support the algae growth, but the aquatic plants and biological filters are lagging behind because of the water temperature… So, what can I do?

The #1 thing to know is that the string algae looks bad, but its not really harmful. I’m going to outline a few things that will help reduce and eliminate the string algae in your pond.

• The most effective way to make your pond look better NOW is to physically remove the string algae! That’s right, actually reach in and grab it and pull it out. You can throw it into your compost pile or just do away with it. You can use a stick to twirl it around or a small plastic rake makes a great tool to grab it too.
• We carry specific Water Treatments to treat String Algae with at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio at our retail store – one of the best is called String Algae Buster or SAB.
  

  Cool Temperature Water Treatments will really help your Water Quality AND they will help keep your fish healthy!

• Your water could be out of balance and have a high PH? High PH feeds string algae and is many times easy to correct. Start by physical removal of the algae bloom, clean out dead plant material and leaves, etc. Also – do you have any stone or rocks in your pond that could raise the PH? Like limestone… Probably the #1 no,no when it comes to stone in your pond. Also – is there any runoff going into your pond? That will wreck havoc with your ecosystem and should be corrected right away. Watch your lawn fertilizers too – if your getting fertilizer in your system you’ve got problems.
• Proper Aquatic Plantings are a big deal too! Do you need to add some plants? Marginals or lilies really help to naturalize and buffer your ecosystem! Sometimes its as easy as adding a few Aquatic Plants.
  

  Adding Aquatic Plants makes your pond more beautiful and it really helps water quality.

• Proper Filtration? Do you have a biological filter? Is it large enough for your system? You may need some help to figure this out, but its a game changer when you get it right!

IF you want to just do away with String Algae all together there is a fairly new product on the market that will do just that! It ionizes copper at a low level and stops string algae in its tracks!

This little guy when properly installed on your pond will stop String Algae in its tracks! We carry these at the Nursery | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

– AND, its time for your annual Pond Clean-out! A yearly pond cleaning will flush out all the excess nutrients and toxins and get you ready for a new season!

So to wrap this up, String Algae can be controlled fairly easily. Do these things and I guarantee it will help. If you need professional help please give me a call – 731-424-2206 – I will try my best to answer your questions and get you headed in the right direction!

Happy Pondering!