Tackle your pond weed before it takes over and swamps fish, plants and wildlife. Blanketweed, duckweed and 'pea soup' algae turn your pond green and cover the surface until your pond is completely obscured. It can really get going as the weather turns warm, but fight back now and you'll keep it under control.
Blanketweed: This clings to the sides of the pond and to the plants themselves, quickly clogging up your pond with its green hair-like strands. Twirl a bamboo cane in the water and blanketweed twists around the end for you to pull out. Barley straw pads and extract, both available from our garden centre, also help.
Duckweed: These tiny pads float on the surface and reproduce at an alarming rate, quickly covering the entire pond. Scoop them out every couple of days using a pond net to keep them under control. Black pond dye also helps by colouring the water black, so algae can't photosynthesise.
Pea soup algae: This is common in new ponds where plants aren't yet established, as it's usually caused by ecological imbalance. Aim to cover a third of your pond's surface at any time: water lilies and floating aquatics like water hydrangea are perfect, so add more if you haven't got enough.
