Topic: Duck Weed

[bombus]

Hi to all, do any of you know how to control Duck Weed? It's covered my pond over this year, I've been unable to see my fish. I bought a landing net and scooped the weed off the surface but its back the next day.As my pond is quite large this tacks a lot of time up. Any ideas please.

[WASSISNAME]

I have difficulty in keeping mine, my fish eat it. I find it good cover from the sun

[manicscousers]

I find it makes a good green manure, pile it around the plants, it keeps moisture in or add it to the compost heap, I've heard something about a barley straw ball, it's supposed to keep it down ?

[saddad]

The straw is great for blanket weed/algae but duckweed is different simple floating plant. I skim it as often as I can it makes great mulch and compost
 ;D

[shirlton]

We get a load of duck weed and what Tony's done is to strap a fine flour sieve to a cane and we find that this gets the very tiny bits off as well. I really don't think we can ever be free of it. I agree with the others that it does provide shade and shelter for the fish too. Ours is a natural looking pool so the duck weed fits in quite well

[teresa]

Duckweed will keep still water clean and smell free, also blanket weed will not survive in the same pool no sunlight for it to grow.
My hens love duck weed bit of extra green for them I got a 50p kids fishing net ( last of the big spenders me) and it works fine also good for getting wasps, bees and dragonflies out of the house.

[bombus]

Thanks for your replies guys, I can fill a wheelbarrow each time i try to clear it, and its back by the next day covering every inch of the pond, surely thats not good for the fish, they must need some sun light.

[saddad]

When you try to fish it out some is pushed under and wherever you left some it spreads into a thinner layer... returning to it for two or three days in a row can clear it for a week or so, I only do that before open days!
 8)

[bombus]

I should be so lucky :)

[worldor]

Get a duck?

[bombus]

I think its Ducks that brought the Duck Weed here in the first place.

[teresa]

No ducks here ha ha.
Mine came with a water lilly, moved the lilly to small pool it came too frogs love it and they have taken it to main pool hence fishing net.
One thing it does slow down in winter Bombas how big is your pool?

[bombus]

80 foot long 40foot wide give or take a little, see my problem? i can only reach so far with a net. I have thought about asking the environment agency if they have any ideas.

[telboy]

Tell me about it!
Brought in by a 'friend' who donated a lilly.
I have netted every trace for three years, every week.
Went away for three weeks this year and SH*T, the pond is full.
The pond is now chocked with the weed.
Strip it clean? No fish - no probs? A few frogs perhaps!

[teresa]

Oh Bombas big pool, mine has not realy taken a hold in our big pool all by 12 x 4 a tiddler compared to yours?
Think my koi must eat some of it they eat most plants have you got fish and what sort?

[bombus]

Apart from a few Koi,Orfe,and a few big Mirror Carp, the pond is full of Sticklebacks and a Kingfisher used to come fishing most days. They don't bother coming in the summer now when the ponds covered with weed. :(
 I used to really enjoy watching them fishing, one year they brought 3 young ones with them and fed them from the pond-- magic.

[teresa]

Oh a Kingfisher you have a beautiful pool,
you can sell it ha well anything happens on ebay? it stops blanket weed and with small pools easy to control.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Exo-Terra-Floating-Water-Plants-Duckweed-Vivarium_W0QQitemZ7747919172QQihZ018QQcategoryZ1285QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Check this site out a few ideas ok its US but they have it as well.

http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/duckweed/duckweed.htm

enjoy reading

[bombus]

thanks for that Teresa :)