How to use barley straw in your pond:

Renew the Barleystraw minibale that you put into the pond last February/March.

• The pond needs to have a constant supply of active barleystraw to combat greenwater and blanketweed algae.
• Barleystraw decomposes over time.
• Your existing minibale is old now.
• Possibly turning black and smelling when dunked in the water.
• Add its replacement to the water to float alongside it for the next month.
• Leave the old minibale in whilst the new one is activating.
• Make a note to remove the old one next month - you don't want it rotting in the water any further.
• If barleystraw is left to rot down completely in your pond it will add to the nutrient rich sludge layer on the pond base.
• This rotting will feed algae or blanketweed growth in the future as it continues to deteriorate.

So add a new minibale in July and remove the old one in August.

Renew the barleystraw minibale like this twice every year - new one in February (remove the old in March) and again in July (remove the old in August).

Liquid Barleystraw:

Use the Barley Bio Algae Control in small ponds or container ponds where a Barleystraw minibale would be too large.

• Add the liquid Barley Bio Algae Control to a small pond or container pond feature weekly
• Twice a week if it gets really hot. Remember you cannot overdose - it's a natural organic product.
• Increase the frequency not the dosage size in hot weather.
• This helps keep the water free from greenwater and blanketweed growth in the hot summer months.
• When it starts to get cooler change to fortnightly dosing.
• Don't stop dosing until the clocks go back in October.
• Start again with the change of the clocks next Spring unless March is a hot one and then you need to start earlier.