Renew the barleystraw minibale now

Renew the barleystraw minibale now

Using a Barleystraw minibale in a pond:

Renew the Barleystraw minibale now 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.
  • The 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 any further.
  • If barleystraw is left to rot down completely in your pond it will add to the sludge layer on the pond base.
  • This rotting will create more algae or blanketweed 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 - once in February (remove the old in March) and again in July (remove the old in August).

Liquid Barleystraw Products:

Continue to add the liquid Barley Bio Algae Control to a small pond or container pond feature:

  • weekly - or twice a week if it gets really hot. Remember you cannot overdose it is a natural 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.