Weeds in ponds are a frequent issue and a frustrating nuisance. Let’s explore common pond weeds and simple preventative measures to reduce their growth.
Common Weeds in Ponds
In general, you’ll encounter three types of pond weeds. These include:
- Floating weeds
- Submerged weeds
- Emergent pond weeds
In small amounts, these pond weeds might not pose a problem. But pond weeds tend to grow quickly, especially during warm or hot weather.
Floating Weeds
Floating weeds include duckweed, watermeal, water hyacinth, water lettuce, spatterdock, Azolla, and water shield. These floating weeds, especially watermeal, can reproduce rapidly and cover the surface of your pond.
Submerged Weeds
Submerged weeds include plants such as coontail, curly-leaf pondweed, American pondweed, Illinois pondweed, Sago pondweed, and several more species. These pond weeds can reduce the oxygen levels in your pond, which is unhealthy for the fish and wildlife that live in your pond.
Emergent Weeds
Emergent pond weeds, such as alligator weed and bulrush, grow on the shoreline of ponds. Other examples of emergent pond weeds include water primrose and cattails.
Chara is another invasive species that you may find in your pond. While it resembles a plant or weed, it is actually a type of algae. It is sometimes called skunkweed or muskweed because of its foul odor.
How to Prevent Weed Growth in Ponds
Pond weeds tend to grow in water with excess nutrients. If you can reduce the nutrient levels in your pond, you can often prevent weed growth.
For instance, if your pond has a prominent sludge layer, this indicates that you have excess nutrients. Reducing or removing the sludge can prevent pond weeds.
Natural, Continuous Prevention
We have proactive products such as AquaSpherePRO® that can be used to prevent sludge buildup. This product contains beneficial bacteria that consume excess nutrients. These biodegradable spheres release bacteria for 30 days and then you simply add new spheres to continue treatment.
While AquaSpherePRO® is an effective and easy-to-use product, it does sometimes need additional support. For instance, during hot weather, the water temperature in your pond can rise, causing oxygen levels to drop. This condition promotes the growth of pond weeds and floating organic matter.
Fast-acting Prevention
If your area experiences a large rain event, this can cause runoff to enter the pond and upset the nutrient balance. Runoff often contains nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which promote pond weeds’ growth.
In these instances, we recommend using Natural BLAST® along with AquaSpherePRO®.
Natural BLAST® also contains beneficial bacteria that consume excess nutrients, and this is the ideal treatment option at the beginning of your warm season as well as when the temperature spikes or your area experiences a significant rain event.
Other Natural Ways to Control Pond Weeds
Additionally, with proper sod and grass maintenance, your lawn will better be able to soak up rainwater, which can reduce the amount of runoff in your pond. Beneficial plants around the shoreline can also prevent erosion and keep some runoff from your pond.
If you fertilize your lawn, we recommend leaving a buffer of unfertilized lawn around your pond to keep the fertilizer’s nutrients out of the pond.
When you cut grass treated with fertilizer, we also recommend collecting and disposing of these clippings so they don’t enter your pond. Alternatively, you could switch to using fertilizers that do not contain nitrogen or phosphorus.
Prevent Pond Weed Growth and Protect Your Pets
If you have livestock using your pond, consider investing in some stock tanks instead of using your pond as a water source. We have an all-natural, easy-to-use stock tank cleaner that can help improve and maintain stock tank water quality and clarity.
This product contains beneficial bacteria that consume excess nutrients. It is designed to prevent stains, mineral deposits, odor, and floating or suspended organic matter. The stock tank cleaner is veterinarian-approved and safe for livestock, pets, and people.
Expert Tip: You Don’t Kill Pond Weeds, You Control Them
It’s important to note that these beneficial bacteria products don’t kill pond weeds; they can simply improve the condition of your pond water. This, in turn, can prevent or inhibit the growth of weeds and floating organic matter.
How to Get Rid Pond Weeds Naturally
If you already have an abundance of pond weeds, you will need to take other steps to remediate the issues. If you’re wondering how to get rid of pond weeds naturally, manual removal is one of the first approaches you can take.
Floating pond weeds can often be removed using a skimmer or a pond rake.
For rooted pond weeds, you will need a weed cutter to cut the plants, followed by raking to remove the pieces.
In some cases, especially with a shallow pond, you may be able to remove the entire plant, including the root system, by hand.
Expert Tip: Either by raking, cutting, or removing by hand, fragments left behind will cause new pond weeds to accumulate.
Pond Weed Removal Products
Aerators are another highly effective method for preventing future pond weed growth. By increasing oxygen levels and improving water circulation, aeration helps create a less favorable environment for weed growth.
Healthy Ponds offers several aeration products that can enhance water quality, making it less hospitable for invasive pond weeds.
For example, the PA6SWN Aeration Kit for Shallow Ponds is a popular option for smaller ponds, and larger systems like the Sentinel Deluxe Aeration Systems are available for larger bodies of water. Incorporating natural solutions like aeration can provide an effective method for long-term aquatic weed control.
Herbicides and algaecides may be needed to control these pond weeds. Healthy Ponds has a variety of chemical products that effectively kills algae and aquatic weeds.
For instance, Sonar AS might be an option for ponds covered in duckweed, watermeal, American pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil.
When using any herbicide or algaecide, take the time to find the ideal product for your pond’s unique situation. Furthermore, if your pond is stocked with fish, you will need to select products that won’t harm these fish.
If you swim in the pond, you need products that won’t harm people or your pets. Several of our product options are safe for fish, livestock, pets, and people.
The Impact of Weeds on a Pond Ecosystem
Pond weeds affect the appearance of your pond and have serious consequences for aquatic life. Dense weed growth, particularly submerged species, can severely reduce oxygen levels in the water. This leads to oxygen depletion, which harms fish and other wildlife.
Excessive growth of floating weeds, like duckweed, can block sunlight and further decrease oxygen, leading to fish kills and a decrease in biodiversity. Weed density also contributes to stagnant water, negatively impacting the overall health of your pond.
Restore Balance to Your Ecosystem
To combat these effects, Healthy Ponds offers RUSH®, a product designed to quickly increase oxygen levels in your pond. This can help restore balance and reduce the negative impact of weed overgrowth, creating a healthier environment for aquatic life.
By integrating aeration systems and oxygen-boosting products like RUSH®, you can address the root causes of oxygen depletion while keeping your pond as a vibrant habitat for fish and other species.
Long-term Pond Maintenance Tips
Maintaining a healthy pond requires ongoing care and attention. Establishing a seasonal inspection routine allows you to catch pond weeds early. Regular inspections identify any signs of weed growth, nutrient imbalance, or oxygen depletion before they become serious issues.
Inspections are among the essential steps to pond treatment you can take to have a healthy pond. These include monitoring water quality and removing debris to help you keep your pond in peak condition.
In addition to regular inspections, using beneficial bacteria products like AquaSpherePRO® and Natural BLAST®will help maintain balanced nutrient levels and reduce sludge buildup. Combining these products with aeration systems ensures that oxygen circulates throughout the pond, preventing the stagnation that promotes weed growth.
By following these long-term strategies, you can significantly reduce the need for constant pond weed removal and maintain a healthy ecosystem year-round.
