ALGAE ON SIDES OF POND IS NORMAL

Two readers on the same day posed the same question. Both were concerned about algae growing on side of the ponds. They wanted to know how to get rid of it.

The answer was very simple ... you cannot get rid of it permanently; and more importantly you do not want to get rid of it either.

All garden ponds develop a growth of green algae on pond surfaces ... this includes walls, pumps, pipes, stones on bottom of pond and so on.

This algae is up to 1 inch long but rarely more than that. This is NOT blanketweed or string algae. This miniature 1 inch forest of plants is a haven to natural food sources in a pond. You will notice fish "grazing" on this underwater pasture. If you empty the pond and scrub the walls down it will soon re-appear.

The query however raised another important matter. If you ever empty a pond what do you do with the fish?

continued cleaning ponds