Pond Straw - A Natural Way to Keep Home Ponds and Water Gardens Clean and Clear

SUNRISE, FL, May 27, 2013 (Press-News.org) Keeping the water in backyard ponds and water gardens clean and clear can be a challenge, especially in summer when the sun gets more intense and temperatures start to rise. Heat accelerates the growth of filamentous or string algae in ponds. String algae is the long hair-like algae which is dangerous to fish and plant life. While some pond owners resort to using chemicals to combat this problem, a growing number are turning to natural solutions, like barley pond straw, to clean and clear their ponds.

Pond straw works in combination with moving water and sunlight. Submerging a bag of barley straw about 2-3 feet beneath the surface and tying it near water movement, causes the barley to break down. As the straw decomposes and reacts with sunlight, it produces enzymes and low levels of hydrogen peroxide that kill harmful single-celled organisms (such as string algae), but is completely safe for more complex organisms such as fish and plant life or the healthy algae (the furry stuff) that grows on rocks beneath the surface of the pond.

Barley straw cleans and clears the water and also oxygenates the pond which is good for koi and gold fish and other pond life as well. Since it cleans the water and preserves healthy organisms, it restores balance to the ecosystem of the pond. In order for the pond straw to work effectively, it must be loosely packed in mesh bags, so the water can flow through it like a filter.

"This is an effective, completely natural way to clean and maintain a backyard pond or water garden," says Jerry Delphine, a long time pond owner whose beautiful backyard koi pond and water garden has been featured in several magazines, "Pond straw works, but you have to be patient because it takes about a month to see a difference when you first start using it. I use it because it cleans and clears the water without using chemicals. I use only certified organic pond straw - http://www.amazon.com/Barley-Straw-Gardens-Certified-Organic/dp/B00CJHRCLC/ - so I know there are no pesticides."

Pond straw comes in different forms. Some people use barley flakes or pellets, but they can leave a mess at the bottom of the pond which is difficult to clean up. Others use barley concentrate, but most prefer barley packaged in a mesh bag because as the barley straw decomposes, it provides a visual indicator that the straw is working. Since the straw is enclosed in a mesh bag, there is no clean-up. Pond owners simply keep an eye on the bag and remove it before the barley has completely decomposed and replace it with a new one. Most pond owners buy a year's supply, so they will always have new bags on hand. To learn more: http://redearthnaturals.com/barley-pond-straw/

Red Earth Naturals
http://www.redearthnaturals.com