Proface

You may have heard of using barley pond straw to keep the water in your fish pond or water garden clean. Here's more information on why it could be a good remedy for your pond.

Keeping the water in koi ponds clean and clear can be a challenge, especially in the hotter months when the sun gets more intense and temperatures start to rise. Heat heightens the growth of string-like algae in water gardens. Filamentous algae is the long hair-like algae which is dangerous to fish and plant life. Even though some pond owners resort to using chemicals to fight this issue, a growing number are turning to organic solutions, like pond straw, to clean and clear their water gardens.

Pond straw works in concert with moving water and light from the sun. Submerging a bag of barley straw about 2-3 feet below the surface and tying it near water movement, causes the straw to start to decompose. As the straw breaks down and reacts with sunlight, it creates enzymes and small amounts of hydrogen peroxide that kill dangerous single-celled life forms (such as string algae), but is completely safe for more complex life forms such as fish and plant life or the healthy algae (the furry stuff) that grows on rocks below the surface of the pond.

Pond straw clears the water and also oxygenates the pond which is healthy for koi fish and other pond life as well. Since it clears the water and protects healthy organisms, it restores balance to the ecology of the pond. In order for the straw for ponds to work effectively, it must be loosely packed in easy flow bags, so the water can move through it.

"This is a smart, completely natural means to clean and maintain a backyard fish pond or water garden," says Jerry Delphine, a long time pond enthusiast whose gorgeous 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 clears the water without using harsh solutions. I use only certified organic straw for ponds, so I know there are no pesticides."

Barley straw comes in different forms. Some people use barley flakes, but they can leave a mess at the bottom of the pond which is difficult to clean up. Others use a concentrated form of barley, but most choose barley packaged in a flow through bag because as the barley straw breaks down, it provides a visual indication that the straw is working. Since the straw is enclosed in a flow through bag, there is no mess. Pond owners simply keep an eye on the bag and remove it before the straw has completely broken down and replace it with a new one. Most pond hobbyists buy a year's supply, so they will always have replacement bags in reserve.