Managing Duckweed Growing In Your Pond | Organic Pond
Duckweed is one of the fastest reproducing weeds you can find in your pond. One day it’ll start growing on the edges of your pond, and within a week your whole pond could become covered in it!
Not only does duckweed look unappealing, it can also damage the ecosystem if it covers too large of an area, potentially killing your fish. Take a smart first step and prepare a treatment plan to keep any developing duckweed under control.
What is Duckweed?
Often mistaken for algae, Duckweed looks like miniature four-leaf clovers, it’s about ¼ to ½ inches across and can have 3-4 leaves.
Before you ever start any treatment of your pond, make sure you check closely to understand what the issue is. Or get a no-obligation diagnosis from Jim at Organic Pond. It’s easy to email pictures of pond problems to jim@organicpond.com or call for expert advice.
In a lot of situations, a similar nuisance pondweed -watermeal, will also grow alongside duckweed. Watermeal is oval-shaped and about the size of a pinhead.
Why is Duckweed so hard to get rid of?
Due to the small size of duckweed, it can easily transfer from pond to pond from visitors such as ducks, geese, and swans. Even just a few small pieces of duckweed can multiply and overwhelm your waters. Each clover of duckweed can create a sister plant every 24 hours. Over 30 days, a single harmless duckweed can grow to over 1 billion individual plants.
Don’t be fooled by these weeds. When water temperatures drop in fall, you’ll notice that they mysteriously disappear. Duckweed and/or Watermeal will become dormant and sink to the pond’s floor when the water becomes cool. However, you’ll find them floating back to the surface in spring as water temperatures rise. So it’s not anything you can put off and hope the cold weather kills. Even though it will feel like duckweed magically appears, it will not magically disappear. Due to the incredible speed of growth, duckweed can become very difficult to manage.
What should I use to eliminate Duckweed?
The American-made aquatic herbicide Propeller helps you manage duckweed forming in your pond. Nominated as a leader in its class, ultra-powerful Propeller Herbicide™ destroys weeds and algae fast so that you can enjoy your pond now.
Easily eliminate duckweed, watermeal, milfoil, algae and so much more to enjoy a clean, healthy pond. Propeller’s fast action, whether you’re dealing with floating algae or severe subsurface weed growth, provides unrivaled rapid control without breaking the bank. This product is effective in slow-moving or quiescent waters.
You’ll love how simple it is to use Propeller™ aquatic herbicide. Just mix Propellor with water and Cygnet Surfactant additive so it stays where its applied. Some huge perks include the quick dissipation within the water column, and no accumulation in the pond sediment.
Order online at organicpond.com and it will be quickly shipped right to your door, across the continental United States. There’s no need to find or drive to a store and spend needless time searching for the proper duckweed treatment.
Finally, keep in mind that if there are any nearby ponds with duckweed or watermeal, it is possible for re-infestation at some point due to the transfer from animals. If you find any new growth, make sure to treat the growth immediately.
How can I help my pond thrive after killing Duckweed?
When treating your pond to eliminate weeds or algae, it's important to note that decaying organic matter consumes oxygen. The lack of oxygen can affect your pond’s ecosystem and risk killing any fish you have. Always treat in sections unless you are just spot treating small areas.
Vertex Aerators maintain the oxygen levels in your pond, and help keep your fish alive and well. Organic Pond always provides free advice, and would be delighted to provide more detail on how an aerator can improve the health of your pond and save you money over the long-term.
Jim Selke, the owner of Organic Pond, is full of passion and care for his customers and community. It’s a cornerstone of his ethos at Organic Pond. Based in the heart of the lakes area in Michigan’s Oakland County, he is dedicated to helping Homeowners, Property Managers, Businesses, Commercial Contractors, Municipalities & Military Bases with their pond care needs. For a no-obligation diagnosis and advice, email jim@organicpond.com or call (888) 986-9995.