How Pond Plants Help Control Algae

A factor that may make potential pond owners hesitant in making the investment is the amount of work and maintenance that the pond needs. It’s true, in order to be as clean as possible, a pond does take regular maintenance, but few people understand just how effective the addition of pond plants can be. If you’re wanting a quick chemical fix like an algaecide, those are available, but they’re not as effective or ecologically sound as pond plants are. Plus, the algae is bound to come back once the chemical wears off which in turn creates a dependence on the chemical, makes more work for you, and costs you more money in the long run. Planting various pond plants in and around your pond can help control algae naturally by effectively limiting the growth factors algae need to survive. It is a cost-effective way to create the naturally balanced pond you’ve always dreamed of.

To control algae, first understand the conditions that must be met in order for algae to thrive: sunlight, nutrients and low oxygen water. It stands to reason, then, that controlling the factors that allow algae to grow in turn controls algae.

Limit Exposure to Sunlight

Planting water lilies or lotus plants are a great way to shade your pond from the sun. These wide spreading plants have thick, broad green leaves and bright colorful flowers and are excellent at shading the pond from sunlight.  It is recommended that between 40% and 60% of the pond surface be covered in plants to effectively reduce algae growth. Lilies and Lotus are also efficient at reducing problematic nutrients that fuel algae.

Nutrient Starvation

Speaking of nutrients, algae need nutrients to survive and they get them from decaying fish waste, excess food and other organic waste that is left in a pond. This is where your hands-on maintenance comes in handy. Removal of big debris and organic waste helps your pond by leaving it free to control the small stuff that you can’t see. The use of pond plants will control nutrients, limiting what is available for the algae to consume. Marginals and submerged grasses are voracious consumers of nitrates and phosphates and will out-compete algae for them, effectively starving the algae.

Increase Oxygen

Since algae prefer stagnant, carbon dioxide rich environments, adding more oxygen to the pond will create an environment that is not conducive to algae growth. Through the addition of oxygenating grasses, like hornwort, additional oxygen can be added to the pond naturally, while also adding another level of defense against excess nutrients.

Controlling algae is done by limiting one or all three of the environmental conditions that must be met for algae to thrive in your pond. Fortunately, pond plants are nature’s cure and are an easy and attractive addition to any pond or water garden. A combination of lilies, marginals and grasses will make a pond cleaner and more ecologically balanced, grabbing eyes and attention all the more.