What is Blanket Weed: Your Questions Answered

What is blanket weed and why does it grow?

Also known as pondweed or ‘water silk’, Blanket weed is filamentous type of pond algae that forms a hairy green blanket across your garden pond, turning the water green along with it.

Ponds that are situated in an area that get a lot of sun are likely to be more problematic, however it can be brought to your pond by birds, insects or even blow in by the wind, and once it’s in there it quickly thrives.

High phosphate and nitrate levels along with waste created by organics in your pond such as fish waste, uneaten food, rotting leaves and plants can all add to the problem by providing a source of growth to the blanket weed, so regular pond maintenance to remove such elements can help.

Is blanket weed bad or harmful? Can it kill fish?

Blanket weed and the green pond water that comes with it doesn’t just look very unsightly, it is also bad because, though it doesn’t harm fish directly, it can cause them problems in many ways. Blanket weed can cause pond pumps and pond filters to block, especially in fishponds where there are a lot of fish, which leads to a build-up of fish waste and creates an unhealthy environment. Other blanket weed related problems include fish becoming tangled in the weed and not being able to back out, and low oxygen levels due to large quantities of algae.

How to control, reduce, or remove blanket weed – which blanket weed treatment is the best?

The best way to control blanket weed is, firstly, to keep on top of it. It is unlikely to go away on its own and can become a major job if not dealt with – treat it and maintain it.

A Blanket Weed Remover Brush can be useful to remove excessive strands of blanket weed, these come with an extendable handle to provide a longer reach, and by using these to remove as much as possible will reduce the amount that is going to end up in your filter when you apply the Blanket Weed Treatment (Blanket weed killer) to get rid of any that remains, as once the treatment has killed it off it is often pushed into the filter where it will need to be removed, and you could be doing this for several days.

To stop blanket weed and other pond algae from taking over your pond, treatments should be used during the main season to keep it at bay, as they are best used as preventative methods rather than a cure.

If you’re in search of a more powerful solution to how to treat blanket weed, try an easy-to-install Electronic Blanket Weed Controller, which uses modern design and technology for long lasting and effective control of blanket weed.

For more information on pond algae maintenance in general, check out How to Control Pond Algae.