Duckweed or Lemna minor is a very small, free-floating plant with three 0.06 “- 0.125” long leaves known as fronds and a hair-like root. They make stagnant or slow-moving water as their habitat. Its fast-spreading attribute results in massive pond coverage. Given their ideal conditions, they can grow exponentially in just a few days. Therefore, this is a threat that must be managed. So, before finding its ways of prevention, it is necessary to understand the cause of its growth.
Introducing duckweed into a pond
The introduction of duckweed is unknown to the human eye. Large ponds and small man-made lakes are most affected by duckweed. Since the water is relatively stagnant in both, it settles and is quite difficult to get rid of. Visiting waterfowl leave because duckweed sticks to their feathers and legs.
The presence of excessive nutrients and sunlight are the other two main causes behind the noticeable growth of duckweed. While the penetration of sunlight can be controlled to some extent, what can be done essentially is limiting the level of nutrients in the pond.
Duckweed control and prevention
The elimination of duckweed can be done using aquatic herbicides in the appropriate proportion. But this shouldn’t be your first step. As a preliminary step, you should always opt for a manual removal. You can use a pond skimmer or pond net and remove as many weeds as you can. If possible, do this activity on a windy day because the plants (which you want in your pond) will be compressed on one side and you will be able to get a lot out. Once you’ve done this part, it’s time to take the next step to prevent your future growth:
1. Installing a fountain
As already mentioned above, the reason for its growth is stagnant water and to curb this threat, install a simple fountain. There are mainly two benefits to having one in your garden pond:
A. Stirs the surface of the water: the fountain breaks the stagnation of the water and makes it difficult for the weed to spread and survive.
B. Water oxygenation: In a pond, there are two types of algae: aerobic and anaerobic. The aerobic is a healthy algae and one of its main tasks is to remove excess nutrients from the water, the food on which duckweed thrives.
2. Bubble aerator installation
A bubble aerator is good for eliminating duckweed infestations and keeping your pond healthy. Provides shallow agitation and deep aeration in a large lake or body of water. So if your pond sees a lot of commercial or agricultural runoff, the healthy algae produced by the bubble aerator will fight back.
3. Add koi or herbivorous carp to the pond
One of the most recommended solutions for the control of duckweed is the addition of these aquatic herbivores. They love duckweed and will consume it as their main food source.
Four. Chemical removal
Fluridone is a very effective long-term solution.
Therefore, duckweed prevention and control is not possible with just one method. You must use the above-mentioned solutions together to see effective results. Therefore, these control measures will prevent your pond from turning green.