Blagdon 250ml Barley Straw Extract – Natural Algae Treatment for your Pond

What customers say about Blagdon 250ml Barley Straw Extract – Natural Algae Treatment for your Pond?

1. 14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

   
   A Helping Hand, 17 April 2011

   By 

   S. Thomas –
   
     
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: Blagdon 250ml Barley Straw Extract – Natural Algae Treatment for your Pond (Garden & Outdoors)

   I have a fairly small pond in my garden, designed purely for wildlife – we have cats that would like to have a takeaway in their back garden, so ruled out adding any fish. As such, I suspect that the pond is at the easy-to-maintain end of the spectrum, albeit it is situated close to a walnut tree and therefore needs attention of one sort or another fairly regularly. Even though I stocked the pond up with lots of oxygenating plants and kept the water moving, we did end up with green water and some blanket weed, which was particularly bad when the pond was new.

   For the first couple of years after installation, I tried barley straw; firstly the logs and then in a reusable ball. Both methods of application seemed to make a difference although it didn’t happen overnight. I decided to try barley straw extract because it seemed a much more convenient means of application and, in such a small pond, less intrusive as well.

   The liquid extract is very easy to use, particularly as the bottle has a very handy integral measure that enables fairly exact measurement of doses (as long as you know how much water you’ve got in your pond). I tried one of the small bottles first, partly as I had no idea of the capacity of the pond initially or how well it would work. I now tend to purchase the 1 litre bottle as it usually offers best value although, as always, it is an idea to check for special deals on the smaller ones as well.

   I think the extract worked better than the actual barley straw, although I suspect part of the improvement in water quality has been down to the pond becoming more established and balanced itself. The pond seems to stay healthier when the extract is being added; it deteriorates if I miss a treatment.

   Overall, I would say that the pond is fairly healthy; dragonflies breed there every year and the water is lovely and clear. Oxygenating plants and moving water will have played their part but I think the barley straw extract has helped to maintain clarity. Whilst I don’t think it is a miracle worker it is certainly worth trying in conjunction with oxygenating plants if you have green water or blanket weed.

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2. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

   
   A Helping Hand, 17 April 2011

   By 

   S. Thomas –
   
     
   
     
   
     

   I have a fairly small pond in my garden, designed purely for wildlife – we have cats that would like to have a takeaway in their back garden, so ruled out adding any fish. As such, I suspect that the pond is at the easy-to-maintain end of the spectrum, albeit it is situated close to a walnut tree and therefore needs attention of one sort or another fairly regularly. Even though I stocked the pond up with lots of oxygenating plants and kept the water moving, we did end up with green water and some blanket weed, which was particularly bad when the pond was new.

   For the first couple of years after installation, I tried barley straw; firstly the logs and then in a reusable ball. Both methods of application seemed to make a difference although it didn’t happen overnight. I decided to try barley straw extract because it seemed a much more convenient means of application and, in such a small pond, less intrusive as well.

   The liquid extract is very easy to use, particularly as the bottle has a very handy integral measure that enables fairly exact measurement of doses (as long as you know how much water you’ve got in your pond). I tried one of the small bottles first, partly as I had no idea of the capacity of the pond initially or how well it would work. I now tend to purchase the 1 litre bottle as it usually offers best value although, as always, it is an idea to check for special deals on the smaller ones as well.

   I think the extract worked better than the actual barley straw, although I suspect part of the improvement in water quality has been down to the pond becoming more established and balanced itself. The pond seems to stay healthier when the extract is being added; it deteriorates if I miss a treatment.

   Overall, I would say that the pond is fairly healthy; dragonflies breed there every year and the water is lovely and clear. Oxygenating plants and moving water will have played their part but I think the barley straw extract has helped to maintain clarity. Whilst I don’t think it is a miracle worker it is certainly worth trying in conjunction with oxygenating plants if you have green water or blanket weed.

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3. 9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

   
   A Helping Hand, 17 April 2011

   By 

   S. Thomas –
   
     
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: Blagdon 1000ml Barley Straw Extract – Natural Algae Treatment for your Pond (Garden & Outdoors)

   I have a fairly small pond in my garden, designed purely for wildlife – we have cats that would like to have a takeaway in their back garden, so ruled out adding any fish. As such, I suspect that the pond is at the easy-to-maintain end of the spectrum, albeit it is situated close to a walnut tree and therefore needs attention of one sort or another fairly regularly. Even though I stocked the pond up with lots of oxygenating plants and kept the water moving, we did end up with green water and some blanket weed, which was particularly bad when the pond was new.

   For the first couple of years after installation, I tried barley straw; firstly the logs and then in a reusable ball. Both methods of application seemed to make a difference although it didn’t happen overnight. I decided to try barley straw extract because it seemed a much more convenient means of application and, in such a small pond, less intrusive as well.

   The liquid extract is very easy to use, particularly as the bottle has a very handy integral measure that enables fairly exact measurement of doses (as long as you know how much water you’ve got in your pond). I tried one of the small bottles first, partly as I had no idea of the capacity of the pond initially or how well it would work. I now tend to purchase the 1 litre bottle as it usually offers best value although, as always, it is an idea to check for special deals on the smaller ones as well.

   I think the extract worked better than the actual barley straw, although I suspect part of the improvement in water quality has been down to the pond becoming more established and balanced itself. The pond seems to stay healthier when the extract is being added; it deteriorates if I miss a treatment.

   Overall, I would say that the pond is fairly healthy; dragonflies breed there every year and the water is lovely and clear. Oxygenating plants and moving water will have played their part but I think the barley straw extract has helped to maintain clarity. Whilst I don’t think it is a miracle worker it is certainly worth trying in conjunction with oxygenating plants if you have green water or blanket weed.

   0

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   Was this review helpful to you? 
   

   
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