I have questions concerning the use of Barley Bales to control algae growth. How well do they work & how long till it makes a noticeable difference. I first heard of useing them several years ago at my local golf course. The owner had put 4 of them in a 1/2 acre pond at the course. When I seen them I asked about them & he said it was to contol algae growth but it took along time to do any good. He also said regular hay bales would work but that would take even longer.By regular I mean timothy,alfalfa or clover.Does anyone here know much about useing regular hay bales in place of Barley Bales. I have access to all the regular hay bales I would ever need for free but to get Barley Bales I would have to invest quite a bit of $.Does the age of the bales matter? I have bales that are anywhere from 2-8 years old & they are all the big round bales.Does the rotting of the older bales make a big difference? The bales do decompose after you put them in the pond anyway do they not? I have some that are well docomposed already & some that are not decomposed hardly at all.

Dan B