Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations water clarity

how much wheat straw should i add to a half acre pond and is it ok to add this time of year? and tecnique of distribution

sorry i should have stated that the water is very muddy but quality is good.

I think you mean barley straw. In last months pond boss magazine there was someone selling barley straw via ups. I would think 1 or 2 bales would sufice.

thx for your help, how do you spread it?

is this a new pond? ,if not you should first determined the cause. in any case, you want just feild hay to clear it up, 2-3$ a bale, barley is for algae control and not cheap. there are other ways, type in clearing muddy pond water on your search engine , theres tons of information.

thanx for your input. how do i spread it? do i spread like covering grass sead or in clumps ? and what water temp is too warm to use it?

Catch the wind right and start shaking the bales out along the shore line. The wind will spread it for you.

thanks for the info on spreading. how much should i spread for .5 acre pond? thx

i forgot to ask when is too late to spread straw so it is not to rot and effect o2

Ksnake - Is your pond new and why is it muddy? If the cause of water muddiness is not solved it will again soon be come murky again. Is the water gradually clearing? and how long has it been cloudy? Natural microcopical biological activity frequently clears pond gradually over time 3 - 6 wks.

Why are you using straw "hay" instead of lime, gypsum or alum? These chemicals will not add organic mater to pond bottom and they will also help bind the dissolved phosphorus which will feed algae when the water clears up.

Rotting organic matter of all kinds will always consume oxygen. This added material will eventually become added bottom "muck". Amount of organic material and water temperature are the two main factors. Warmer the water is, the less oxygen it can hold. More organic material consumes more oxygen.

Good hay works better than wheat straw. Hay produces a better bacterial growth which is the likely mechanism for clearing the water. Use 1 bale per 1/2 acre every 14 days. Do not apply it more than 4 times per year (4 bales per yr in your case). Bales can be broken up and scattered across surface OR break bale into 2" to 4" thick sections and stake each section along the shore line in shallow water. Personally I think the water clearing action from decaying hay will be better in areas of the pond that are shallow, and that receives the most oxygen and sunlight as compared to hay that sinks in deep water.

thank you for your reply , the pond is very old (was a farm pond )that is now in a subdivision
most of the pond is on my property but new constuction around it washs mud in when it rains. greg grimes installed a siphon drain for me and tested the water while he was there and said the quality was great except for clarity and that straw would help. he did an excellent job of installation.very nice guy.

I forgot to say that it is starting to clear after no rain and that I thought straw would be good since the water quality (alkalinity is good)
should i use lime or gypsum instead anyway?