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Watermeal
 Wolffia, Commonly called watermeal, are aquatic plants that resemble specks of green cornmeal floating on the water. Watermeal species are free-floating thalii, green or yellow-green, and without roots.
Watermeal is a cousin to Duckweed, and can be a very prolific grower if the conditions are favorable. Factors such as the use of lawn fertalizers close to the pond can trigger infestations if the fertalizer gets into the water. Other factors such as septic systems and abundances of trees being around the pond can also cause high elevations of the nutrients that Duckweed and Watermeal thrive on.
There are "quick fixes" that can bring a watermeal infestation under control with chemicals, but keep in mind there is a bit of science to it, for example, if your pond doesn't overflow more than a couple times per season, White Cap may be a solution, whereas if your pond is like mine, and is fed by creeks, and oveflows into creeks, it will require a whole different approach.
I urge everyone who finds this website on their quest for pond answers, to contact me before buying any of our products. Our team will take all of the factors into consideration and offer you a solution that caters to your individual pond and pond problem.
3 Step Process
Just because your pond is green, does not indicate an algae problem. Every day, many pond owners mistake watermeal infestations as being algae infestations and become frustrated when over-the-counter algaecides fail to rid their ponds of the green invaders. Telling Algae from Watermeal is pretty simple; Algae is microscopic and looks like green slime, Watermeal looks like green cornmeal.
What very few people understand is that watermeal and duckweed infestations are a "symptom" of larger problems. These infestations are commonly found in smaller ponds because only deeper, larger ponds can "turn over". Turning over is essential for ponds because it releases the nutrients and gasses that are trapped at the bottom of the pond that come from decaying plant and animal matter. The trapped nutrients and gasses are what duckweed and watermeal thrive on.
We have found that the very best way of getting rid of watermeal is a 3 step process. Remember that especially with ponds the saying "one size fits all" couldn't be farther from the truth! Every pond is unique from the next and there are many variables associated with a ponds geographical location, local weather conditions, watershed, pond ages, depths, and water chemistry. That being said the following plan would be the average prescription for a watermeal and duckweed infested pond:
1. Calculate exact acreage and depths to properly design a complete pond aeration system. An aeration system should turn over the complete volume of water in the pond at least once every 24 hours. Properly designing the aeration system with the correct type and size of compressor is just as crucial as diffuser placement.
2. Implement a nutrient reduction program by changing your land use practices around the pond; by applying natural bacteria to eat up decaying organic matter; or by physically removing the decaying organic matter from the pond.
3. Apply an appropriate aquatic herbicide to kill the watermeal that is present. Oftentimes aquatic herbicides are needed for the first 1-3 years to completely eliminate all of watermeal for the future of the pond.
We have created this website to not only educate pondowners about watermeal, but to provide them with the very best tools available for cleaning up their ponds and eliminating watermeal for good! We highly recommend Vertex Aeration Systems for aeration, White Cap for herbicide treatments, and Cygnet Bio Blend for nutrient reduction. Please feel free to CONTACT US with any questions you might have about your pond or any of these products
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