Barley straw is sprouting!

[SteveW]

I decided to try some barley straw in my pond to help with the green algae.
I have a filter (a la Skippy) and run the outlet back to the pond via a small commercial cascade - about 8" deep, 18" x 24" - just big enough to take a roll of barley in a net.
I placed it in the water flow last Monday and covered most of it with a flat rock, just to keep it from floating away or being blown out of the cascade. I checked it today and noted it has sprouted several long green strands of, I presume, barley.
Should I remove the growing shoots, let it go or remove the whole thing?
Thanks for any suggestions

 

[slick]

Im not a big fan of barley straw, I use clover leaf I added it to the pond last year to control blanket weed and I haven't seen it since do you have pond plants to control the nutrients left as a by product of the bio filter? I don't as I built a koi pond with no shelfs plants etc so I run a 55watt uv and for me this works but mayer and I think addy have beautiful cler water using mother nature bog gardens( pond plants)

 

[callingcolleen1]

it could just be seeds that fell into pond from the trees, I would just pull the sprouts out or wait and see what they turn into. They should not hurt the water, but if they bother you just pull them out like weeds.

 

[slick]

Correct I didn't know if if if the pond has over hanging plant life or the barley straw had some type of wild seeds in it when it was packed for shipping

 

[SteveW]

Thanks for the suggestions.
As a result of what you said, I compared the new leaves to photos of young barley shoots and it looks a lot like barley! No overhanging trees/shrubs, by the way.

Funny enough, just the other week my wife commented on an old habit of mine about not believing things were dead until I said so; she called it the Lazarus effect. At that time she was referring to a few pond plants which looked like they had seen better days. I refused to believe they were dead and moved them about a bit and they bloomed again.
Strange this should happen to an apparently dead bale of barley straw. She was the first to remind me of bringing things back from the dead. It was both timely and spooky.
I usually use this excuse for not repairing my car or broken items around the house!
How about you guys, does this excuse work for you?
Steve

 

[callingcolleen1]

Well I pretty much do most of the stuff around my house, hubby works out of town a lot, although he is getting a little better at helping me in yard these days. I have to start a big project and then he usually gets excited and starts helping when he can.

I got some dead looking plants in front flower garden that I was going to pull but now I am starting to see some signs of life.

So now that you got barley sprouting I hear they are good in salads! !