Blanket weed / mint

[TonyG44]

Pond is now one year old, looking good, full of wildlife. (how minnows got in there is a mystery)
I have a lot of blanket weed growing, looked online and to treat it would cost £40. Is it ok / good to just leave and pull it out daily? The newts hide in it so I don't want to get rid of all of it.
Also what is your views on mint, it's spread rapidly I have pulled some out but I understand wildlife don't like it
Cheers

 

[Lisak1]

Oh my! It's lovely!

By blanket weed do you mean the stuff that clings tightly to the rocks? Or the stuff you can scoop out by the net-full, floating freely in the pond? In either case, it's doing good things for your pond. If it feels overgrown and you can remove it by hand or with a net, go ahead. Otherwise, I'd leave it be.

As for mint - I have a bit growing here and there in and around the yard (I try to keep it under control so it doesn't completely take over) and so far none of the little critters that live in my yard seem to care one bit. Chipmunks, rabbits, bird, frogs... doesn't stop any of them.

 

[rubyduby]

Your pond is great! I love to see ponds set up so that the wildlife can access it easily As far as mint goes, nothing seems to touch it here in Florida...Everything else I have in and around my pond is nibbled on EXCEPT for the mint. So you can safely come to the conclusion that it is not contributing to the food chain but if rooted in the pond it will help control the algae situation...

 

[poconojoe]

I have noticed in the Spring that everything in the pond gets covered with that growth. It mostly goes away once the plants, filter and beneficial bacteria wake up after a cold Winter.

It's actually a good sign. Nature puts that stuff there to protect your pond until everything else wakes up.

As for the mint, I'm guessing you are talking about aquatic mint?
Some like it some don't. Some say it's too invasive. I like it and don't find it invasive. It may be due to climate. Maybe it can get invasive in the warmer climates. Growing in an area with cold winters may keep it in check.