pool water for garden?

[Naughty]

Bought a little pool and wanted to reuse water later for my garden. Any ideas on how to keep algae out without making water toxic to my plants later?

 

[so lucky]

I use old copper pennies in my bird bath. They have to be the older ones; the new ones aren't copper. They don't stop algae altogether, just retard it.

 

[schmije]

Would there be anything wrong with using the water even if it had some algae in it?

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I don't think a little algae would hurt a thing. Don't waste the water. New chlorine may not be too good for some plants but it evaporates from the water pretty quickly. I'd use it.

 

[thistlebloom]

Barley balls keep excess algae out of ponds, I think you can get them from pool supply places. Maybe. Actually I've never bought them, so I'm not sure where you'd find them.

 

[Naughty]

Thanks for the help. was worried about chlorine too. The algae is a problem for swimming.... plus makes the bottom slippery.

 

[catjac1975]

Chlorine dissipates very rapidly. You can buy pool test strips, very cheap, and it will test the chlorine. When it's clear you can use it.

Thanks for the help. was worried about chlorine too. The algae is a problem for swimming.... plus makes the bottom slippery.

 

[desertlady]

add some fishies!! they love algae!

 

[NwMtGardener]

I have to chime in about the barley...i used barley pellets that i bought at Petco in a fountain water feature last year. NOT a good idea, for fountains or pools. I thought, mistakenly, that the barley would stay in pellet form. Nope. Turned into a mushy mix of dark brown oatmeal all through my fountain! Gross. The water was like soup for a few weeks, then did eventually clear up, with the barley sinking to the bottom, but i would never use it again.

 

[thistlebloom]

I have to chime in about the barley...i used barley pellets that i bought at Petco in a fountain water feature last year. NOT a good idea, for fountains or pools. I thought, mistakenly, that the barley would stay in pellet form. Nope. Turned into a mushy mix of dark brown oatmeal all through my fountain! Gross. The water was like soup for a few weeks, then did eventually clear up, with the barley sinking to the bottom, but i would never use it again.

I don't have a pond, but an acquaintance does and uses the balls, which aren't pellets, but an actual ball of barley stems all bundled up. She's satisfied with it, but that's as far as my knowledge on the subject goes.