Review: Envii Pond Products

Problems our newly renovated pond was the perfect opportunity to test out Enviii’s Pond Products

There’s nothing quite like water to add tranquillity to a garden and it’s a great way to draw in beneficial wildlife.

However, get the water balance wrong and what you end up with is not a beautifully clear, reflective pool but one where plants and wildlife are choked by weed.

Sometimes this is brought in unwittingly on plants. It can also be caused by a chemical imbalance, especially in ponds that have been newly filled with tap water.

I was given the products in return for a fair and unbiased review.

We’ve always had a pond but after several decades it was well past its best. The liner was leaking, some marginal plants were out of control and sludge levels were rising.

So, the decision was made to start again. The hardest part was clearing what was already in there, salvaging as much of the wildlife as possible and some of the better plants.

The weed and snails were stored in an old dustbin filled with water from the pond and the plants went in an old wheelbarrow with water.

Bailing out the rest was the only option and it took some time. The frogs were not prepared to wait and several mornings running we found they had reoccupied what was by then only inches of water.

The pond had originally been designed with small children in mind so was raised and had an iron grid that fitted on top. That could now be removed as they’re well past the drowning stage. We also decided to invest in a custom-made liner that fitted the shape exactly.

At first, all seemed to go well. We refilled the pond, put back the plants, water snails and weed and admired our now clear and non-leaky water feature.

However, it wasn’t long before problems began. First the water went green and then we realised blanket weed was beginning to spread.

Now, in the past, we’ve used barley straw to sort it and it’s worked. This time, it had no effect.

So, when Envii suggested trialling some of their products the obvious choice was some of their pond treatments.

The firm prides itself on producing products that are organic and safe for fish – something that was important given the amount of wildlife that uses the pond.

I sent them photos of the problem and they worked out which products would be the best to try.

The first thing we used was the Pond Equaliser, which worked rapidly to restore the balance of the water.

Equally effective was the Sludge Klear. This uses naturally occurring bacteria to get rid of the problem.

Finally, we tried the Algae Klear Xtra, which is designed to tackle submerged blanket weed and string algae. Again, it was easy to use – the most difficult part was working out the volume in the pond. The liquid is diluted in pond water using the measuring cap. The solution is then watered into the pond, paying particularly attention to the edges where the blanket weed tends to gather.

The treatment takes effect within three or four days and we certainly noticed a difference. If the problem is not completely solved, you can repeat the process and we had to. However, two doses on, we now have beautifully clear water.

We’re happy and so are the frogs.

You can find out more about Envii pond products here. Algae Klear Xtra is £17.99-£89.99. Sludge Klear is £13.49-£23.49. Pond Equaliser is £13.49-£26.99.

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