I just bought a home with a pool. The neighbors' tree branches over the pool. It doesn't look like the pool has been opened in a year and a half. Vacuuming and skimming have yielded...leaves...lots of leaves. I'm curious as to whether leaves are simply a nuisance or if they can cause algae or help algae grow? I don't want my first order of business to ask the neighbor if I can trim the tree, but I will if I have to.
Do leaves in the pool create or help Algae grow?
- Thread starter Ace7211
- Start date
Any organic material left in the pool will consume your chlorine and, when the chlorine gets too low, algae is next.
I don't think the tree creates any algae problems. My maple tree is about 25 feet tall and overhangs about 1/4 of the pool. I get plenty of leaves and things dropping from the tree into the pool. You just have to keep the skimmer basket clean and vacuum a little more.
All in all I love having the shade in the later afternoon.
All in all I love having the shade in the later afternoon.
- May 3, 2007
- 16,842
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
After the initial kill and oxidation, organic debris basically inert. Otherwise, I would need to clean my filter more than once per year as there are plenty of leaves and dead worms in there. 
However, staining could still be a problem.
However, staining could still be a problem.
1. Leaves (and other stuff that trees drop) are a nuisance
2. They won't directly cause or help algae grow, but like duraleigh stated, they will cause a little chlorine to be consumed, so you'll have to use a little more to keep it up at algae-prevention levels
3. Leaves can help algae to "hide" from chlorine, too, so you'll want to remove them through skimming, vacuuming or manually catching them
I love my leaf-dropping, acorn-dropping, twig-dropping oak that shades the pool and yard; the droppings in the pool are a nuisance, but the positives outweigh the negatives for me.
2. They won't directly cause or help algae grow, but like duraleigh stated, they will cause a little chlorine to be consumed, so you'll have to use a little more to keep it up at algae-prevention levels
3. Leaves can help algae to "hide" from chlorine, too, so you'll want to remove them through skimming, vacuuming or manually catching them
I love my leaf-dropping, acorn-dropping, twig-dropping oak that shades the pool and yard; the droppings in the pool are a nuisance, but the positives outweigh the negatives for me.