Pond: doomed? (blanket weed)

 

Our pond contracted blanket weed a few years ago and we've been fighting
it ever since.  

This Spring it looks more aggressive than ever, thickly coating every
surface. Is it time to consider throwing the whole lot - liner and all -
away?  

If so: when's the best time?  Obviously after the tadpoles have
disappeared, but then wait until the "Back End"?  And save _nothing_?

Cheers
John

 

In article <lalaw44-F3222F.11001923042010@surfnet-
nl.ipv4.ptr.145.109.196.x.invalid>, lalaw44@hotmail.com says...

Something is making the water very fertile, unless you figure out what
the same thing will happen to your new pond.

You can buy gizmos to rake out blanket weed which if you do it often
enough will eventually curb it as each time its removed some fertility
goes with it, check there is no run off from surrounding land, remove and
replant all the plants in clean gravel not soil and top up only with rain
water, all will help
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

 



"John L"  wrote ...

Yes, it happens to almost every pond to some extent. Made worse by topping
up with tap water (that contains nitrates), fertiliser washing into the pond
and planting up pond plants in normal fertile garden soil.
I usually find it bad at this time of year but it goes away as the normal
pond plants start to grow well.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

 

wrote:


The blanket weed (and any other algae in the pond) is being fed by
nitrate in the water, just as any other green plant needs nitrate
fertiliser. As others have said, this can come from several sources.
One not mentioned is food given to goldfish. Goldfish crap contains
ammonia, which is converted to nitrate by bacteria in the pond. Excess
food is also ends up as nitrate. It is quite possible to manage a pond
without getting masses of blanket weed, so long as you are aware of,
and minimise, sources of nitrate. Avoid feeding goldfish, and don't
use ordinary garden soil for planting marginal plants in.

--
 
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

 



No fish.  It's a small pond (12' by 4', 2' deep max).  

Maybe it's the considerable sludge in there: I installed it perhaps 10
years ago,and I've never cleared it out (because I don't like the look
of the liner, and anyway I thought pond sludge was "good").  And also
you need to sort sludge from creatures, if you do clean it out.

useful advice so far though: thanks.

John