Algae Control

Question:
Help with pond and summer algae?
I have a 2 acre pond surrounded by mostly trees red (swamp maples) and the pond is mostly fed by runoff at the bottom of a hill, the pond was built in a swampy area (there are a number of seeps in the area, so it is fed by seasonal seeps/springs also) I usually have overflow for 4 to 5 months of the year of at least 10 gpm (more when it rains)...

The trouble I have is in July/August when there is no overflow and I lose from evaporation 3 to 4 feet of water level and the pond develops green algae, I am aware of using barley straw to control the algae, Is there any other methods to help?


Answer:
There are several products made by Microbe-lift that will keep your water clear. I have used many of them and they all work well.  I would start with Microbe-Lift Sludge and then use Microbe lift PL after that.

Keeping mosquitoes away

Question:
Hi. I have a small outdoor fountain. I'm not home a lot of the time, so I don't want it to run continuously. Where I live, Louisiana, we have a lot of mosquitoes, and I'm afraid the standing water will attract them. Does anyone know how I can keep the mosquitoes away without harming birds? Someone told me to use a small amount of bleach, but I'm worried about the birds. Thanks for any help!!

Answer:
There's a product called Mosquito Dunks. Safe for everything and gets rid of all mosquitoes. You can get it at your nursery or maybe even a big box store.

Pond installation cost

Question:
What does a 25 by 25 pond cost if put in by a professional?


Answer:
Somewhere between $20,000 and $25.000, depending on where you live and what jobsite problems might be encountered.

Pond Chemicals

Question:
I use Interpet also know as Blagden chemicals in my pond. I just wanted to know whether I can use several of them at a time, like can I use chlorinate when I refill my pond then also add some plant fertilizer (flora boast)?

Answer:
You need no chemicals in your pond except dechlor to remove the chlorine. Never ever put chlorine in it. It will kill the plants and fish. If you have an algae bloom, you can use an enzyme - Microbe Lift PL if need be. If you fertilize too much at once, your pond will turn green.


Growing Lotus

Question:

I have a water lotus that is rooted and growing in still water but I am wanting to add running water that will agitate the water around my lotus plant. Will this water movement disturb the plants growth? I know plants like the water lily do not do good with water movement.

Thanks

Answer:

Neither lotus nor water lilies like moving water. If you can put the lotus far away from the moving water, you will be OK.

Floating plants

Question:
Are there any plants that float entirely on the water,with roots hanging down?(except duckweed & water sprite)?

Answer:
Mosaic is one. Parrots feather can float without soil as well. Certainly water lilies and lotus need to be in pots or in soil.

How to get a pond clear fast!

Question:
My pond has been murky for about a month now. We put algae killer in but it is still the same. we have fish and frogs in there. what can we do to make it really clear and FAST ?

Answer:
To get your pond clear FAST, you can rig up a quick filter. Put a large plastic pot on top of something in your pond. Be sure it is out of the water. I have used a lawn chair. Put 4" of foam rubber in the bottom of the pot. Run the hose from the pump into the pot. Hold it down with a brick. Be ready to clean the foam rubber every couple of hours or when the water spills over the top of the pot. Your water will be clear in about 48 hours.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

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Swimming Pool Liner

Question:
Can i make a pond with pool liner?
I bought a 12'x12' pool last year and now it's in the basement put away -
those inflatable pools
Can I reuse it to build a 8'x4' pond with this same liner?
I'll put those rolls you have to put before the liner also.
So do you think it will work? Like I wouldn't see why not and how long would it last? How long would a normal pond liner last?

Answer:
They get brittle when exposed to the sun usually within 2 years. Use a butyl rubber liner - they come with at least a 20 year guarantee. You could use your pool liner for your underlayment.

Concrete pond problems

Question:
How do I keep pond water from going away?
I cement the pond with 3 layers and Im not going to do another one. I have 2 roots in there that I cemented, but Im not sure if there taking in water still. I have 2 layers of brown paint in there and still, the water keeps going away. Help please.


Answer:
Concrete is awful material to use for a pond. It is just too brittle. You need butyl rubber and not bought from a big box store. Google pond liners and have it shipped to you. It will be less than the retail stores sell it for. I would break out your concrete first tho so water does not get trapped between the new liner and the old concrete. And use an underlayment to protect your liner. Roofing felt works very well.

Taro

Question:
I think these plants are like little elephant ears. I need help?
I dont know what they are called but they are little bulbs they looked like little elephant ears but they are red and maybe black? Dark purple, something like that. I would like to know what they are called and also when I should plant them... any help would be awesome, I'm only 21 and im not the best at gardening yet. Thanks


Answer:
It's taro. You can get it in dark dark almost black, striped, or solid green. I have them in the pond. They do have a tendency to jump out of the pond and travel far, so watch out.
The bulbs can be fermented and eaten as poi. Not by me, understand, but by many.
Plant them now if it's spring where you are, but they do come back after a winter....and back and back and back....

How to bid landscaping

Question:

How do I bid some landscaping?
I have some work that a friend wants me to do. He needs a couple flower beds put in with some brickpavers, top soil, and mulch. Should I bid by the square foot or figure out the cost of materials and then estimate the amount of hours it will take?

Answer:
Cost of materials +10%
Labor + costs of insurance and other benefits. Usually 35% of labor costs will cover that.
Other overhead: Cost of gasoline, truck insurance, office costs, paper, pens, computer, etc.
Any other costs included in the job.
Add it up and add at least 15% profit.
That should do it for you.

Natural Pond

Question:
How to revive my natural pond?
We purchased a house about 2 years ago. The people who lived here before us did not take care of the property and left the place in pretty bad shape. There is a natural pond in the back that is scummy, full of all kinds of plant life, and during the summer can be pretty stagnant. It is a large pond about 5500 sq ft. There are lots of frogs and turtles and toads in it but really no fish. It is natural so there is no liner concrete, rubber nothing, just a dirt bottom. The tributeries leading away from the pond dry up and are just a hunk of scum during late summer. We were told that the people before us rerouted waterways dealing with this pond, but we do not know for sure. We really have a lovely piece of property and would like our pond to be clean and pretty. What can I do to fix this problem? I have searched on the web and only found things dealing with man made rubber bottom or concrete ponds.

Answer:
Start by raking out all the old plant material. Wash it off and put back about half of it. After that, put in a floating pump to circulate the water. Plant around the edges with natural bog plants. If you put fish in, use goldfish only and do not feed them.

Growing calla lilies

Question:
How to grow calla lilies?
I'm going to try to grow some calla lilies this year...I already have the bulbs...and I was just wondering if you can give me some tips...

Answer:
Put them in the ground as soon as you can work it. They love filtered shade and even more love to have their feet wet. I use them in shade ponds when possible. The flowers are incredibly gorgeous. Good luck.

Pond pumps

Question:
Do I need a pump for a pond?
I am using it to grow lotuses, but I also want to add a few goldfish to it to make it more interesting. Would I need to buy a pump for the fish, or would the plants provide the oxygen needed?


Answer:
You don't need a pump for your pond. If you add goldfish, you must add submerged vegetation for them to eat, but never feed them anything else or the water will get foul. The submerged vegetation (anacharis, hornwort, cabomba) will add enough O2 for the fish.
Add a few mosquito fish to keep mosquitoes away.

Cal Pumps

Question:
Does a cal pond pump make noise when on?
We have a pond and bought a cal pump for the filtration of the pond and was wondering if we'd know that it was on. Does a cal brand pond pump make any noises, such as a running noise? Also, how do I work it? how to turn on, keep on, and how to get it working.

Answer:
Calpump makes one of the finest pond pumps. It makes no noise at all. You can feel it humming if you touch it, but that's it. To work it, drop it in the water, and plug it in. Hook it up to the hose you want it to pump water through before you put it in the water. I would use a prefilter to keep debris out of the impeller.

Koi and filters

Question:
Is it possible to turn a pool filter into a filter for my Koi pond?
I know i can't use the sand in it, I will take that out. What type of media should i use?



Answer:
Yes it's possible, even recommended. If you want to take it out, use lava rock, beads or bioballs instead.

Fishing pond

Question:
Can i put a pond in my backyard? (for fishing)?
hello. i live in ohio and i want to put a pond in my backyard but i want it for fishing. what can i do to have the pond without hitting any lines of pipes?

Answer:
It can be done, but it's not easy. First call your local utility company and have them mark where their wires and pipes are.
After that, find a local aquaculture place and ask for help as far as how deep it has to be, and what you can stock successfully, etc. Usually a local community college can help as well. Another resource is your local extension service.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at  Gardeners  Gumbo

Wetland Gardens

Question:

How do I create a wetland garden?

We live on a lake in Michigan and I want to start planning a wetland garden. We have an area by the lakeshore that is always mushy, so I'd like to embrace mother nature and plant a wetland garden in this area that will look better than muddy grass. And I would hope this area would improve drainage in my yard. How much maintenance does this type of garden require? What mulch or other bedding material would be best? The area is probably 30 ft long by 5-8 feet.

Answer:

Here's an article I wrote about building a bog garden.

http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/bog_garden.html

In Michigan, my home state, I would use cattails and hardy rushes. Drainage would indeed be improved and the area would look nice. Maintenance would be very little. I mulch mine a couple times a year.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at  Gardeners  Gumbo

Ponds and pumps

Question:
Is it possible to have 2 ponds running off 1 filter & 1 pump?
i want to add a second pond ,but i would like to know if it is possible to use just 1 filter & 1 pump ? if so how do i do it or do i need to use 2 pumps & 2 filters i should also say that i want to run a waterfall flowing down into the bottom pond from the top 1 any info would be much appreciated many thanks

Answer:
I suppose it is possible. You would have to use an inline (out of the water) pump and somewhere in the hose put a Y so each pond could have water moving. To get two waterfalls, you would need a HUGE inline pump, but they are made, I know. You could use one bead filter that was also out of the water. You are looking at lots of dollars. It would be cheaper to use two pumps, I think.
That idea of having one pond flow into another one is very very difficult to do. I built ponds for 20 years and when doing that sort of thing, I made each pond a separate entity, each with its own pump/waterfall.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at Gardeners Gumbo

Oxygenating grasses

Question:
Can you plant just regular grass seed in a fish pond? Will it grow? Will it take oxygen from the fish?
I own some land in which I have started building a fish pond. If the grass doesn't grow, is there a special type of underwater grass to use?


Answer:
Regular grass will not grow in water. Use anacharis, hornwort or cabomba and your fish will love you. All three give O2 to the fish and they, in turn, fertilize them.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at Gardeners Gumbo