Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization Stop Fertilizing due to FA?

Here's a thread that specifies a good alkalinity:

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=129424

You can use a swimming pool test kit. The reason I mentioned lime is some ponds need liming before fertilizer will take - don't know if your pond falls into that category but it's certainly looking like a possibility. Maybe it has low alkalinity and therefore is not responding well to the fertilizer.

The FA has seemed to vanish. I guess the Cutrine worked. The water still has 48" of clarity and there is a new type of plant growing on the bottom in places. It has a thin stem and tiny leaves that grow to the surface. It doesnt seem very threatening.

Should I resume fertilizing at this late date? The geese have left as well since I quit feeding. Things are looking up I think.

YES! fertilize it will help to get a bloom before goign into the fall.

Are you still considering liming, Mark? If I remember correctly your alkalinity is 50 or lower, which is not critically low, but is well below the ideal range of 75-200. The fertilizer would take much better if you limed. I know you were having a problem finding someone in your area to apply it; normally the co-op would do that but you evidently have an uncooperative co-op...

Walt those numbers are for aquaculture. We have great fertilization when getting alkalinity above 20 ppm, when below 15 ppm difficult.

He's already fertilized two or three times in the past couple months, and has no bloom whatsoever. I was just trying to figure out what could be preventing a bloom from occurring, and that seemed to be the most logical answer as he's using good fertilizer and applying properly.

It is very common when starting a fertilization program to not get results. I do not trust pool kits b/c margin for error is to great. We use a digitial tirator or you need to send to lab, could be alkalinity but not if greater than 20 ppm I feel.

Good info, thanks Greg. So if Mark used a pool kit, it could have been as much as 30 ppm off? That would certainly explain a lot.

I guess I'm spoiled in that most of the ponds I've fertilized in the past were old phosphate pits and they always bloomed the first application unless it was in March.

Glad to hear things are looking up Mark... Could you get a photo of your new pond plant that's popping up? I guess the geese leaving is a good thing, unless you were planning on hunting them next month. Are you seeing any doves around your plantings for them?

the geese hung around messing the pond up until almost hunting season. Now they are gone. Figures. i am going to start the feeder up again soon so we will see if they come back.

The sorghum i planted is looking really good. It is just beginning to turn red and ripen. I'm not sure if it will be ready to cut by labor day but it wont be long after that. A farmer is going to cut it with a hay bine and roll it so it should really spread the seeds on nice bear ground. If it works out And doves come in you will have to come up.

I just saw where we have a full bear season this year in our county. There are a ton of bears here. This should be fun!

I'd love to do a dove hunt or two... My friend lives in Warren County, we're going to try to kill a bear or two he's been getting on his game camera.

I know this is the wrong thread but does anyone know what this plant is? It has appeared since the the FA died. Is it friend or

It looks like American Pondweed...

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/submerged_plants/american_pondweed.htm

IMHO it's a good pond plant. It is native, isn't overly invasive, it's not thick so bass can effectively forage in it and it's great cover. Ducks also feed on it and its seeds.

Thanks. That's good. I am glad to see plants starting to take hold and an ecosystem develop. I will keep you posted on dove hunting. Maybe we can get a couple good shoots in next month.

My dad said he's got a good number of doves coming in to a couple of the wheat fields by his house in eastern VA. I've heard VA doesn't hit its peak in dove numbers until December. Dove hunting is definitely fun!

I guess it depends on where you are and what crops are being harvested. Once deer season begins it is hard to get guys to hunt doves.

Yeah, this is true... By December I am often about deer burned out. Sometimes something different is a nice change of pace. But with dove hunting, you really need more than one or two guys to get the birds up and flying to have much luck IME.

Applied fertilizer for 4th time since july yesterday. Still no bloom. Clarity is 5'. All the FA is gone though and there is a great mix of fish and sizes. Noticed quite a few schools of small minnows. I wonder if the FH still spawn this late in the year? They did not seem to be LMB or BG.

Who supplied you must have bad fertilizer, haha. keep after it. On vacation so might not get to check this but feel to send us a water sampel to check the alkalinity.

Yes Fh will continue to spawn as long as temp stays up, probably one more spawn I will guess in your area.

Greg,

What is the best way to send you a sample? Clarity was down to 4' from 5' this morning and there are 3 less geese to feed also. 2 flocks came in 15 minutes apart right before feeder was st to go off. Maybe the fish will get some now. Have a good vacation.

mb