Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization Fertilizer

Hey Greg, please hook me up with your dealer in my area. Heck I had a hard time just finding purina fish chow! Does your dealer sell fish food and other pond related items?

Read in some of your post about a land purchase in Kentucky............going to have a duck hole? to compliment your fish pond!

The duck hunting in my area this year was tough, we had a major flood to start the season off, our blind was 7 feet under water!

You can email me harned_s@bellsouth.net with the fertilizer info.

Thanks,
Scott

Hello,

I just got back from buying seeds for the backside of the pond and Island. I bought differnt clover, crimson and red and white. The guy at the supply house said to fertilize and lime it also, knowing our soil. He said the fertilizer this time of year is good for the pond.? My question is. Is there a fertilizer I can get that will kinda kill 2 birds with one stone bye spreading it with the spreader and have some hit the pond? if yes what type to look for to. Also I was thinking to lime it, could I use pelleted lime and if some washed in the pond I thought it might not be to bad either? These 2 questions before I do it, if anyone knows.

Joey, the guy may be right about the fertilizer and lime. However, I personally believe in soil samples from a reputable lab before I lime. That way you will know just how much lime you need. I don't believe in fertilizer unless it is needed. And, it may be needed. Have you done a sechi disk test to determine your visibility and water quality? I would recommend it.

Actually, I doubt that some fertilizer getting into the pond will hurt. That is, unless, you already have too much fertility.

Thanks Dave,

I did not do any testing on the pond mud or water. The lime and fertlizer was for places around the pond. I actually went and got one of my naibors who is a farmer, since retired but still knows his stuff. I am so happy I went to see him. He came over and took a look, first he wants to flatten things then he said it def needs lime and fertilizer. My question was would it hurt the pond.. I am getting the feeling any run off or the few pellets that do get in wont harm much. I bought pelleted lime and pelleted fertilizer at 17/17/17. I will see what happens, because its not actually for the pond but some of the land around it.

Fertilizer for the pond should not be added to the pond water in a manner where it comes in contact with the pond bottom mud. When it does it binds with the soil and is mostly lost as a method of increasing water fertility.

In addition the formula for pond fertilizer is usually different than balanced NPK grass/crop types. Water is usually missing one or two elements often P or K but not N. A common pond fertilizer is 0-46-0 and not 13-13-13.

My guess is most places in NC could use some lime. You County agent would know.

Thanks Ewest,

In the spring I intend on giving the regular pond fertilizers a try. I was just wondering if by me fertilizing the land around it, would it be a problem or kinka help in a round about way. I will keep the pelets away from the water as much as possable. I have areas that nothing grew and its because it needs lime and fertilizer so I really have to do it to get things to grow.

back on fertilization---i am about to begin fertilizing a new pond this spring--it is still filling--it may have some overflow in the winter when the winter spring kicks in but in the summer will be maintained by rainfall which probably means no outflow at all--i plan on starting slow on the fertilizer and trying to get visibility of around 2 to 2 1/2 ft. to be on safe side. the banks of my pond are fairly steep. does this sound like a good plan? also plan on using the water soluble. comments are welcome. thanks

All fertilizer is liquid soluble so I assume you are talking about liquid fertilizer. I've used it with excellent results. I put it in a cheap hand sprayer and sprayed it evenly out on the water.

I applyed my fertilizer about 10 days ago..something is happening but I dont know if its a bloom. Green floating slimy stuff and white/cream floating snot looking studd has appeared. This happened last year without fertilizer but it maybe thicker this year, I hope it dont get worse.

no dave--i was going to use the powder that can be broadcast and dissolves on contact---my understanding is that it is the least expensive and less chance of messing up with that type of fertilizer (based on ga. prices)--if either of these are wrong please let me know. i will not start until my water clears up some --new pond and is still muddy so i'd rather be safe than sorry. my neighbor uses liquid and mixes it then pours it out slowly as he paddles around his pond--he has had great success (according to him). he uses a golf ball nailed to a stick to measure his visibility. the post that followed your previous post is the sort of thing that scares me. again i don't anticipate much outflow of water in the summer if any so i plan on being careful. thanks

In my neighborhood, I don't recommend fertilizer because the results were disastrous. I tried it twice and it worked great. That is, until the DO crashes occurred. Be careful of that stuff.


BTW, without light penetration, I wouldn't expect much of a bloom. Has anyone done that successfully?

Dave
I have seen similar down here also. I have yet to get my feet wet in this aspect, but after some expert advice last weekend (Todd O. Dr. Anderson etc...) I am leaning towards Cottonseed meal or Rice bran. Have you tried an "organic" option? Dr. Anderson suggested small amounts as if you were hand feeding your pond. Possibly less chance of a diaster? Amaizing, the more I learn the less I seem to really know! Wonderfully humbling.

Before a fertilizer program is started I think it wise to have the water and soil tested. Next it should be determined if you need such a program by watching visibility for at least part of the spring/summer after any non-fertilizer limiting factors are removed ( like low alkalinity below 20 ppm or serious turbidity). Often in low alkalinity situations fertilizer is not needed. Once the lime is added then a bloom will start on its own. That means fertility (N,P K) was not a limiting factor. While that is going on read all you can about the subject. Here is a list of times/situations where you should not fertilize. PLEASE READ THIS AS IT CONTAINS SEVERAL IMPORTANT POND MGT.CONCEPTS like do you really want a bunch more small fish to manage !!!!! From http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1428.pdf page 16 starting :

When Not To Fertilize

Some ponds should not be fertilized. Here are some cases where this is true:

• Muddy ponds. Mud prevents sunlight from passing through the water. Plankton must have sunlight to grow. If a pond stays muddy most of the time, do not fertilize the pond until the mud problem is corrected.

• Ponds infested with trash fish. If undesirable fish dominate the pond, poison the pond, restock, and then begin fertilizing. Request Extension Publication 1954 for details on renovating farm ponds.

• Ponds infested with weeds. During warm months, pond weeds use up the fertilizer that the microscopic plants should get. Therefore, the pond stays clear even after repeated fertilizer applications.

• Ponds not fished heavily. Fertilizing a large pond is a waste of time and money if you fish it only occasionally. You just produce more fish that aren’t caught.

• Unbalanced fish population. If the bream population is overcrowded, it means there are not enough bass to keep the bream down. It would be foolish to fertilize if this condition exists. Request Extension Publication 1952 and Information Sheet 1479 for information on how to determine balance and to correct problem populations.

• Catfish ponds. It is not necessary to fertilize catfish ponds if a feeding program is followed. Where a commercial feeding program is not followed, fertilize in the same manner as for bream-bass ponds.

• Excessive water flow. In some spring-fed ponds, the volume of water flowing through the pond is too high to maintain adequate plankton blooms. In this case, fertilizer is constantly being diluted and will have little positive effect.

Important Points

• Continue fertilization program from year to year. Discontinuing a fertilization program will leave you worse off than if you had never started one.

• Improper fertilization, once or twice a year, is worse than no fertilization.

• If a bloom does not develop after four applications of fertilizer, check for lime requirements, excess water outflow, excessive weeds, or muddy water.

• Do not attempt to kill weeds by applying fertilizer.


This is one instance where I want everyone to please remember what Bill Cody tells us "It all Depends". Every and I mean every pond is different wrt this subject. Until one has experience with their pond and how it reacts to fertilizer (organic or inorganic) go slow. I mean real slow. Just dumping in a bunch of lime and fertilizer is a recipe for disaster. This is a tool to be used as needed and only in the proper situation and correctly.

Al, my only organic option has been my Grandson tossing in cow manure. He loves doing that. I would like to find out more about it though.

I posted something a year ago regarding my new found ignorance. I decided to delve further into a pond matter that I thought I knew quite a bit about. Due to my research, I found out that I was a mile wide but only an inch deep. And, this was on something that I thought I was pretty savvy on. I now realize that this field is so large that I will never scratch the surface. Like Dave Willis often says "We really don't know". Yep, kinda humbling.

From SRAC

http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/13452410-47...9ca8f855e297f23

Organic fertilizers, such as cottonseed
meal, are used in combination
with inorganic fertilizers to
prepare larval fish ponds (see
SRAC publication 469). Organic
materials are generally not recommended
for fertilizing recreational
farm ponds, as excessive amounts
may lower dissolved oxygen to a
critical level, possibly killing fish.
These fertilizers also can promote
the growth of undesirable filamentous
algae (commonly known
as “pond moss” or “pond scum”).

Once again ewest takes the time to offer tremendous research. I'm looking at 3 water samples from last sun. and 2 are still muddy. They have cleared maybe 20% in 4 days. My third sample (much harder water) is clear (BG pond with a bloom starting, no fertilizer). I need to address the turbidity and hardness first.

Dave I have been blessed with a couple grandDAUGHTERS who love fishing but still want to know how much the hook hurts a shiner?

Al, I lie to my Grandkids.

BTW, sending you a PM.

ga pond rookie, sounds like a good situation to me. how big is your pond? I have 5 acre pond similar to yours as you described it. when water clearity reaches about 30 inches i fertlize and maintain about 20-24 vis all summer. with little overflow in summer it is easy since fertlizer last a long time and add small amounts as necessary. the fishing since i started has improved so much and never had a die off of any kind. good luck

Does fertilizing promote the green slim alge?