I have about a 3 acre pond with an average depth of about 6 feet. This pond is approximately 40 years old and does have an average amount of silt for a 40 year old pond. This pond has always been clear and had good supply of various vegetation that always helped the water clarity. However, about 5 years ago the pond became real muddy (red west texas) and has not cleared. I read an article on this site that said to take a one quart mason jar and fill it with pond water and add a small amount of lime and see if it clears up, and it did. My questions are these:
1) I used hydrated lime for my test, the lady at the farm supply store asked me if I needed hydrated lime or lime with calcium. Which one do I need?
2)Any ideas on how much to try on this size pond for the first application?
3) What time of year would be best? I'm thinking early spring to give me the best chance of clearing the water so I can establish vegetation again, or does it matter when you do it?

Thanks for the help!