Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization "the bloom"

I have recently added aeration to my pond and have fertilized for the first time. What is exactly the "bloom"? and can there be too much of a bloom?

What??? You fertilized before you understand what a bloom is........You need the first book.

Hope you didn't waste your money. Seriously though since the bosses are busy......If you stick your arm in the water to the elbow and you can see your cupped hand, fertilize. If you can't, then don't. I'm sure the bosses will give you more info.........

Bob Lusk answered this question for me a long time ago, in much more depth than this, but a good bloom is almost an olive green. That, as simple as it sounds, really helped me when fertilizing.

The "bloom" is a mixture of millions of tiny microscopic plants and animals called "plankton". Plankton have pigment, which colors water. Fertilizer provides nutrients mixed into water, to feed the plankton. The bloom is determined by visibility. 18-24" of visibility is considered "perfect" by fish producers. Hence the arm to shoulder description from our man Brian Carmody. Promoting a bloom enhances the lake's ability to produce fish. In essence, the bloom is the base of the food chain, creating food for tiny insects which feed tiny fish. So, try to have a bloom during spawning season, to be sure newly hatched baby fish have plenty to eat. A side benefit...plankton blooms shade sunlight from the pond bottom, preventing noxious amounts of aquatic plants.

How can I tell the difference between Alge and Plankton bloom??I have a young pond about a year old (1\4 acre) feed by my well. The water is always green. I cannot see my hand at 18 inchs.

This is a good one for Bill Cody. Part of his service is to identify microorganisms in water. From a sample of your water, he can tell what types of critters make a living in your wet stuff. And, he can also tell you if the coloration comes from dissolved minerals. Contact Bill via his e-mail address from one of his many knowledgeable posts on this site.