Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Too much fertilizer?

I have a question I think I already know the answer to, but I'm going to ask anyway, because I believe in giving everyone a fair chance.

One of my newest clients kept a log of his previous lake manager's efforts (no, I'm not going to say who, he's not here to speak for himself). Anyway, hidden among the various grass carp stockings, rotenone treatments, and copper sulfate applications were two bills for fertilization. The first was for 75 gallons, and the second, nine days later, was for an additional 85 gallons. The client told me that his lake manager told him that was all he needed for the year.

Here's the kicker. The 160 gallons of 11-37-0 was used to fertilize approximately 7 surface acres! Can anyone out there justify why this level of fertilizer should ever be used? The lakes were weed-free, with limited cattle access in one and frequent cattle access in the other.

Like I said, I'm trying to be objective here and not jump to conclusions. This fellow has been managing lakes in Texas for at least 40 years and seems to have a fairly satisfied client base.

My client told me that when he questioned the amount of fertilizer, the lake manager told him that he felt like his integrity was under scrutiny and that the client should find another person to work on his ponds. So he did.

The total damage was over 10k spent in the last year.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

sounds fishy

I have seen fish kills on ponds where far less fertlizer per acre was used. sounds like he was billing one client for fertlizer he used somewhere else. At least I hope he did not apply that much to a 7 acre pond in a one month period. If he actually applied that much fertilizer you will probably have blue green algae problems. the pond will change colors from brown, to milky white, to bright green even with proper fertilizer rates. I have fertlized quite a few ponds in my time and have never put in two liquid fertlizer applications and expected them to last all year. If time release fertilizer was used it should have been billed to the client as such. from the info you give here questioning the integrity of the consultant was the right call.

Shan O'Gorman
Pro Ponds

I am by no means an expert on fertilization, but that does seem like an awful lot of liquid fertilizer for 7 acres! Especially if it was applied in only two periods. I know that if I applied the equivalent amount to my pond without any significant outflow I would be walking across the top of the water, either on super thick mats of algae or dead fish.

As you know 2 gals/acre is normal and some folks do more for the first application for the yr. Could the notes some how be for enough fertilizer for the year and not all of that applied at that time??? If not then yes this is not good business sense at all. I'm sure he was billed for that amount but far less was actually used. Good use of the Gremlin! What the crap, did you say 10K? The fertilizer alone even at the outrageous rate would be no more than $800. Glad you have the pondowner on the right track now.

Yes, I hope that much fertilizer wasn't applied. When examining the invoices, there is no question that 160 gallons was what he was billed for. I applied 13 gallons for an initial treatment rate of 2 gallons/acre like I always do.

Over half of the 10k was rotenone treatments. No electrofishing survey was done, and very few dead fish were observed by the client after the treatment. No attempt was made to reduce the size of the pond by pumping or siphoning which would have saved the client a lot. I haven't done the math, but probably about 35-40 acre-feet were treated. Price seems high, but maybe not.

Restocking rates (per acre) were as follows:

In the fall:
325 3" bluegill
150 2" redear
4 lbs fatheads
4 lbs golden shiners
95 grass carp

In June:
25 1-3" bass/acre

Supposedly 8 surface acres were stocked. Stocking costs were around $3500, which is about right for the numbers of fish that were supposedly stocked. Pretty light stocking rate, I think, expecially on the bass. Heavy on the grass carp, though.

Few, if any, of these recommendations make any sense to me, but I'm willing to accept that there are other paths to pond nirvana. Anybody think this is one of them?

The sad thing is that the client is understandably less trusting of lake managers because of his experience. That amount of money, wisely spent, should have dramatically improved his lakes. As it is, I don't think they are a bit better than when he started, perhaps worse. It just gives all us pond professionals a black eye.