Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Fertilizer?

The only Fertilizer I could come up with in my area is a granular 18-46-0. Could someone let me know how much to apply. Also how much to apply to keep the bloom going. I have a 3 acre pond. I have read several articles concerning rates of fetilization and so on, but not anything with this specific strength of fertilizer.

To get you started- it is about two pounds of phos. per acre. Then wait a week or so. If you do not see it blooming. repeat step one

Remember: weather is a factor
Temp is a factor
Do not fert. when it starts to get hot.
Don't get it to soupy in the summer.
Good Luck!!

Matt Rayl
Aquatic Biologist IN

If it is granular (not powder water soluble) then apply 40 lbs/ac. You will need to make sure not to just throw it out once on the soil you will get little phosphorus in the suspension going into phytoplankton production. Some folks silt bag and lay on pond bottom or the old way is building a platform. If it is water soulble and I hope it is apply 8 lbs/acre if vis. is greater than 36" and 4 lbs/ac when you get the bloom down to less than 30 inches. Remember strive for vis of 18-24 inches to maximize fish production and keep from overdoing it with possible fish kill.

Greg's right, but Greg, south Arkansas is a little more fertile than the soft redclay of GA.

No Greg, it is great to see a responce from you. I'm one of your hidden fans. I did work for R. Cooper down in Newnan Ga for about 4-5 years. This was when you were still doing lime jobs out of that pontoon barge. Since then I have moved back to IN. and started my own gig. But since them i have seen expand and I Have watched you appear in mag. articles and advertisements (nice minnow you're holding)
write me on email and we will talk some shop talk. mrayl7@netscape.com

Clay, it's important that you put the fertilizer in shallow water. Let's say that "shallow" means water that is one to three feet deep.

clayellison, i too am "experimenting" with 18-46-0. i got it from my local southern states store. (just $17 per 100 lbs) i was told that it is not water soluable. i put 20 lbs. in each of 8 nylon feed bags just 2 days ago and floated it with 1 gallon bottles near my diffusers, with a brick on a line to hold them in place. the bags are nearly empty already, and i believe that the diffusers are mixing the fertilizer into the water column. at least i hope so. i put out about 20 lbs per acre in my 8 acre lake, since i'd just a week prior used the last of my water soluable pond fertilizer at 4 lbs per acre. i am using these rates because i do NOT yet have a bloom established. i hoping to kind of mirror the "southern excellence e-z buckets" method of fertilizing. i live in rural southern virginia and have no place locally to pick-up pond fertilizer; and it is expensive to ship enough for a pond my size. i hope this works. i'll keep you and anyone else who might be interested up to date on how this works. jb

jb,
I'm curious is the 18-46-0 pelleted? Or is it more like sugar? you can actaully test the soulubility by putting it in a 5 gallon bucket of water and see what happens. I hope your method works.

Matt, I will email you soon. heading out at 7:00 am to my biggest job ever a 4000 acre lake west of Orlando. I'll make sure to post pictures if we shock some of their 15 lb "minnows" they supposed catch from time to time. Hope the business is doing well in Indiana.

Have any of you guys ever tried liquid fertilizer from a farm supply feed and fertilizer dealer? Its a lot cheaper and easier to use.

It is more like pellets not powder. When I Put it in a bucket of water it dissolves,but very slowly (days). I wondered about mixing the 50 pound bag in a large drum, waiting until it dissolved then dispensing it as a liquid?

Dave, I used liquid fertilizer the first time this year. Previously I'd used the water soluble.

I must say the liquid dispersion method was much easier, just mix with water at the appropriate ratio and put into the sprayer. Then I set the nozzle at the back of the boat and drove around the pond. I got my bloom this year in about 7 to 10 days after intial application.

My 5 gallon bucket cost me $23.