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Pond water

Having moved 3 weeks ago, I have just begun the process of the back garden makeover. I have given away approx 100 fish from the hideous brick pond and watered everything in sight with the resulting water as pond has to be emptied then demolished.

The ground is generally quite sandy and it appears that the pots/borders have enjoyed being given a feed of pond water/green muddy stuff. My potted Pieris  has shot up with new scarlet leaves but some older leaves have turned yellow. 

There is a lot of green sludge left in the pond and I wondered if there any plants/flowers which would not benefit from it?  There are roses, lavender, wallflowers, and peonies in my front garden (also old climbing roses in containers and some in the borders. The back garden has mainly pots, apart from a raised area right at the back which has bluebells, an apple tree and natural geraniums. There is a rockery waiting to be planted up but I will be getting rid of small area of grass and laying shingle In the middle. There will be two flower borders and I will be keeping two strawberry beds - which are growing well.

Sorry if this question is a bit complicated! I will post pictures from laptop as iPad won't co-operate.

Lyn

 

 

Posts

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    What is going to happen to the creatures in the sludge?
  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    Sludge will contain plenty of nutrients for a sandy soil but won't last long, the sand won't hold them. Sandy soils need body and the only way to do that is add organic matter. It may be better to let it dry and then mix whats left with the organic matter.

  • There were just a few tiny shrimp-like creatures - which were taken, along with the fish. There are no signs of life in the remaining green mud. It is beginning to dry up around the edges. The person who took the fish was of the opinion that ibe could be mixed with garden soil and would add beneficial nutrients. However, I know little about ph when it comes to what plants prefer.

  • Incidentally, I intend to add organic matter to the borders but just wondered if the sludge would be ok for all/most plants in the short term. I don't want to kill anything!

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    I'd still let it dry, it'll be easier to handle and spread and reduce the risk of any scorching effect  it may have if it's just spread wet onto beds.

  • Hello Lyn, 

    I had inherited a rather large pond and approx 70 goldfish and koi.  After a few years it became apparent that we needed to repair a tear in the liner, after some research at the same time we decided to clean the filters, pump and sort out some of the plants therein.

    As part of this process we removed the fish and partially emptied the pond with a pond vacuum, removing some sludge towards the end after checking for frogs and wildlife (mainly frogs who hid under pond stones and water snails that were moved with the fish.

    The water and sludge was placed in the veg patch (which was left fallow for two years just incase) around roses, Fatsia, Hellebores, Rhododendrons, Pampas grass, Azalea, Iris, and hydrangeas.  

    We have a clay soil (which had been enriched with organic matter) which I think is ph neutral/alcaline as one hydrangea flowers pink the other blue/purple but I'm not sure...as the other plants do perfectly well.

    The upshot to this whole scenario is that the sludge did no harm at all to any of the above mentioned plants, in fact i suspect it boosted them as well as any other organic material would have but without the ability to physically break up the heavy soil.

    On the plus side some of the water drifted onto a tall Cordyline palm tree located near the pond and it survived some frosty winters since that our neighbours ones did not... perhaps it was strong due to the nutrients that it had benefitted from.

    When cleaning filters etc this summer we will no doubt be using some of the water again, N.B.  we manage the pond without chemicals!  Hope this helps image

  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923

    the goo at the bottom is basically fish manure mixed with rotted plant matter, i'd stick it straight around any shrubs you've got as  a mulch or if not on the compost heap mixed with some lawn clippings and twigs and let it dry out/rot down for a bit first

  • Thanks everyone! I'm not a particularly experienced gardener and your advice is much appreciated. Certainly, the Pieris and strawberry plants seem to have romped ahead, although I guess time of year etc is also a factor.

    It has been very dry here, until this last weekend so all the sludgy water seems to have benefitted everything.

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