Question:
my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we also have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any suggestions on what to do? thanks janice HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hmmmm, tell us more about your winter conditions? Temps, and the times that it has been cold. Didn’t you have a long warm spell this fall? Also more information about how big your pond is, how many fish.? What is the size of your filter and what does it consist of. Do you have a mechanical function in your filter? Did you stop feeding? Hopefully we can get a handle on why you have a green winter pond! ~k30~ and the watergardening labradors
Response:
>my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really >cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my >pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- >bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and >cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we >also >have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some >of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as >they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of >green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any >suggestions on what to do? thanks
janice, String algae or suspended pea soup algae? If it’s string algae try not to worry about it, the fish will work on it on warm days. Suspended algae probably happened when you disrupted the bio-bugs working in the gravel of the bogs. I realize it might have been green then too, but it got worst when you disrupted the gravel. I think you may have to wait for it to settle down and use up the nutrients in the water then it should die out on it’s own. Remember a watched pond never clears. (But how can we help it?) See my ponds thru the seasons: http://home.earthlink.net/~alanjordan1/jjspond/index.html ~Keep ‘em Thawed~ ~jan~ Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a Remove Z to E-mail
Response:
>my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- >bio filter is jusy full of green slime.
Hey Janice, everything is relative. I can no longer see my pond from the house. I have to go to the second floor and then I can see the patch of open water that a heater is creating in almost zero temp right now. Reason I can’t see it from the family room or deck is because there are 22 inches of snow, plus drifts that are seven to ten feet high. I wish I could see some green slime right now! Ed in Chicago
Response:
>I wish I could see some green slime right now! >Ed in Chicago
Why Ed, you mean you don’t have an aquarium? ~ jan
Response:
Ed, can you ski off your roof? My brother and I did that once in Bend Or. Where my folks lived. Not much of a run but we caught air and it was free. Made a snow runnout at the bottom like a big jump has. Then we did truck skiing. Like water skiing…. Hope your staples are holding out and you are warm. Randy in Aloha — see my remodeled web page http://homestead.dejanews.com/user.randyinaloha/pondering.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- >bio filter is jusy full of green slime. > Hey Janice, everything is relative. I can no longer see my pond from the > house. I have to go to the second floor and then I can see the patch of open > water that a heater is creating in almost zero temp right now. Reason I can’t > see it from the family room or deck is because there are 22 inches of snow, > plus drifts that are seven to ten feet high. > I wish I could see some green slime right now! > Ed in Chicago
Response:
Read through what Jan posted. That makes sense. That you stirred up lots of nutrients that are feeding the algae right now. You might want to look into a sludge eater to take care of the excess stuff. I have had good luck with http://www.pondguy.com – sludge eater info Also this catalog carries stuff that also eats sludge http://www.aquaticeco.com – huge wonderful catalog And here are my collected hints for green water that I have collected from rec.ponders. Green water can be cured with: ~lower fish stocking, not over feeding fish ~ lots plants of any type, marginal plants such as reeds, cattails, iris, pickerel weed, arrowhead, floaters such as water hyacinth, water lettuce and lots of underwater plants such as anacharis ~ shade (lilies, the floaters and artifical shade) ~ cleaning up debris from the bottom of the pond and stocking snails and tadpoles to chew up the debris ~ cut back or stop fertilizing plants ~ planting in plain kitty litter, sand or fine gravel (no soil). ~ mechanical filtration of the fish waste. ~ veggie filter – an area, 10% of the size of your pond surface area, about 10" to 18" deep, planted with watercress and marginal plants (in pots or fine gravel) that the pond water is pumped through at a turnover rate per hour 1/2 to 1/4 of the pond volume. Forumla by Stuart Schuck published in Water Gardening magazine. ~ a sludge eating product – concentrated bacteria culture. ~ some folks use a UV sterilizer. ~ patience, patience and eternal optimism. ~k30~ and the watergardening labradors
Response:
> Hmmmm, tell us more about your winter conditions? Temps, and the times that it > has been cold. Didn’t you have a long warm spell this fall? > Also more information about how big your pond is, how many fish.? What is the > size of your filter and what does it consist of. Do you have a mechanical > function in your filter? > Did you stop feeding? > Hopefully we can get a handle on why you have a green winter pond! > ~k30~ and the watergardening labradors
One other thing. Is your water supply from a well and how often is it changed? vern — Visit my pond page at: http://www.primenet.com/~vern/
Response:
>Hope your staples are holding out and you are warm. >Randy in Aloha
Things are getting back to normal, although a nasty cold front has moved in. Got to my office on time this a.m. and found only minor inconveniences; hard to walk around in some areas where the snow has not been cleared, but most of the main roads are fine. All schools are closed today, however, so parking lots, sidewalks, etc., can be cleared. Can’t say I’ anxious to try skiing from my roof. No chair lift! Ed in Chicago
Response:
I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. Arielea – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > also > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > suggestions on what to do? thanks > janice > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hi Ariela and Janice! Fellow Zone 7 pondkeeper here (NE Georgia). Sorry to be so late with this post but I discovered something yesterday that I thought might help. I finally got back out to the ponds after a frenzied fall of indoor work and madness, and note that the watercress is going absolutely nuts! It’s basically the only living thing in the pond at the moment, but it’s everywhere. Maybe a trip to the grocery store to pick up some watercress and stick it in the filter will help to fight the dreaded green water. I knew watercress loved moving, cold water, but this stuff has withstood several freezes since Christmas and is going like gangbusters! If you can’t find any at the grocery, email me and I’ll pull some out and send it your way. Have plenty of excess. <g> Roxanne The Plant Place http://www.theplantplace.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far > more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I > attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the > fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. > Arielea > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > also > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > suggestions on what to do? thanks > janice > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hi Roxanne: Thanks for the great tip. I’ll give it a try and report back. Surprisingly I do have one thing blooming right now–a water hawthorn flower has just appeared, ! Admittedly it is only one flower, but it is exciting. Ariela – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi Ariela and Janice! Fellow Zone 7 pondkeeper here (NE Georgia). > Sorry to be so late with this post but I discovered something yesterday > that I thought might help. I finally got back out to the ponds after a > frenzied fall of indoor work and madness, and note that the watercress > is going absolutely nuts! It’s basically the only living thing in the > pond at the moment, but it’s everywhere. Maybe a trip to the grocery > store to pick up some watercress and stick it in the filter will help to > fight the dreaded green water. > I knew watercress loved moving, cold water, but this stuff has withstood > several freezes since Christmas and is going like gangbusters! If you > can’t find any at the grocery, email me and I’ll pull some out and send > it your way. Have plenty of excess. <g> > Roxanne > The Plant Place > http://www.theplantplace.com > I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far > more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I > attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the > fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. > Arielea > > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > > also > > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > > suggestions on what to do? thanks > > janice > > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hi Ariela! Isn’t Water hawthorne just the neatest plant? I love mine, and they are still flowering. Be sure to bend down and smell those flowers, very nice vanilla scent….. Another tip on the hawthorne — this is a cool season plant, in our Zone 7 summers, it will die back completely, but return in the fall. Don’t think you lost it and toss it out <g>. Roxanne The Plant Place http://www.theplantplace.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi Roxanne: > Thanks for the great tip. I’ll give it a try and report back. > Surprisingly I do have one thing blooming right now–a water hawthorn flower has > just appeared, ! Admittedly it is only one flower, but it is exciting. > Ariela > Hi Ariela and Janice! Fellow Zone 7 pondkeeper here (NE Georgia). > Sorry to be so late with this post but I discovered something yesterday > that I thought might help. I finally got back out to the ponds after a > frenzied fall of indoor work and madness, and note that the watercress > is going absolutely nuts! It’s basically the only living thing in the > pond at the moment, but it’s everywhere. Maybe a trip to the grocery > store to pick up some watercress and stick it in the filter will help to > fight the dreaded green water. > I knew watercress loved moving, cold water, but this stuff has withstood > several freezes since Christmas and is going like gangbusters! If you > can’t find any at the grocery, email me and I’ll pull some out and send > it your way. Have plenty of excess. <g> > Roxanne > The Plant Place > http://www.theplantplace.com > > I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far > > more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I > > attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the > > fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. > > Arielea > > > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > > > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > > > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > > > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > > > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > > > also > > > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > > > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > > > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > > > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > > > suggestions on what to do? thanks > > > janice > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi Ariela! Isn’t Water hawthorne just the neatest plant? I love mine, > and they are still flowering. Be sure to bend down and smell those > flowers, very nice vanilla scent….. > Another tip on the hawthorne — this is a cool season plant, in our Zone > 7 summers, it will die back completely, but return in the fall. Don’t > think you lost it and toss it out <g>. > Roxanne > The Plant Place > http://www.theplantplace.com > Hi Roxanne: >I agree about the Hawthorne, mine went dormant last summer. Then last falll came > back and bloomed just before frost. I thought that was it so put it in the deep > part of the pond. It just sent up long shoots and leaves and blooomed until the end > of november. My ponds have frozen over slightlyl a couple of times and the silly > thing still has a couple of leaves that look ok.
vern Visit my pond page at: http://www.primenet.com/~vern/
Response:
Hi Vern! Don’t I know it – this is one tough plant. My son was practicing with the neighbor’s new BB gun and shot the temporary pool the hawthorne was in — this silly plant was still blooming out of the water as the pool drained. Of course, I rescued it from the drought, but I still couldn’t believe that it survived. The water hawthorne is evidently also not a favored food of koi — it’s even growing in the pond with them and they’ve eaten everything I ever put it there! Roxanne The Plant Place http://www.theplantplace.com
> Hi Roxanne: > >I agree about the Hawthorne, mine went dormant last summer. Then last falll came > back and bloomed just before frost. I thought that was it so put it in the deep > part of the pond. It just sent up long shoots and leaves and blooomed until the end > of november. My ponds have frozen over slightlyl a couple of times and the silly > thing still has a couple of leaves that look ok. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> vern > Visit my pond page at: http://www.primenet.com/~vern/
Response:
> Surprisingly I do have one thing blooming right now–a water hawthorn flower has > just appeared, ! Admittedly it is only one flower, but it is exciting.
I have a miracle- my water hyacinth have lived through the winter even though the pond iced over a couple of times. Of course winter isn’t over yet, but they are starting to put up new growth during our unusually warm January. I wonder if they will actually make it or if some hard freeze in March will do them in. (Zone 7, North Texas). — That Prematurely Eccentric Goddess, Kellie
Response:
my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we also have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any suggestions on what to do? thanks janice HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hmmmm, tell us more about your winter conditions? Temps, and the times that it has been cold. Didn’t you have a long warm spell this fall? Also more information about how big your pond is, how many fish.? What is the size of your filter and what does it consist of. Do you have a mechanical function in your filter? Did you stop feeding? Hopefully we can get a handle on why you have a green winter pond! ~k30~ and the watergardening labradors
Response:
>my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really >cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my >pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- >bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and >cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we >also >have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some >of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as >they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of >green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any >suggestions on what to do? thanks
janice, String algae or suspended pea soup algae? If it’s string algae try not to worry about it, the fish will work on it on warm days. Suspended algae probably happened when you disrupted the bio-bugs working in the gravel of the bogs. I realize it might have been green then too, but it got worst when you disrupted the gravel. I think you may have to wait for it to settle down and use up the nutrients in the water then it should die out on it’s own. Remember a watched pond never clears. (But how can we help it?) See my ponds thru the seasons: http://home.earthlink.net/~alanjordan1/jjspond/index.html ~Keep ‘em Thawed~ ~jan~ Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a Remove Z to E-mail
Response:
>my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- >bio filter is jusy full of green slime.
Hey Janice, everything is relative. I can no longer see my pond from the house. I have to go to the second floor and then I can see the patch of open water that a heater is creating in almost zero temp right now. Reason I can’t see it from the family room or deck is because there are 22 inches of snow, plus drifts that are seven to ten feet high. I wish I could see some green slime right now! Ed in Chicago
Response:
>I wish I could see some green slime right now! >Ed in Chicago
Why Ed, you mean you don’t have an aquarium? ~ jan
Response:
Ed, can you ski off your roof? My brother and I did that once in Bend Or. Where my folks lived. Not much of a run but we caught air and it was free. Made a snow runnout at the bottom like a big jump has. Then we did truck skiing. Like water skiing…. Hope your staples are holding out and you are warm. Randy in Aloha — see my remodeled web page http://homestead.dejanews.com/user.randyinaloha/pondering.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- >bio filter is jusy full of green slime. > Hey Janice, everything is relative. I can no longer see my pond from the > house. I have to go to the second floor and then I can see the patch of open > water that a heater is creating in almost zero temp right now. Reason I can’t > see it from the family room or deck is because there are 22 inches of snow, > plus drifts that are seven to ten feet high. > I wish I could see some green slime right now! > Ed in Chicago
Response:
Read through what Jan posted. That makes sense. That you stirred up lots of nutrients that are feeding the algae right now. You might want to look into a sludge eater to take care of the excess stuff. I have had good luck with http://www.pondguy.com – sludge eater info Also this catalog carries stuff that also eats sludge http://www.aquaticeco.com – huge wonderful catalog And here are my collected hints for green water that I have collected from rec.ponders. Green water can be cured with: ~lower fish stocking, not over feeding fish ~ lots plants of any type, marginal plants such as reeds, cattails, iris, pickerel weed, arrowhead, floaters such as water hyacinth, water lettuce and lots of underwater plants such as anacharis ~ shade (lilies, the floaters and artifical shade) ~ cleaning up debris from the bottom of the pond and stocking snails and tadpoles to chew up the debris ~ cut back or stop fertilizing plants ~ planting in plain kitty litter, sand or fine gravel (no soil). ~ mechanical filtration of the fish waste. ~ veggie filter – an area, 10% of the size of your pond surface area, about 10" to 18" deep, planted with watercress and marginal plants (in pots or fine gravel) that the pond water is pumped through at a turnover rate per hour 1/2 to 1/4 of the pond volume. Forumla by Stuart Schuck published in Water Gardening magazine. ~ a sludge eating product – concentrated bacteria culture. ~ some folks use a UV sterilizer. ~ patience, patience and eternal optimism. ~k30~ and the watergardening labradors
Response:
> Hmmmm, tell us more about your winter conditions? Temps, and the times that it > has been cold. Didn’t you have a long warm spell this fall? > Also more information about how big your pond is, how many fish.? What is the > size of your filter and what does it consist of. Do you have a mechanical > function in your filter? > Did you stop feeding? > Hopefully we can get a handle on why you have a green winter pond! > ~k30~ and the watergardening labradors
One other thing. Is your water supply from a well and how often is it changed? vern — Visit my pond page at: http://www.primenet.com/~vern/
Response:
>Hope your staples are holding out and you are warm. >Randy in Aloha
Things are getting back to normal, although a nasty cold front has moved in. Got to my office on time this a.m. and found only minor inconveniences; hard to walk around in some areas where the snow has not been cleared, but most of the main roads are fine. All schools are closed today, however, so parking lots, sidewalks, etc., can be cleared. Can’t say I’ anxious to try skiing from my roof. No chair lift! Ed in Chicago
Response:
I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. Arielea – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > also > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > suggestions on what to do? thanks > janice > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hi Ariela and Janice! Fellow Zone 7 pondkeeper here (NE Georgia). Sorry to be so late with this post but I discovered something yesterday that I thought might help. I finally got back out to the ponds after a frenzied fall of indoor work and madness, and note that the watercress is going absolutely nuts! It’s basically the only living thing in the pond at the moment, but it’s everywhere. Maybe a trip to the grocery store to pick up some watercress and stick it in the filter will help to fight the dreaded green water. I knew watercress loved moving, cold water, but this stuff has withstood several freezes since Christmas and is going like gangbusters! If you can’t find any at the grocery, email me and I’ll pull some out and send it your way. Have plenty of excess. <g> Roxanne The Plant Place http://www.theplantplace.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far > more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I > attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the > fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. > Arielea > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > also > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > suggestions on what to do? thanks > janice > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hi Roxanne: Thanks for the great tip. I’ll give it a try and report back. Surprisingly I do have one thing blooming right now–a water hawthorn flower has just appeared, ! Admittedly it is only one flower, but it is exciting. Ariela – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi Ariela and Janice! Fellow Zone 7 pondkeeper here (NE Georgia). > Sorry to be so late with this post but I discovered something yesterday > that I thought might help. I finally got back out to the ponds after a > frenzied fall of indoor work and madness, and note that the watercress > is going absolutely nuts! It’s basically the only living thing in the > pond at the moment, but it’s everywhere. Maybe a trip to the grocery > store to pick up some watercress and stick it in the filter will help to > fight the dreaded green water. > I knew watercress loved moving, cold water, but this stuff has withstood > several freezes since Christmas and is going like gangbusters! If you > can’t find any at the grocery, email me and I’ll pull some out and send > it your way. Have plenty of excess. <g> > Roxanne > The Plant Place > http://www.theplantplace.com > I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far > more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I > attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the > fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. > Arielea > > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > > also > > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > > suggestions on what to do? thanks > > janice > > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
Hi Ariela! Isn’t Water hawthorne just the neatest plant? I love mine, and they are still flowering. Be sure to bend down and smell those flowers, very nice vanilla scent….. Another tip on the hawthorne — this is a cool season plant, in our Zone 7 summers, it will die back completely, but return in the fall. Don’t think you lost it and toss it out <g>. Roxanne The Plant Place http://www.theplantplace.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi Roxanne: > Thanks for the great tip. I’ll give it a try and report back. > Surprisingly I do have one thing blooming right now–a water hawthorn flower has > just appeared, ! Admittedly it is only one flower, but it is exciting. > Ariela > Hi Ariela and Janice! Fellow Zone 7 pondkeeper here (NE Georgia). > Sorry to be so late with this post but I discovered something yesterday > that I thought might help. I finally got back out to the ponds after a > frenzied fall of indoor work and madness, and note that the watercress > is going absolutely nuts! It’s basically the only living thing in the > pond at the moment, but it’s everywhere. Maybe a trip to the grocery > store to pick up some watercress and stick it in the filter will help to > fight the dreaded green water. > I knew watercress loved moving, cold water, but this stuff has withstood > several freezes since Christmas and is going like gangbusters! If you > can’t find any at the grocery, email me and I’ll pull some out and send > it your way. Have plenty of excess. <g> > Roxanne > The Plant Place > http://www.theplantplace.com > > I to am in Va zone 7A. I have the same problem. Lots of sting algae, far > > more than in the summer. (This is only a problem in the sunnier pond.) I > > attributed it to the warm weather we had in November and December, plus the > > fact that the water lily leaves and other green surface cover are gone. > > Arielea > > > my pond looks worse now than in the spring. we have had some really > > > cold weather with ice on christmas in va. zone seven. i still have my > > > pump running and my pond has not been icy but it is so green and my bog- > > > bio filter is jusy full of green slime. we dug out the 2 bogs and > > > cleaned the gravel in oct. and cleaned all muck from bottom of pond. we > > > also > > > have a frame with net on it to keeps leaves and pine needles out. some > > > of the bog plants are still living. the fish are staying at bottom as > > > they should but the pond is an eye sore . why is it so full of of > > > green, worse than spring when the weather has been so cold. any > > > suggestions on what to do? thanks > > > janice > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi Ariela! Isn’t Water hawthorne just the neatest plant? I love mine, > and they are still flowering. Be sure to bend down and smell those > flowers, very nice vanilla scent….. > Another tip on the hawthorne — this is a cool season plant, in our Zone > 7 summers, it will die back completely, but return in the fall. Don’t > think you lost it and toss it out <g>. > Roxanne > The Plant Place > http://www.theplantplace.com > Hi Roxanne: >I agree about the Hawthorne, mine went dormant last summer. Then last falll came > back and bloomed just before frost. I thought that was it so put it in the deep > part of the pond. It just sent up long shoots and leaves and blooomed until the end > of november. My ponds have frozen over slightlyl a couple of times and the silly > thing still has a couple of leaves that look ok.
vern Visit my pond page at: http://www.primenet.com/~vern/
Response:
Hi Vern! Don’t I know it – this is one tough plant. My son was practicing with the neighbor’s new BB gun and shot the temporary pool the hawthorne was in — this silly plant was still blooming out of the water as the pool drained. Of course, I rescued it from the drought, but I still couldn’t believe that it survived. The water hawthorne is evidently also not a favored food of koi — it’s even growing in the pond with them and they’ve eaten everything I ever put it there! Roxanne The Plant Place http://www.theplantplace.com
> Hi Roxanne: > >I agree about the Hawthorne, mine went dormant last summer. Then last falll came > back and bloomed just before frost. I thought that was it so put it in the deep > part of the pond. It just sent up long shoots and leaves and blooomed until the end > of november. My ponds have frozen over slightlyl a couple of times and the silly > thing still has a couple of leaves that look ok. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> vern > Visit my pond page at: http://www.primenet.com/~vern/
Response:
> Surprisingly I do have one thing blooming right now–a water hawthorn flower has > just appeared, ! Admittedly it is only one flower, but it is exciting.
I have a miracle- my water hyacinth have lived through the winter even though the pond iced over a couple of times. Of course winter isn’t over yet, but they are starting to put up new growth during our unusually warm January. I wonder if they will actually make it or if some hard freeze in March will do them in. (Zone 7, North Texas). — That Prematurely Eccentric Goddess, Kellie
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