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Posted: Apr/02/2006 5:30 PM PST
I have some water lilies and a water iris growing in a wine barrel. The lilies are growing, but the lilies and the iris especially is covered in some fuzzy slimy gray stuff that I think is algae. I put some water plant food in there today but I dont think it will help get rid of the stuff growing in there and the iris looks like it is beginning to die. Can someone tell me how to save my plants? Attachments:   |
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Posted: Apr/02/2006 5:53 PM PST
I would take the plants out, rinse them in fresh water and hold them in a 5 gallon bucket of water. While the plants are in the bucket, shock treat the pond with bleach. wait 24 hours, drain the pond and refill with fresh water. Then you should be able to rinse the plants again and return to the pond. If your fountain has an ajustment for water flow, increase the flow. You can also get algea eating fish to add to your pond to help prevent the problem in the future. |
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Posted: Apr/02/2006 6:02 PM PST
OK I will try it and see of it works. Thanks a bunch 
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Posted: Apr/02/2006 6:03 PM PST
Oh BTW, how much bleach should I put in there? |
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Posted: Apr/02/2006 8:08 PM PST
I would just dump in a couple of cups and see what happens. You will see in a couple of hours if it is working as the algea will look different when it dies. If you don't see much diference add a little more. |
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Posted: Apr/02/2006 9:55 PM PST
Ok, so should I do that with my flower pond ? clean with bleach ? For a few yrs. now I can't get rid of algae... I emptied and cleaned it last yr. used all this stuff for starting, and maintaining. I had 2 fish in it and every other water creature in nature, I think in there & still all this algae.. I am going to empty it again this yr & start over again... I am so close to filling it in... |
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Posted: Apr/02/2006 11:01 PM PST
A good shock treatment will kill any algea that may be clinging to the liner. You just have to realize that it will also kill fish and plants so they must be removed first. |
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Posted: Apr/03/2006 3:05 AM PST
My reaction was the exactly the same as Mama Bears.... bleach treatment after removing the plants. Ultimately the algae problem is encouraged by over nutrification of the water..... i.e. too much fertilizer. Therefore I fear that your problem may return using the same water as the bleach won't remove the nitogen and phosphorus that is the root of the problem. If you can, I would switch water too. When you fertilize, use the pill type tablets that you insert into the soil rather than fertilizer that is applied into the water. Don't over do it. Follow the iinstructions on the container. If a little is good, a lot is not better. Expect a little algae.... its a natural part of an aquatic ecosystem. When you get a "bloom" take a hard look at the nutrient levels in the water. Adding algae eating fish and snails will help, but ultimately th majority of algae they consume gets recycled in the ecosystem. Physical removal of the excess "bloom" does help to reduce the amount of nutrients in the cycle, but takes time. Remember most small water gardens don't have a natural way for nutrients to leave the system, so they tend to build up. Nitrogen will gassify and depart but the phosphorous is trapped there unless you have a system for exchange of water. |
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Posted: Apr/03/2006 8:07 AM PST
And here my [I]neighbors[/I] told me that my water lilies AND my water iris won't live with MOVING water. Sure sounds like yours did just fine. Hmm, wonder if they were just mess'in with me... |
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Posted: Apr/03/2006 10:06 AM PST
Water lilies don't particularly like quickly moving water or splashing. Iris probably don't really care. Water exchange in a small water garden can be as simple as dipping out a bucket or two a week and replacing it. You don't have to have a "moving" flow. |
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