Fertilizing East Texas Ponds

The idea of fertilizing a pond seems strange to many people, but is something that may need to be done.

The reason for adding fertilizer is pretty simple. Fish eat many types of aquatic invertebrates. These are bugs that exist in pond settings. The bugs need something to eat to get fat for the fish, and that something is algae.

Planktonic algae

The algae that serves this purpose best, is phytoplankton. This is a simple, single cell organism that grows in suspension in the water of ponds and lakes. The nice blue green tint in the water is what you are after. In fact, you want it to be dark enough that you can not see an 8 inch black and white disk at a depth 18 to 24 inches.

Fertilizer

The fertilizer you need to use, should be high in phosphorous, and low in the other two main ingredients.

When you look at the analysis of a bag of common fertilizer, you will see 3 numbers, divided by a dash. The middle number is the one you are after. After you have fertilized once, you should check the pond periodically for visual depth. You will need to fertilize regularly through the summer. I will include more information on how to construct a sechi disk, the type and amount of fertilizer, and the intervals between applications, as time permits

Next: Fish in the pond. Part 5

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