I have a Bermuda solar oxygenator. One motor died pretty quickly but one has kept going and provides bubbles/oxygen when the sun shines. There's supposed to be a backup battery but hard to keep it charged. I've had some blanket-weed that I pull out but otherwise pretty clear water. I put my plants right into horticultural grit/gravel and didn't use any compost. I have a pretty small pond. (It's a bathtub sunk in the ground but wildlife seems to like it.)
As I am in the midst of renovating/ lining a badly leaking concrete built pond I have decided to use gravel only to re pot all my water plants. 3 days of baling out silt from broken containers, etc. has persuaded me. I've always used Aquatic compost before but in fact have discovered that if you have a good root system on the plants ( inevitably with some old soil, etc attached ), you can just gravel them. The detritus which arrives even in a new pond should provide sufficient "gunge" for the roots to get into. Not many are going to be doing much growing at this time of year so I think it is OK. I have emptied a couple of bags of Aquatic compost in the deepest part of the pond and a little on the various shelves. This gives a habitat for all the Dragonfly larvae, Beetles, etc which I rescued and will provide some medium for the plant roots by next Spring.
I don't watch Monty or Rachel but I think I agree with them on this
I posted a picture before in a thread called Ponds. It still looks like a bathtub and the water level always sinks to two inches below the rim but lots of exit ramps and so far nothing's gotten stuck in it. I know it's not gorgeous but we have a small garden and it's more for my enjoyment/the wildlife than for ornamental purposes. I planted some spring bulbs around it. The watercress was started from a few pieces out of a supermarket bag and really took off. The frogs and birds seemed to enjoy it over the summer and so did I.
My pond also has a green slime on it. I've not seen it before on my 3yr old pond. I was thinking of getting a solar water feature/fall. Some also have night lights incorporated and come with a back up battdry. Mine is a wildlife pond maybe 2by1 MT. It would be a small device. I don't see many positive comments about solar pumps at all. I thought it might be quite nice and oxygenate my pond.
Posts
Maybe your SS?
Hope you can sort plants out, they are number coded, just get back to me if you cant understand, its a womans logic!.
SS Lyn? I really can't thank you enough for the plants...and with everything you're going through too.
ohhhhhh lol - I've just got it
You are very welcome Fishy, mum didnt come home anyway!
I have a Bermuda solar oxygenator. One motor died pretty quickly but one has kept going and provides bubbles/oxygen when the sun shines. There's supposed to be a backup battery but hard to keep it charged. I've had some blanket-weed that I pull out but otherwise pretty clear water. I put my plants right into horticultural grit/gravel and didn't use any compost. I have a pretty small pond. (It's a bathtub sunk in the ground but wildlife seems to like it.)
Could we see a photo of your bathtub pond.
I hadnt thought about potting plants in grit only, does anyone else do this?
I saw Monty Don and Rachel de Thame use just gravel I think it was Lyn. Maybe we shouldn't have used soil at all?
As I am in the midst of renovating/ lining a badly leaking concrete built pond I have decided to use gravel only to re pot all my water plants. 3 days of baling out silt from broken containers, etc. has persuaded me. I've always used Aquatic compost before but in fact have discovered that if you have a good root system on the plants ( inevitably with some old soil, etc attached ), you can just gravel them. The detritus which arrives even in a new pond should provide sufficient "gunge" for the roots to get into. Not many are going to be doing much growing at this time of year so I think it is OK. I have emptied a couple of bags of Aquatic compost in the deepest part of the pond and a little on the various shelves. This gives a habitat for all the Dragonfly larvae, Beetles, etc which I rescued and will provide some medium for the plant roots by next Spring.
I don't watch Monty or Rachel but I think I agree with them on this
I posted a picture before in a thread called Ponds. It still looks like a bathtub and the water level always sinks to two inches below the rim but lots of exit ramps and so far nothing's gotten stuck in it. I know it's not gorgeous but we have a small garden and it's more for my enjoyment/the wildlife than for ornamental purposes. I planted some spring bulbs around it. The watercress was started from a few pieces out of a supermarket bag and really took off. The frogs and birds seemed to enjoy it over the summer and so did I.
My pond also has a green slime on it. I've not seen it before on my 3yr old pond. I was thinking of getting a solar water feature/fall. Some also have night lights incorporated and come with a back up battdry. Mine is a wildlife pond maybe 2by1 MT. It would be a small device. I don't see many positive comments about solar pumps at all. I thought it might be quite nice and oxygenate my pond.