anybody with pH over 7.8 got floating plants?

My pH is 7.8, my parrot feather is yellow and I have one group of
water hyacinth in the pond and they don't look great either. I
haven't tried the potash this year, but it is only good for replacing
potash, and it is my understanding has nothing to do with pH. OK,
I'll try the potash too. As soon as I send this and tear myself away
from the chair.

What is your pH and what kind of filter plants (Not potted.) do you
have that are green and growing? I'm not against trying another plant
as a filter plant, I've just had good luck with water hyacinths most
years, but some years they don't grow in my pond.

Regards,

Hal



Hal

"Hal" wrote:

> My pH is 7.8, my parrot feather is yellow and I have one group of
> water hyacinth in the pond and they don't look great either. I
> haven't tried the potash this year, but it is only good for replacing
> potash, and it is my understanding has nothing to do with pH. OK,
> I'll try the potash too. As soon as I send this and tear myself away
> from the chair.
>
> What is your pH and what kind of filter plants (Not potted.) do you
> have that are green and growing? I'm not against trying another plant
> as a filter plant, I've just had good luck with water hyacinths most
> years, but some years they don't grow in my pond.
>
> Regards,
>
> Hal
>

Hi Hal,

As mentioned my pH is over 8. I grow water hyacinth and parrots feather both
of which thrive in my pond. The only problem I have is my hyacinth doesn't
too thrilled about blooming. Nitrogen is typically what "greens" things up.
Try taking them out of the pond and place them in a container with
fertilizer to see if that helps.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:44:17 CST, Hal <> wrote:

>What is your pH and what kind of filter plants (Not potted.) do you
>have that are green and growing? I'm not against trying another plant
>as a filter plant, I've just had good luck with water hyacinths most
>years, but some years they don't grow in my pond.
>Hal

I'll be interested in answers. Currently I'm at 7.8 in both the koi ponds &
a little stock tank. The koi pond ones in full sun, aren't doing well, yet
the stock tank ones w/morning only sun, are a bit better. The Lily Pond, at
8.2, are really sad. :-( But I haven't been able to grow WH for years.
Used to be it would grow out of the prefilter and totally hide it. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

"Hal" <> wrote in message
news:...
> My pH is 7.8, my parrot feather is yellow and I have one group of
> water hyacinth in the pond and they don't look great either. I
> haven't tried the potash this year, but it is only good for replacing
> potash, and it is my understanding has nothing to do with pH. OK,
> I'll try the potash too. As soon as I send this and tear myself away
> from the chair.

Try the potash. You have nothing to lose. With a high PH your Iron may be
tied up. The plants will look chlorotic or pale. I was told this on
another Forum years ago. I use Ironite in the pots of potted plants now and
that seems to have cure the problem. It leeches from the pots. I got the
bag of Ironite at Home Depot. I use 2 Tbs per potted plant mixed with the
fine gravel or soil.

> What is your pH and what kind of filter plants (Not potted.) do you
> have that are green and growing?

The only floaters I have are water lettuce and a few water hyacinths. The
parrots feather is rooted in the other plants pots. There are no more than
a couple of duckweed floating in the ponds where the fish can't reach them.

I'm not against trying another plant
> as a filter plant, I've just had good luck with water hyacinths most
> years, but some years they don't grow in my pond.

Usually duckweed grows like wild in the fishless tubs. This year it started
out great and now is barely hanging on. I tried several garden fertilizers
along with waste pond water but they didn't respond.


--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:39:42 CST, ~ jan <> wrote:

>I'll be interested in answers. Currently I'm at 7.8 in both the koi ponds &
>a little stock tank. The koi pond ones in full sun, aren't doing well, yet
>the stock tank ones w/morning only sun, are a bit better. The Lily Pond, at
>8.2, are really sad. :-( But I haven't been able to grow WH for years.
>Used to be it would grow out of the prefilter and totally hide it. ~ jan

I don't understand what is happening with WH either. Some years ago
when I started ponding a friend, George, told me he had tried, but
couldn't grow them. He had a pond filter that was big, in stages, a
sweeper pump that kept the bottom swept to the filter and his water
never greened. It stayed gin clear. He also had a large fish load.
I believe it was 10 full grown males in about 800 gallons plus filter.
That was the first time I thought perhaps there wasn't enough nitrogen
in a pond to support water hyacinths. The though has occurred to me
concerning my pond, but what does the algae live on?? Irritating
ain't it??

Regards,

Hal

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 13:39:09 CST, San Diego Joe <>
wrote:

>Hi Hal,
>
>As mentioned my pH is over 8. I grow water hyacinth and parrots feather both
>of which thrive in my pond. The only problem I have is my hyacinth doesn't
>too thrilled about blooming. Nitrogen is typically what "greens" things up.
>Try taking them out of the pond and place them in a container with
>fertilizer to see if that helps.

Thanks Joe, I'm glad to hear they grow well for you in a higher pH
than I have. Now I'm still looking for the reason they don't grow
well in my pond. I have a good fish load, my filter is barely
keeping up and I don't know......

They grow wild with plenty of fertilizer, but that doesn't do the pond
nutrient level any good. I've played musical containers, switching
them to fertilizer then back to the pond, that just tells me they grow
well in fertilized water and not in my pond. I'd pull my hair in
frustration, but I don't have enough left to lose any.

I have some in a half barrel that have grown into a large bouquet and
today they are blooming sporadically, you know a couple here and
there, but they make such a sight this is my second year doing this.

Regards,

Hal

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:19:42 CST, "Reel McKoi"
<silver-> wrote:

>Try the potash. You have nothing to lose. With a high PH your Iron may be
>tied up. The plants will look chlorotic or pale. I was told this on
>another Forum years ago. I use Ironite in the pots of potted plants now and
>that seems to have cure the problem. It leeches from the pots. I got the
>bag of Ironite at Home Depot. I use 2 Tbs per potted plant mixed with the
>fine gravel or soil.
>
I've tried potash, magnesium and iron. I never found the chelated
iron, but I'm guilty of using Ironite. Some years floaters don't do
well in my pond, period.
>
>The only floaters I have are water lettuce and a few water hyacinths. The
>parrots feather is rooted in the other plants pots. There are no more than
>a couple of duckweed floating in the ponds where the fish can't reach them.

Must be great!

Regards,

Hal

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:38:54 CST, Hal <> wrote:

>Thanks Joe, I'm glad to hear they grow well for you in a higher pH
>than I have. Now I'm still looking for the reason they don't grow
>well in my pond. I have a good fish load, my filter is barely
>keeping up and I don't know......

If they're in the pond with fish, who love to eat their roots, that could
be a cause. Doesn't solve mine, as none are in with fish.

I can't even get them healthy with miracle grow. :-( (Is that what you
used?)

>I have some in a half barrel that have grown into a large bouquet and
>today they are blooming sporadically, you know a couple here and
>there, but they make such a sight this is my second year doing this.
>Hal

At least you've got them growing somewhere. :-) ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:00:44 CST, ~ jan <> wrote:

>If they're in the pond with fish, who love to eat their roots, that could
>be a cause. Doesn't solve mine, as none are in with fish.
>
When mine grow in the pond they aren't with larger fish. Some fry did
get into the plant pond in past years, but they had no real effect on
the plants. I've even seen them green with very short roots beneath
the leaves. I have no explanation as to why they grow well some years
and not others.

>I can't even get them healthy with miracle grow. :-( (Is that what you
>used?)
>
I buy bargain brand fertilizers usually a 1-2-1, like 15-30-15 for
flowering plants and take whatever brand or type might be available at
the time I'm at the store and purchasing.

>>I have some in a half barrel that have grown into a large bouquet and
>>today they are blooming sporadically, you know a couple here and
>>there, but they make such a sight this is my second year doing this.
>>Hal
>
>At least you've got them growing somewhere. :-) ~ jan

I don't know why you can't get them to grow with Miracle grow. The
water hyacinth is such a pig it will eat anything. One thing you
might try is put some garden dirt in the bottom of a large pot/bucket
and float them above the dirt. They are pigs in a plant world and
will find the mud.

Regards,

Hal

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:55:41 CST, Hal <> wrote:

>I don't know why you can't get them to grow with Miracle grow. The
>water hyacinth is such a pig it will eat anything. One thing you
>might try is put some garden dirt in the bottom of a large pot/bucket
>and float them above the dirt. They are pigs in a plant world and
>will find the mud.
>Hal

I just might do that. Tx, ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us