What The HELL ! :(:(:(:(:(

[taherrmann4]

So you just use straight white vinegar then, not mixed with water? We get little weeds that pop up between my concrete patio and house foundation all the time. I made the mistake to not pay attention to what I was yanking out and grabbed a thistle with my bare hands the other day! I think we need a gardening category on here too! I need all the help I can get in all things outside!

This is the gardening site that Ian and Becky developed.
http://www.gardening-forums.com/

 

[j.w]

Yep the ole vinegar on a hot day weed killer gets the job done and cheap! You can put it on dandelions in your grass but it will turn the grass yellow so you'll have to add new grass seed to the spots. Remember vinegar will kill your nice plants too so be careful where you use it.

 

[JenH]

Will it work on mushrooms? We have some in our lawn and can't seem to get rid of them!

 

[j.w]

I've never tried this Jen but it can't hurt to try. I think they are diluting the vinegar this time so that it might not yellow your lawn but still kill the mushrooms. If you do it let us know how it works. The garden radio guys here say not much will kill them but who knows. They always say just practice your golf swing to get rid of them,lol!

How to Kill Mushrooms With Vinegar
By Paul Ramone, eHow Contributor
Mushrooms are a common problem for homeowners struggling to keep their lawns in top shape. Often stemming from decomposing material in your lawn, mushrooms can grow and spread quickly across the grass. One solution is to this problem is vinegar, a household item that works as a natural fungicide. With proper application, the acetic acid within the vinegar will kill the mushrooms and hinder their return. Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bucket
• White vinegar
• Funnel
• Plastic spray bottle
• Work gloves
• Goggles
• Rake

1. • 1
     
     
     Dilute white vinegar by incorporating four parts water to one part white vinegar in a plastic bucket.
   • 2
     
     
     Use a funnel to pour the diluted vinegar into a spray bottle.
   • 3
     
     
     Protect your hands with pair of work gloves and cover your eyes with goggles. The goggles will be helpful in the case that the wind blows the vinegar toward your face during application. Spray the mushrooms on a day that is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, yet below 85 degrees. Days with little wind will help you to target the mushrooms in the lawn easier.
   • 4
     
     
     Hold the tip of the spray bottle 4 to 6 inches away from the mushrooms and cover them with a heavy dose of the diluted vinegar. Avoid spraying the vinegar solution onto the surrounding grass, which also will be killed.
   • 5
     
     
     Wait three to four days for the vinegar to kill the mushrooms and then monitor the lawn for lingering growth. Spray remaining mushrooms and monitor them until they have died. Rake up the dead mushrooms to remove them.

 

[JenH]

This is the gardening site that Ian and Becky developed.
http://www.gardening-forums.com/

Thanks....Just joined!

JW, I will try it out on the mushrooms once it gets warm and let ya'all know!

 

[j.w]

Cool Jen and we'll see ya over there!

 

[Rivermist]

hey all.

Thank you so much for all your answers and new tips.

Yesterday afternoon I had a moment feeling good and I half "dived" in this pond to clean the filter. It was the biggest muddy mess ever... + green algae.

I cleaned it all treated the algae.

Jenh thx, nice to read someone who went through this sickness crap... bad bad timing with the ponds lol

Waterbug... thank you very much for the help. I will definitely let you know what they say tomorrow.

Yes there are 2 other ponds that have been cleaned in the same time. the one with the leaky waterfall and that communicates with another small one next to it.
I figured out the floating liner issue, they had not filled these two communicating ponds with enough water + didn't put the stones back in there.
I waited for the water under liner to drained then i refilled to the top top and repositioned the stones. It's been fine.

And yes those two other ponds are just like this big one.

Like I said I think they have not been built in the right way in the first place, there is always gonna be rain water run offs... I remember before the cleaning these two other ponds were always like that after a rain but it ended up settling at the bottom.

Hopefully that's gonna be the same.

The biological thin I added is called crystal pond and made especially to get rid of mud. Now it doesn't seem to have done anything at all.

I will buy what i need this week end to build what has been mentioned higher;



Also I had laid a floating net one the other ponds because they are right under a tree that sheds a ton of pollen right now... and yesterday i found a little garter snake caught in it .

I took care of it of course, cut the net and released him... it was such a nice experience cos he just let me do without any aggressive attitude.

Will post some photos.

So watch out with nets... they can be a deadly trap when used out of leaves season.

 

[Rivermist]

thank you also for the pond vacuum link.

As for my next pond... this is a basic landscape requirement... I need water features everywhere..... can't really get why.

it will be considered in advance in the price of the house.

Also i read about active carbon (don't know if i call it correctly it's "charbon" in french ) i think somebody mentioned it ).

Would that help clear the water ?

 

[Waterbug]

The biological thin I added is called crystal pond and made especially to get rid of mud. Now it doesn't seem to have done anything at all.

I see. Crystal Pond is a flocculant which binds together suspended clay particles so they're large enough to filter out. Unfortunately you've been ripped off again. Using a flocculant is much more complex than the manufacturer will say. It requires a careful dose, just the right water agitation and some way to get the delicate lumps out of the water as soon as possible because the lumps would soon break their bonds.

Many people swear by flocculants because they add it and some time later, days, weeks, the pond starts to clear. But the pond would have any ways as flocculants don't last that long. They assume the positive result is due to their action. All these false well meaning testimonials allow manufacturers to keep selling these products at your expense.

 

[Waterbug]

Also i read about active carbon (don't know if i call it correctly it's "charbon" in french ) i think somebody mentioned it ).

Would that help clear the water ?

Yes, but not how I assume you think it would. Tossing a bag of carbon into the waterfalls or filter does sound great though. It's another complex process. And of course it would take a huge amount, not that sellers would ever tell you that.

When there's a simple, fast, easy, cheap way to remove suspended clay most people don't want to go to the trouble of using complex and expensive methods.

 

[Rivermist]

Ho I see... and for the crystal pond it hasn't made the smallest difference anyway.

And the more i read the moire I realize i know NOTHING about all that stuff but that's why I want a qualified pro to do the job and explain me as they do a follow up during the first months at least. Just seems hard to find.

 

[Rivermist]

and since nothing exciting is happening in my ponds anymore (I will get plants this week end but that's it)...

here's the little guy that got caught in the net :


I would swear he understood right away that I was there to help

 

[j.w]

Ahhhhhhhhhh, glad you were there to help the little fella! Seems as tho those bird nets can really be a hazard to critters. Let this be a reminder to everyone who uses one to check it everyday for little ones that might be caught. At least that way you might be in time to save them. Don't think I will be using one. Maybe the rigid type nets are safer?

 

[Rivermist]

I would think that the rigid ones would just be harder to break apart when trying to free the animals.

I usually check 4 times a day but I've been so sick lately just did once a day. his body was really cold I think he was in there for a while... but he still had enough juice to rush under a stone once i put him down.

I will be even more careful now for sure.

But these nets will be so helpful this year when my robins leave their nest. Each year we end up fining one or two drowned... even though I check many times a day I'm here I can't be home 24 hours a day... it's heartbreaking after you've seen them hatch and grow into young adults to die in such a stupid way.

 

[JenH]

Snakes and spiders, 2 things I cannot handle. I would have a complete panic attack finding a snake in my pond let alone trying to free it. Once when I was a teenager (lived out in the country) I was mowing and somehow one ended up on my riding mower where you rest your feet. Scared me so bad I jumped right off the back of the mower still moving and everything. My poor dad had to chase down the mower, he thought I had lost my mind! And don't even get me started on spiders!

I found a dead bird in my pond a few weeks ago too. First time. I didn't think they could fall in and drown, aren't they supposed to know how to swim and fly away?