Yep, one of the pitfalls of using lots of so called potting mixes etc
is the stuff has good soil for plantin gin ponds but the additive of
perlite makes it unsuitable. Have you tried the smaller mesh nets
typically used for aquariums........real cheap and they have them in
some 6 x 8 inch sizes. I use them to scoop out mulm etc out of varous
tanks I have around as well as surface junk like you mention, and they
work good.Even if the plant does not get turned over, the perlite is
still prone to getting in the pond.

If you want to try your hand at cleaning up a real mess in a large
pond of 1+ acre, you need to trey getting wood mulch out. I had wood
mulch in and around the planted section and the stream came up to the
point it backfilled into the pond and pond wa inundated with flood
waters. I had previously just put down 32 bags of shredded cypress
mulch about 2 weeks prior........what a mess..........U hgave since
replaced all wood type mulch with river gravel.......if that floats
away I quit!

On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 11:08:40 -0400, "kc"
wrote:

===I bought a horsetail reed which I love and put it in a floating pond plant
===bucket. I used the soil that came with the plant and some generic garden
===soil I had on hand...never thinking that this plant could end up upside down
===with all the soil floating around in my pond after a huge storm we had last
===night.
=== Unfortunately, the soil had perlite in it (miniscule balls of styrofoam)
===which are now floating all over the pond, stuck in the roots of the floating
===plants, etc.
===I'm trying to get it out the best I can with my net, but it's almost like
===trying to net air--it goes right back through the holes...I'll probably be
===seeing pieces years from now, and I'm just hoping the fish know better than
===to eat it or have iron cast stomachs in case they do!Kirsten
===


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
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