On Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:37:43 EDT, "JB" wrote:

Thanks to all for the replies. I think I'll just go with small pebbles. From
what I understand, the main purpose is to hold the plant down. It will get
all the nutrients it needs from the water. I was surprised at the number of
folks that fertilize their plants. I'd read in one of Helen Nash's books
that this was not needed and would tend to encourage algae bloom.

Do most of you "fertilizers" have a UV filter on your pond? Just curious. I
don't and go through a healthy algae bloom each spring for a few weeks. Keep
telling myself that I'm going to get a UV but haven't yet and I've been
doing this for 11 years now.

JB

No UV, no spring greenies here. Do you have a bio-filter? Do you do
frequent water change outs? How many fish?

I feed my lilies, lotus & cannas to get more flowers. The cannas only get
the tabs when I divide unless they're doing poorly. Usually they're so
vigorous I can't get a tab in after 2-3 months of growing time. Soil/clay
binds the chemical in fertilizers that algae loves to eat, I believe that
is the phosphate. I no longer have enough fish to rely on them keeping the
plants fed, especially in the lily pond. I once had 27 koi in koi ponds
when I first started out, I'm at 9 now and plan to keep it that way, or
even reduce that number depending on koi growth. ~ jan
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Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us