We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots. Would this be true? Would
it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?

john hamilton
wibbled on Wednesday 07 April 2010 11:09

We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots.


Would this be true?
Would it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?

This bit would be easy to check with a bit of Universal (pH) Indicator,
often found in garden centres.

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.

john hamilton wrote:

We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots. Would this be true?

No. As it rots it will deplete the nitrogen in the soil. Add it to the
compost heap.

Would
it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?

No idea, but I doubt it.

--
Rusty

"john hamilton" wrote .
We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots. Would this be true?
Would it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?
I once saw a friend ruin a stunning bowling green type lawn by pumping that
stuff all over it. It is a bit like chicken poo, powerful stuff and will
burn plants if not diluted.
I spread the stuff from our pond around the garden and dig it in just like I
would horse manure but I wouldn't use it in pots.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots. Would this be true?
Would it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?


Recently Aldi has been selling a brilliant pH meter for a quid or so. Just
stick it in your soil and find out. I put it in a pot of what I thought was
an ericaceous soil and lo and behold, the pH was 6.5. Perfeck. So at least
the gadget works.

I expect it would also work if you put it in water.

The annoying thing about most stuff to do with pH is that you have to
purchase some small quite expensive package where you only get enough
chemicals for one or two goes.

someone

In article ,
"someone" wrote:

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots. Would this be true?
Would it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?


Recently Aldi has been selling a brilliant pH meter for a quid or so. Just
stick it in your soil and find out. I put it in a pot of what I thought was
an ericaceous soil and lo and behold, the pH was 6.5. Perfeck. So at least
the gadget works.

I expect it would also work if you put it in water.

The annoying thing about most stuff to do with pH is that you have to
purchase some small quite expensive package where you only get enough
chemicals for one or two goes.

someone

There may be a cheap way. I'd guess you must take your soil or pond
scum and dry it which is a variable. Take a known weight and add water
a known water vol. and then use pH papers.

Lets see if you can avoid a pH meter.

http://tinyurl.com/y8k4a2a

--
Bill Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

someone
wibbled on Thursday 08 April 2010 22:16


"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots. Would this be true?
Would it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?


Recently Aldi has been selling a brilliant pH meter for a quid or so.
Just
stick it in your soil and find out. I put it in a pot of what I thought
was
an ericaceous soil and lo and behold, the pH was 6.5. Perfeck. So at
least the gadget works.

I expect it would also work if you put it in water.

The annoying thing about most stuff to do with pH is that you have to
purchase some small quite expensive package where you only get enough
chemicals for one or two goes.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/60-Litmus-Univ...st-papers-New-
Fresh_W0QQitemZ200348777971QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_B OI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET?hash=item 2ea5b7bdf3#ht_2667wt_941

All of 1.64 inc postage Should last forever if kept dry.

someone

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 11:09:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
wrote:

We have a lot of plants in pots. When scraping the bottom of the pond we
bring up a greenish muddy slime. Someone said they thought this would be
nutritious to mix with the soil in the plant pots. Would this be true? Would
it be likely to be on the acidic side or not?


Typically one plant decides to dominate the pond, then we rake it out
and into a composting bin. It can be algae, azola, duckweek,
anacharis, cattails, or parrot feather. I would not recommend use of
material that has not composted.

Bill who putters wrote:


Lets see if you can avoid a pH meter.

http://tinyurl.com/y8k4a2a

LOL
http://lmgtfy.com
bookmarked

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