My pond is in full sun, so I've been getting a nice bloom of String Algae.
I've discovered if I skim it up and put it on the rocks surround the
waterfall, I get a faux look of mossy rocks! It also makes the pond look
more like a natural setting.

I had huge quantities of the stuff a while back, and was throwing it on the
ground--its amazing how after it dries, there's nothing left to it in the
way of weight; it gets as thin as a sheet of paper. I even joked to my wife
the chinese could have used it as paper instead of whatever they invented.
But mine got so white, it was kind of unsightly--too bad you can't stew it
down and make a dish out of it!


"Judy Konopka" wrote in message
thlink.net...
My pond is in full sun, so I've been getting a nice bloom of String Algae.
I've discovered if I skim it up and put it on the rocks surround the
waterfall, I get a faux look of mossy rocks! It also makes the pond look
more like a natural setting.

I had huge quantities of the stuff a while back, and was throwing it on the
ground--its amazing how after it dries, there's nothing left to it in the
way of weight; it gets as thin as a sheet of paper. I even joked to my wife
the chinese could have used it as paper instead of whatever they invented.
But mine got so white, it was kind of unsightly--too bad you can't stew it
down and make a dish out of it!


"Judy Konopka" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
My pond is in full sun, so I've been getting a nice bloom of String Algae.
I've discovered if I skim it up and put it on the rocks surround the
waterfall, I get a faux look of mossy rocks! It also makes the pond look
more like a natural setting.






Makes a good fertilizer for plants.

"Judy Konopka" sez:
My pond is in full sun, so I've been getting a nice bloom of String Algae.
I've discovered if I skim it up and put it on the rocks surround the
waterfall, I get a faux look of mossy rocks! It also makes the pond look
more like a natural setting.

I discovered, as PickMaster states below, that it turns white pretty
quickly when exposed to the elements. That's okay by me, I'm using it to
help colonize plants on exposed liner and such, but it is odd looking.

GrampysGurl wrote:
I had huge quantities of the stuff a while back, and was throwing it on the
ground--its amazing how after it dries, there's nothing left to it in the
way of weight; it gets as thin as a sheet of paper. I even joked to my wife
the chinese could have used it as paper instead of whatever they invented.
But mine got so white, it was kind of unsightly--too bad you can't stew it
down and make a dish out of it!


"Judy Konopka" wrote in message
arthlink.net...

My pond is in full sun, so I've been getting a nice bloom of String Algae.
I've discovered if I skim it up and put it on the rocks surround the
waterfall, I get a faux look of mossy rocks! It also makes the pond look
more like a natural setting.






Makes a good fertilizer for plants.


--
one of us a couple years ago figured a way to make paper out out of it,
anyone remember the method??




John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

good judgement comes from bad experience, and that comes from bad
judgement

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com

John Rutz wrote:


GrampysGurl wrote:

I had huge quantities of the stuff a while back, and was throwing it
on the
ground--its amazing how after it dries, there's nothing left to it in
the
way of weight; it gets as thin as a sheet of paper. I even joked to
my wife
the chinese could have used it as paper instead of whatever they
invented.
But mine got so white, it was kind of unsightly--too bad you can't
stew it


one of us a couple years ago figured a way to make paper out
out of it,
anyone remember the method??




John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

I make paper quite often. You can do it with a blender.
Simply put the dried algae into the blender along with some
shredded paper (no newspaper) with a few cups of warm water.
Blend it until it looks like mush - then pour it onto a
deckle (a screen than has been mounted onto a wooden frame).
Press this with a sponge to absorb most of the water and
to flatten the pulp. Peel it off the screen and press it
with an iron or simply let it air dry. I want to try using
water hyacinth leaves this year. They are really fibrous
and I think they'd make great paper.
--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/

Bonnie wrote I want to try using
water hyacinth leaves this year.

ooooo, let us know how it turns out.
Hmmm, and speckle it with duckweed
and lily petals?

My dad retired out of the pulp and
paper industry. I made him a quilt block
of the tree of life with all homemade
paper.




k30a

Colonize plants on exposed liner? That sounds interesting! What exactly are
you doing?


"Fringe Ryder" wrote in message
...
"Judy Konopka" sez:
My pond is in full sun, so I've been getting a nice bloom of String
Algae.
I've discovered if I skim it up and put it on the rocks surround the
waterfall, I get a faux look of mossy rocks! It also makes the pond look
more like a natural setting.

I discovered, as PickMaster states below, that it turns white pretty
quickly when exposed to the elements. That's okay by me, I'm using it to
help colonize plants on exposed liner and such, but it is odd looking.

K30a wrote:
Bonnie wrote I want to try using
water hyacinth leaves this year.

ooooo, let us know how it turns out.
Hmmm, and speckle it with duckweed
and lily petals?

I'll let you know.

My dad retired out of the pulp and
paper industry. I made him a quilt block
of the tree of life with all homemade
paper.


You're a good daughter ;-)


k30a



--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/

"Judy Konopka" sez:
Colonize plants on exposed liner? That sounds interesting! What exactly are
you doing?

I was delighted to discover that even wet string algae, as long as it's
slightly slimey, sticks well to liner. Not much else seems to. So I put
it on in a thin layer and let it dry, and repeated a few more times. It
really does stick, even dry, pretty well and has good tensile strength too
so you can go some distance to the top edge. And then flowers and such
work their roots into it and are quite happy.

Since this simultaneously removes bio-mass from the pond (which is a "good"
thing), this killed several problems with one stone for me.

"Fringe Ryder" wrote in message
.. .
"Judy Konopka" sez:
My pond is in full sun, so I've been getting a nice bloom of String
Algae.
I've discovered if I skim it up and put it on the rocks surround the
waterfall, I get a faux look of mossy rocks! It also makes the pond look
more like a natural setting.

I discovered, as PickMaster states below, that it turns white pretty
quickly when exposed to the elements. That's okay by me, I'm using it to
help colonize plants on exposed liner and such, but it is odd looking.