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Hello,
I have a terrible feeling that I have made a grave error.
I recently bought 2 pond plants from well known diy store, and for the first time in 3 years of the pond , l have a blanket weed problem. And my newts have disappeared, in fact there doesn't seem any sign of animal life.
I suppose the aquatic compost came with some fertiliser, a sudden rich shock.

Should I wait it out, or have I ruined forever a healthy thriving ecosystem.

It is a small pond, about 2 by 1.5 metres, a with water soldiers, a lily, and other plants. Usually snails, water boatmen, newts, and the occasional frog visit.

Thank you,

Don,t panic yet! it,s been cold out there and my small pond looked bare then the sun came out and all the taddies came back up to the surface
the plants may have caused the weed but these creatures survive in the wild and that wouldn,t kill them. I feel confident that they will reappear when it warms up
marg

Thank you Marg for words of calm and sense.
I think that panic took over, and a sense of why why why did I disturb the balance! I haven't added anything new since digging, filling, and  the pond 3 years ago,
But I will look forward to what will appear from my new baskets,

Today, water snails gracefully feeding on the weed, water soldiers throwing out new growth, and insect life starting to skate over the water. And it is still so cold, no wonder things are hiding out. Usually this time of year pond weed is sprouting before my eyes.

Will post pictures of new plant life as it starts to appear, and hopefully when overrun with newts again, will laugh at my late April madness.

I think it is starting to warm up,

Hello Demeter and welcome,

I have a new pond as well, I have got weed from another pond and since then the water has become murky. Before it was crystal clear. I am also thinking I may have overdone trying to 'help'

But I think I will go will Marg's advice and wait, mother nature is far better at colonising her ponds than we are. So I will wait and watch..............just like you.

(Note to self)I must take some pics ::)

Demeter have you removed the blanket weed? If not, I would do so and leave it on the edge for 24 hours for anything living to escape back to the pond. Then add to your compost heap.

Hello to all,

Slowly removing some blanket weed, (while checking for pondlife). And really, I think signs of life returned as soon as I sent my message of doom! I think the pond is my favourite place of all, can sit there staring for hours, as the secret life beneath the leaves suddenly reveals itself.
It reminds me of childhood summers rockpooling, netting shrimp, watching gobies, but secretly waiting for a conger eel to appear.
Can't believe that newts and frogs and water boatmen and... can find and colonise what is basically a hole in the ground -- okay and then lined with newspapers and lagging and pondliner, and filled with a water lily, water soldiers, parrotsfeather,  iris... -- but basically a hole I dug in what was once a normal suburban lawn. And 3 years have passed very happily since that burst of effort in April 2004.

My gardening consists of hoe a row, stare into pond, fill a pot, stare into pond, put up bean supports, stare into pond...You all know how it is.

Back from work, oven warming to roast a chicken, off to stare into pond, and at the first sign of the Return of the Newt, you may hear my shouts of joy

Demeter

Hi Star,

I think your murky water is called 'spring bloom', so no need to worry, hopefully you will soon have your crystal clear water back.

Hope you get years of pleasure from your pond, they really are magic.

Sinbad

hi, demeter, your pond sounds like a place of calm, ours had blanket weed on until yesterday, pulled it gently out and put it at the side while trying not to disturb the taddies too much  :)

Quote from: Sinbad7 on April 22, 2008, 18:40:29
Hi Star,

I think your murky water is called 'spring bloom', so no need to worry, hopefully you will soon have your crystal clear water back.

Hope you get years of pleasure from your pond, they really are magic.

Sinbad

Thank you Sinbad, You have given me hope. I was thinking we might need a glass bottomed boat to see anything soon ;)

Blanket weed can grow at a rate of 6 feet a day and needs sunlight to grow as well as nitrogen.

I would suggest if you are having problems with a wildlife pond then get some duck weed as it will soon grow to cover the pond surface, at least 1/3 needs covering if you dont want the dreaded blanket weed.
I have know bw kill people trying to unblock a bottom drain of a pond as they get trapped byt it and drown :(

Newts dont actually all stay in the pond all the time, they go off then come back for breeding.

Spring bloom is algea and you have just fed nitrogen into your pond with new soil so of course it will bloom :) Dont worry ever about that sort of algea as the water creatures (and fish) love it.