Pond Fertilization A properly executed fertilization program is one of the most beneficial pond management tools available to pond and lake owners and managers. A proper fertilization program can triple or quadruple the productivity of a pond. This means that your pond can support three to four times more fish than an unfertilized pond! When you fertilize, your goal is to produce a phytoplankton bloom. This can be seen in the photo below. The plankton bloom will give the water a green color. This is the base of the food chain in your pond. The more phytoplankton there is, the more zooplankton and insects there will be feeding on it. Young fish feed on the zooplankton and larger fish feed on the smaller fish. So by improving the base of the food chain, you also improve the food available to the rest of the fish. The process of fertilizing begins with having a water sample from your pond checked for alkalinity to determine if an application of agricultural lime is necessary. If it is, the ag lime should be applied ideally in the fall or winter. This allows the pond to be ready to fertilize in the spring. However, lime can be applied in the spring and summer as well. Before applying the lime, the amount of water flow running through the pond should be considered. Ponds with high flow rates will likely require more frequent applications of both lime (if needed), and fertilizer. In this case, fertilization and liming may not be practical. Finally, the presence of aquatic vegetation should be evaluated. A fertilization program should not begin when unwanted aquatic vegetation is present. Fertilizing the pond will feed the vegetation and cause the vegetation to grow more. Begin fertilizing the pond in the spring when the water temperature rises above 60 degrees F (March in the southeast). Apply the fertilizer according to the specific fertilizer's directions. Every pond is different, but generally, you should apply the fertilizer about once per month depending on the water visibility. You should maintain the water visibility between 18 and 24 inches. The visibility can be measured using an 8-inch white disk. Lower the disk into the water until it disappears. Then raise it until it reappears. At this point, measure the distance from the water surface to the disk. This is the visibility. If the water is too clear (visibility greater than 24 inches), it is time to fertilize. If the green plankton bloom is too thick (visibility less than 18 inches), you should stop fertilizing until the visibility becomes greater then 24 inches. You should stop fertilizing around November when the water temperature drops below 60 degrees F. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about fertilizing your pond, lime application, or pond management in general. |
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