Topic: Green water and blanket weed

[Svengali]

Hi Margaret, my hornwort came with strips of (I think) lead, about an inch from what I took to be roots. I had ten bunches, & tossed them into the parts of the pond with the muddiest bottom.
My taddies are already at the carniverous stage.
It's a frog eat frog world.......................................................

[Margaret]

Jeremy,hornwort definitely does not have any roots!!I hate those strips of lead, i always take them off.I never put anything into my pond if it is not made from plastic.

Did you plant the  Nymphoides in the end?

[Svengali]

Yes, I planted them in two pots. They seemed quite a miserable bunch, and I was afraid that I would lose them if I couldn't keep an eye on them. If they develop, I will probably split them.
I was very tempted to take up your offer of collecting a few bunches of plants, but you are rather a long way from me. Is there any chance that you could send me a few the same way that the plant suppliers do - wrapped in newspaper, inside a freezer bag?
I will happily repay postage costs.
I am starting an investigation today to check wether I have a leak. The one place that I lost water in the past was at the bottom of my waterfall. The stones at the start of the pond propper caused the water to back-up under an overlay of liner. I sealed this, and everything seemed fine, but I now appear to be losing water again from somewhere. My one concern is that somebody with a sharp beak has been trying to stab taddies in the shallows, & gone through the liner!

JeremyB

[Margaret]

My levels are going down rapidly,Jeremy,it may well be just due to the wind buffeting your waterfall, and evaporation in the heat.Not a lot you can do to check if you have a leak further down in the pond,if you did have, it would go down overnight to the level of the tear.

Yes it is a real shame you cannot do a day trip to collect some of this excess weed i have.Could have had some of my Nymphoides too, they are getting out of hand again.Plus ,how about 20 fish...............?

Not sure how that particular weed would travel through the rough and tumble of the postal system.When you get plants delivered do they come in a van or just by ordinary post? I think i might try an experiment first.Wrap some up as you suggest,and knock them about a bit for a couple of days then see if they still look half decent!! I will let you know!!

Meanwhile have you had any sightings of the missing weed.............?

[Svengali]

Hi Margaret. The plants that I have bought have been sent by ordinary post - obviously not over a weekend! They have been bare-rooted, & wrapped in newspaper, which has then been sealed in a freezer bag. (I can send you several large ones if you need them)
The bag has then been either a) put between two flat sheets of cardboard, b) Stuffed into a padded envelope or c) put into a cardboard box.
I also get bulk mealworms through ordinary post, so there doesn't seem to be a problem.
I have ordered a piece of the pebble-faced liner to go over the joint at the bottom of the waterfall. This will allow me to construct a rock-free channel so that the water doesn't back up, but empties freely into the pond.
Can't say that I have spotted any of the hornwort plants. How fast does it grow? How soon should it reach the surface from a 2'6" depth?
At least this is the ideal weather for working on ponds!
JeremyB

[Margaret]

The hornwort in my pond is floating around the surface,spreading out and literally seems to grow before your eyes! Strands can get to several feet in length so you really should have no problem in that respect.You do have a very large pond though,don't you? In which case it will take time to fill out but i reckon by next year you will be doing like me and yanking it out.However if you think they will be ok by post then i can't see any reason why i shouldn't off load some of mine!! When i am ready i will pm you then you can give me your address.I have some tough bags given me by an aquarist centre that hold fish,i can use those. Also i am sure i can find a Jiffy bag somewhere!