Prevent Fertilizer Runoff

Fertilizers can have negative effects on your pond.  If you own a pond and fertilizer your lawn there are some precautions you should be taking to help prevent your lawn fertilizer from getting into your pond.

When fertilizers make their way into ponds the result can be fish kill and almost always excessive weed and algae growth.  If it makes your lawn green, it is going to make your pond green.  Here are some tips to ensure you are preventing fertilizer from draining into your pond.

Be sure to leave a 20 foot distance from the shoreline to where you stop fertilizing.  This 20 foot buffer will help the fertilizer to be absorbed or at least diluted when it rains and runoff creeps its way into the pond.  Along with the 20 foot area of no fertilizer, also let your grass grow a little longer the closer you get to the pond.  Sufficient rip-rap (rock shoreline) will help filter fertilizer runoff.

Using regular doses of beneficial pond bacteria like Natural Pond Cleaner will help neutralize nitrates, and phosphates that enter the pond from fertilizers.  One gallon of Natural Pond Cleaner will treat a 1 acre pond with an average depth of 4-6 feet deep.  Natural Pond Cleaner should be poured into the pond at least one time per month.  Natural Pond Cleaner will also help keep maintain excessive muck build up on the pond floor.

For more information on pond maintenance Contact Sanco.