Pond improvement

29-30 July 2020

We have developed a three-part strategy for improving the water quality in the pond.  Because we have far too many fish - a big mistake, putting in four goldfish! - the plants are not coping with the nutrients in the water and we get string algae forming.  Our strategies are: an airstone, some good bacteria 'balls', and Dave with his fishing net.

 The airstone pump.  It is entirely solar powered by this little panel.  The pump is hidden below the panel and sends air down the tube to bubble oxygen in the depths. 

 The pump runs 24 hours so we have a constant gentle bubbling which has significantly improved water quality.  We also got some 'torex' balls, like little white golf balls, which have disappeared into the murk, but we think they are also helping.  They encourage the bacteria which transform fish waste into plant-available nutrients.

The air pump is breaking up the algae in the deep areas and bringing it to the surface, where the third part of the strategy comes into play: Dave with his kiddy fishing net, scooping it up and dumping it on the garden beds nearby.

 The banana tree we planted seems to be very happy, putting out new leaves very busily and producing a couple of suckers at the roots.

 Elsewhere, some turmeric we put in and forgot all about is springing up in various places around the garden.  It must like this heat.

 This year we have three decent watermelons.  Here are two of them, nearly ready for picking.

A view of the terraced beds up the south slope.  A bit overgrown, but the maize crop looks good, the kale is unstoppable, and we have sunflowers coming - one is already out if you look closely at the back.  We are seed-saving parsley, celery and radish too.