Saturday, November 7, 2009

Healthy Living Environment With Pond Plants

Take a tip from a book about healthy ponds in the wilderness; provide a lot of good pond plants if you're trying to recreate a pond environment in your own yard.

These prevent the water from becoming sterile, and create a healthy living environment in which your fish can thrive. Proper pond care necessitates that you create a good balance, including several different types of plants that serve different purposes in the pond ecosystem.

The most important kind of pond plants, though they are by no means the only kind you need, are those that help create the oxygen that the fish themselves need to survive, and which do a better job of this than any artificial method.

But plants also help reduce the problem of pond algae as well, because they use up the compounds created by the bacteria in the water that break down organic matter. Some good oxygenating plants to look for are Anacharis (Ditch-moss, WaterPest) or Cabomba (Washington Grass, Fanwort).

In addition to the floating pond plants in the center, you'll want to add the extra balance of marginal plants along the edges. These root in the mud of the shallows, and bring further shade and cooling to the pond.

It may seem odd to think of placing the right plants as a part of fish management, yet it's the plants that actually create the environment that will determine the health of your fish.

Keep the plants balanced and properly varied, and the fish will do very well, thus making your pond a happy place for both you and the fish.

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Healthy And Balanced Fish Pond

Be meticulous as you plan where you're going to place your fish pond and how you're going to construct it. There are many more things to consider than most people would suspect.

You'll need to look from the heights of the tree branches above the yard to the depths of the ground beneath the pond location. Designing and stocking a pond requires that you pretty much think of everything.

Look at the trees in or near your yard. For the sake of proper pond care, you'll want to avoid placing the pond directly under them or, in some cases, anywhere near them.

The reasons are twofold; you don't want the pond to get clogged up with fallen leaves, and just as importantly, you don't want tree roots penetrating the pond itself. Check where tree roots run in your yard, and avoid placing your fish pond anywhere near them.

When you've got your fish pond set up at last, then you'll need to choose the supplies you need. Of course this includes mechanical equipment like filters and pumps, but pond supplies extend even to your choice of plants to include.

You'll need to research aquatic plants and provide a balance between floaters and marginal plants, and perhaps introducing packaged bacteria in recommended amounts to get the ecosystem going. Then, at last, you can introduce the fish, a few at a time, and your pond will be complete.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Ornamental Koi Pond Decorating Your Garden

If you're creating a special garden in your yard or perhaps even in a greenhouse, then a koi pond might be that one final jewel to consider adding to your design. Koi are a type of Japanese carp that bear beautiful, bright colors and patterns, and can grow to be quite large.

Many of those designing ponds for public spaces actually place these fish as decorative features, to add to the overall look of these places, as well as the beauty and natural feel.

One thing to keep in mind if you put a koi pond into your yard is that it needs to be big enough for these fish to survive in. Many experts suggest that for every 100 gallons of water your pond contains, you should have one fish.

It might be hard to resist the temptation to add more, to add to the range of patterns and colors, but the fish themselves would be harmed by overcrowding. Fish pond predators will need to be thwarted as well. Making the pond between five and eight feet deep will help discourage them.

A good filter and pump are essential for keeping the pond clean, and another very important piece of equipment in a koi pond will be a heater, particularly in a cooler climate.

The pond cannot be allowed to freeze over in the winter, so this may be a final limitation on who can create one, and where these fish ponds can be located. In countries that have quite severe winters, it simply might be too risky for the fish, or too expensive for the owner to bring them indoors until spring.

But for someone in a climate that can accommodate koi fish ponds, creating this type of feature has the potential to turn their garden into a beautiful jewel.

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Sunday, November 1, 2009

Plants With Propeties To Make Natural Insect Repellent

Using a natural insect repellent is becoming more popular, as our society becomes more health conscious and as the state of the environment weighs more heavily on our minds. A lot of the bug repellent choices that are manufactured these days use plants as the source ingredients to create a more organic insect repellent.

There are a number of different plants that have unique properties that tend to ward off certain pests, and the use of plants is a healthier and safer alternative to chemically based insecticides.

There is an argument that one could simply grow these types of plants around the house and create a yard that not only looks nice, but turns it into an insect-free zone. However most of the time, in order to turn the plants into a natural insect repellent, the plants need to be crushed and the repellent properties extracted.

A lot of the plants mentioned could be in your yard and you could find bugs using them for shade or as a nesting place. The plants could be broken down by homeowners in order to create a form of natural pest repellent, but simply having flowers present is usually not enough.

Chemical sprays that used to be routinely used on crops several decades ago may be more effective in killing and warding off insects, yet a natural insect repellent is safer and healthier.

There are numerous types of insect repellent spray products that are made from plants and are available for purchase. All that is needed is for you to match up your needs with what the repellent can offer and you can feel more secure being outdoors.

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