Pond plants are less more likely to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the pond. That is very fortunate because chemical sprays should never be utilised in the pond, the result on fish and insects that we would like in the pond could be disastrous. The fundamental control technique is usually to take off the affected leaf or the entire plant, based on the danger posed from the pest or disease. This aught to be done promptly before the situation gets out of hand. For some pests the leaves may be sprayed with a forceful jet of water to wash away the insects into the water garden and into the mouths of grateful fish. Another technique used is to place a piece of sacking over the foliage in order that it is weighed down until the insects have drowned. There's one common complaint which doesn't involve neither the pest or the disease - it is purely cultural and this is the failure of Water Lilies to flower properly. You can find a quantity of causes of poor or absent flowers. The plant might not have reached flowering size or it could of been planted incorrectly. With a mature plant it may be at the wrong depth or it could have been moved to deeper water too early. Shade may be a problem and so can water currents or the droplets from the fountain. If ever the plant has bloomed well in previous years then it may require feeding (use special fertilizer pellets or sachets pushed into the soil inside the planting basket), or it may just require dividing and repotting. Here are a couple of of the commonest pests that you might find in your pond. Some of them require you to take action and some don't. Before I get onto them though, I would just like to mention the frog. I am including the frog mainly for interest and not as a warning, as it will be unlikely that this amphibian will ever cause any harm inside your pond. But do not forget that during the breeding season a male frog will cling very tightly to anything that moves, and very occasionally a fish could possibly get damaged and even killed by having its head tightly clasped with the legs of a well meaning but over-amorous frog. Anchor Worm. This skin parasite is likely one of the causes of obvious distress with your fish swimming rapidly around in circles. When the scales are examined a raised bump will be seen - the site of the embedded barbed head of this pest. From this affected area hangs the body of the worm, Greyish-White and tubular. At the end of the worm you will find usually a few egg sacks. Prorietary remedies are available, but the conventional treatment is to touch the worm with a paint brush which has been dipped in paraffin. Pull out the parasite using tweezers and dab the wound using a fish antiseptic. Dropsy. This is certainly an uncommon problem, but a very serious one. The body of the fish becomes bloated and the eyes protrude, but probably the most distinctive symptom is that the scales are raised to present the 'pine cone' effect related to this disease. The experts cannot decide what causes dropsy. There might be several types of dropsy but it is known that one kind of dropsy is attributable to bacteria. You can sometimes see dropsy cures listed inside the catalogues and also the condition sometimes corrects itself, but the best course of action is always to kill the fish humanely. I have only listed Two that may occur in the pond, but you can find considerably more. Maybe I will write about them in my next article if I have time.
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Aquatic plants are less likely to be attacked by pests and diseases than those growing outside the water garden. That is very fortunate because chemical sprays should never be utilised in the pond, the effect on fish and insects that we want within the pond is usually disastrous.
I spend a great deal of my spare time in my garden but I have to admit that most of it is spent either improving my pond or simply sitting by it watching everything in the water live it's life. A great deal of my fascination with ponds was created with the help of a gardener london company. They gave me all the help and advice that I needed when I asked them for it.
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