Watering with fishpond water

ragenmoan

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I have koi pond testing recently higher nitrate levels in the water. Hate to just dump the water so was wondering if OK to reuse this nitrate rich water for watering my bonsai? I'm thinking fertilizer rich water here.
 

GGB

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I want a pond at my next house just for this reason alone. As long as you aren't dumping chemicals in it you are good to go, it's what we do at the nursery. IMO it's even better than rain water
 

Gabler

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I have koi pond testing recently higher nitrate levels in the water. Hate to just dump the water so was wondering if OK to reuse this nitrate rich water for watering my bonsai? I'm thinking fertilizer rich water here.

I’ve done the same. It won’t hurt, but doesn’t help much, since the excess nutrients wash right out. That’s unless you’re watering with pond water every day. But if you’re using pond water every day, the nitrogen levels in the water will go down, unless you’re only using a little bit.
 
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Shibui

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Aquaponics. Closed loop system where pond water is pumped to plant containers where plant roots take N then water returns to pond. Similar to hydroponics but without adding nutrients to the water. In some simple systems floating trays of plants let roots grow down into pond water and constantly remove N from water - no pumps required.
Such systems can have more fish per liter of water and produce vegetables, etc as part of the process.
Appears to be quite successful.

Lacking the setup for full aquaponics your pond water will be no problem for your bonsai and the excess N will do them good. Not sure how often water needs to be changed but you will probably still need more fertilizer as well as the little they will get from occasional water changes.
 
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I used to run a tropical freshwater aquarium and everytime i did a water change (once every week or two) id pour the used water around an old lemon tree we had in the backyard (40+ yrs old).
It loved it so much it's growth went ballistic and the lemons ended up the size of grapefruit...and that's no exageration!
The tree's height doubled in one growth season.
One thing i did note is the lemon skins were quite thick but the juice was absolutely lovely.

You'd have to be careful watering bonsai with aquarium water because if the nitrates are high,the growth can be quite substantial...great for pushing initial tree developmental.
Id just be careful with older,established trees as it can increase the size of the foliage etc if the water is high in nitrates.
 

Bonsai Nut

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I plan on watering all my trees with lake water. Pond water is just that... but better :)

Just so long as (1) you don't put chems in your pond water - particularly copper sulfate and (2) you don't use salt.
 

penumbra

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I frequently will fill watering cans from my koi pond to give some of my plants a special treat. But if I watered exclusively from my koi pond, I would constantly be filling the pond. I just have too damn many plants.
 

cishepard

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I frequently will fill watering cans from my koi pond to give some of my plants a special treat. But if I watered exclusively from my koi pond, I would constantly be filling the pond. I just have too damn many plants.
However, far better to put the fresh water into the pond first, then give the nutrient rich pond water to the plants. You are using the same amount of water anyway, and it is benefitting both fish and plants.

I have an overflow outlet on my koi pond plus a constant daily flow through from my well. New water goes into the pond and old water overflows into a drip line for my garden.

4B4BC763-47FE-4185-83B7-6E542CCC0A1F.jpeg
 

penumbra

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However, far better to put the fresh water into the pond first, then give the nutrient rich pond water to the plants. You are using the same amount of water anyway, and it is benefitting both fish and plants.

I have an overflow outlet on my koi pond plus a constant daily flow through from my well. New water goes into the pond and old water overflows into a drip line for my garden.

View attachment 469440
I am glad your setup accommodates you. If I watered all my plants using pond water it would take most of the day to top it off again. I use sprinkler heads quite a bit and this is a lot of water usage. I am not just watering my bonsai, but a small nursery as well. Nothing here is automated regarding the pond.
But point taken, and I do plan on watering more of my bonsai with pond water this season.
 
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