It would help if you cleaned your garden pond regularly because dirty water leads to mud and filamentous algae. The water can quickly tip in the summer, which means the death sentence for the fish and other animals in the water. When cleaning your pond, remove the silt. A pond mud vacuum is the best way to do this. You may be wondering how to dispose of the sludge. The sludge contains many nutrients, so it is good as fertilizer for plants.
Biological Sludge Removal
If you clean your garden pond regularly and remove algae in the summer, you prevent the formation of pond sludge. Nevertheless, even then, sludge is formed by dead plant parts, leaves that have fallen into the pond, food remains, and fish excretions. If there is only a small amount of sludge, you do not need to vacuum it out. You can remove the sludge biologically.
Microorganisms decompose the sludge. For this purpose, pond sludge removers are offered as powder or solution. You add the sludge remover to the water. It spreads by itself and takes a few days or weeks for the sludge to decompose. This depends on how much sludge has accumulated in your pond. After a few weeks, you should repeat the application.
If a thick layer of sludge has already formed, the pond sludge remover is not suitable. However, you can use the sludge remover to prevent the formation of sludge.
Dispose of Large Amounts of Pond Sludge
If you have not cleaned your pond for a long time, there is usually a thick layer of sludge. You can shovel the sludge out of the pond or use a sludge vacuum to remove it. For large ponds, this can be a difficult task. In this case, you should give your pond a beauty treatment from a professional and invest in a professional pond cleaning service. The professionals work with high-powered mud vacuums and will also take care of the mud disposal if you so desire.
If you clean your pond yourself and large amounts of sludge accumulate, you should contact the county or city. They will tell you how and where you can dispose of the sludge. Depending on the city or county, there are several options for disposal:
- fee-based delivery as residual or hazardous waste
- free disposal in a composting plant
- disposal in the sewer system under flushing with water
- commissioning of a recycling company
- Disposal in the sewer system by flushing with water is not always allowed. It would be best if you did not do this on your own, resulting in stiff fines.
If you hire a recycling company to pick it up, it doesn’t always have to be expensive. It would be best if you inquired about this. Recycling companies will dispose of the sludge properly and can also vacuum it up.
If you only have a smaller pond sludge, it can also be disposed of as residual or organic waste. However, you should then pack the sludge well, as it smells very unpleasant.
Use Pond Sludge Directly as Fertilizer
Due to the dead plant parts, foliage, food remains, and excreta of the fish, the pond sludge contains many valuable nutrients. Similar to compost, pond sludge is produced by decomposition processes. It is therefore excellent as a fertilizer for plants. Directly when pumping out the sludge with the sludge vacuum cleaner, you can direct the sludge into the beds. To do this, use the wastewater hose of the vacuum cleaner. If you have a mud vacuum cleaner with a collection container, pour the mud from the collection container onto the beds.
You should be careful, however, because sensitive plants do not always tolerate the heavily dosed fertilizer. So make sure that the mud does not come into direct contact with the plants. To ensure that the mud is well absorbed into the soil, you can apply the sprinkler or reach for the garden hose after the intensive treatment.
If you clean your pond in the spring, you usually don’t have all the plants in the ground yet. You can then prepare beds and direct the mud to them. You can work the mud under before you plant the beds. Your vegetable plants, as well as flowers, will be grateful.
Dispose of Pond Sludge in the Compost
If you have more significant amounts of pond sludge, compost is the best option for disposal. Your plants can only tolerate a certain amount of pond sludge. Put the rest in the compost. The sludge can help garden and kitchen waste decompose faster in the compost because of the microorganisms it contains. You can then use the sludge if you need it as fertilizer. However, it would help to think about your neighbors, as the sludge can smell bad. You can mix the pond sludge with lime or stone dust or mix in some soil to avoid odors.
Tip: Protect yourself from pollution and foul odors
Pond sludge not only smells highly unpleasant, but it can also lead to persistent staining. You should avoid skin contact at all costs and wear gloves and suitable work clothing when working.
Well Suited for Planting Soil
You can use the pond sludge to make your nutrient-rich potting soil. Mix the sludge with nutrient-poor soil from the garden. This way, you have good soil for planters. The soil is also suitable for houseplants. You can also use the soil for vegetable plants such as tomatoes or peppers. You will then save on fertilizing. However, it would be best if you were careful with young plants.
Let mud dry
If you vacuum the pond mud, you must also clean water with it. This will dilute the mud. If you want to direct the mud right into the beds, this is not a problem. However, if you do not need the mud yet and want to use it later, you can let it dry. You can spread a fleece over the soil. This works best if you arrange square timbers on the ground and spread the fleece over it like a sieve. The mud is drained into the fleece with the drain hose of the vacuum cleaner. The water can seep into the soil, and fine sludge particles also remain in the fleece. You can pour the sludge into a bucket and then put it on the compost.
You also have a use for the pond water. You can direct the water into a rain barrel, over which you previously stretch fleece to absorb the sludge. This is also a good solution if you have a sludge vacuum cleaner with a collection tank. You can pour the sludge from the collection container over the fleece into the rain barrel. The pond water is also rich in nutrients and therefore excellent for watering. You should not water sensitive plants such as tomatoes or cucumbers with tap water. The pond water is ideal for this purpose.
What to do if the Pond Sludge is Already Rotting?
If the mud is already starting to rot, you should not put it on the compost or use it as fertilizer. Mold can quickly form and cause severe damage to plants. You will then need to dry the mud. To do this, use fleece to catch the mud.
Remove the mud from the pond with the shovel, and it rots. You can spread the mud on the ground and let it dry. To avoid odors, add lime or stone powder to the mud.
Conclusion
There are several options for disposing of pond sludge. If a lot of sludge accumulates in your pond because you have not cleaned the pond for a long time, you should ask the city or town government how to dispose of the sludge. Recycling companies can also do the disposal. If you hire a professional pond cleaning company, the professionals can take the sludge and dispose of it. The sludge is very good for use as fertilizer. You can direct the sludge to the flower beds or dispose of it in the compost. To avoid odors, you can add stone powder or lime to the sludge.