Sue, All kidding aside. I don't use either potash or baking soda and
every year I get the same brown spots. Even on my marginals. My well
water has almost no iron in it. If I add iron spots do not return on
new foliage.

"Sue Alexandre" wrote in message
news:nybSa.18202$o54.5748@lakeread05...
Hi Weldon. That was interesting info about potash, but you're
right - it
still doesn't verify/explain why my leaves are getting brown spots.
I guess
we can chalk it up to that old saying "too much of anything is not
good".
Potash sounds like it should be great for plants, but in excess it
probably
has the opposite affect. I am not very good at measuring, pretty
relaxed
about it, actually, so I probably overdid it, thinking "if a little
is good,
a lot should be great!" Thanks for the info.
Sue

"Weldon Wallick" wrote in message
...
It must be the potash since you have made that change just this
year.

I am trying to figure out why potash would cause such a problem.
Found
the following info, FWIW:

Potassium/Potash (K): Potassium protects plants against stresses.
Potassium protects plants from cold winter temperatures and helps
them
to resist invasion by pests such as weeds and insects. Potassium
stops
wilting, helps roots stay in one place and assists in transferring
food. Potassium is a regulator. It activates plant enzymes and
ensures
the plant uses water efficiently. Potassium is also responsible
for
making sure the food you buy is fresh. Where does K come from? The
element potassium is seventh in order of abundance in the Earth's
crust. Through long-term natural processes K filters into the
oceans
and seas. Over time, these bodies of water evaporate, leaving
behind
mineral deposits. Although some of these deposits are covered with
several thousands of feet of earth, it is mined as potash or
potassium
chloride. Potash ore may be used without complex chemical
conversion;
just some processing is necessary to remove impurities such as
common
salt.

Maybe we need an agronomist.

WLW


On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:19:47 -0400, "Sue Alexandre"
wrote:

I'm betting it's the potash, too, because it's the only thing
that is
"new"
to my pond. I've been using baking soda for all of the four
years the
pond
has been in existence, but only this year tried potash to help my
plants.
Guess it backfired on me. And no, they don't look quite like
the brown
spots you get from the heat, they're even on the leaves that
haven't made
it
to the surface of the water yet. Besides, Connecticut isn't
that hot.
Sue

"Weldon Wallick" wrote in message
.. .
I have seen the same thing in my small pond, the brown spots,
that is.

AND, I tend to think it comes from the use of potash - maybe a
little
too much - don't know. Gonna quit it for a while and see what
happens
- or doesn't happen.

I also use baking soda to keep the ph above the acid range.

OTOH, it may be related to the awful heat here in Florida.?

WLW


On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 22:30:41 -0400, "Sue Alexandre"
wrote:

-------- (grinning and shaking head over Hank's answer)


"Hank Pagel" wrote in message
news It may be time to put a new Sears catalogue in the out house
;-)
I'm
sorry but could not resist.

IMO sounds like low iron.
"Sue Alexandre" wrote in message
news:16CRa.2$If5.1@lakeread06...
I know it will be hard for you to answer this without all
the
details
and specs of my pond, but maybe if you've had a similar
experience it
will
ring a bell with you. I have a 4000 gallon pond in it's fourth
year, and
everything is wonderful. Clear water, healthy fish, spawning,
hatching,
lily buds, etc.

Within the past week I have added some potash and some
baking
soda,
but not on the same day. Today I noticed that a LOT of the
plants
leaves,
(hyacinth, lily pads) have lots of big brown patches on them,
even the
lily
pads that are still UNDER the water. Did one of the two
additives I put
in
do this or is it just coincidence? I can't imagine either of
them
causing that kind of damage.
Sue