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  • From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Plants for nitrate/phosphate uptake
  • Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:22:35 -0400

Roxann,
You may want to include, in addition to ponds, one or some artificial wetlands (lined trenches, 3-6 ft wide, 3-4 ft deep, as long as you have room for, filled with gravel, sand and rocks, planted with various emergent species including cattails which excel at nutrient uptake) with ponds for finishing the process. Much depends on volume and climate. I'm sure there are plans and diagrams online.

Water hyacinth is the plant in question and great to work with, but it won't overwinter outdoors in freezing conditions.
Keith

roxann wrote:
Hi All,

We are installing our septic system for our new house. Where I live there is
not public sewer system, so that is not an option. We want to put in small
ponds downstream from the effluent and I'd like to use plants to clean the
water more before it finally will enter the environment. What plants are good
to grow in the ponds that will take up nitrates/nitrites/phosphates? I work
in a water quality laboratory, so I will be monitoring regularly. Do you know
the aquatic plant that takes over bayous in s. louisiana? they've got air
pockets in the stems and make a purple flower? i can't remember the name of
them. but they make an excellent compost when you pull them from the water
(and i don't know why they aren't doing this with them, rather than spraying
herbicides and killing in place). i wonder if they also will take up
nutrients from the water and then when i compost them they can be utilized
for the garden.

are cattails good nutrient uptakers?
i have the space to put in successive ponds with cascading features to each
lower pond, which should help with aeration, too. it will not all be
installed at once, since i do not have so much time or money to do it with,
but i'd like to put a plan in place so that the eventual goal will be reached
by the time the water reaches the end of the line.

thanks for input,

roxann, nw ar
http://blog.ancientearthwisdom.com
--
Keith Johnson
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