permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

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
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
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