How I Maintain My Water Fountains, Fountain Maintenance With as Little Work As Possible.

How to maintain your water fountains the easy way! Fountain maintenance can be a pain in the summer. Nothing stops algae growth in these beauties unless you are using pool-type chemicals. With just a little planning and routine maintenance, you can make it as painless as possible. Get back to enjoying your fountains!
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Peroxide uses article: health.clevela...
Articles on Hydrogen Peroxide in water treatment: www.analytical... and www.oxylpro.co...

[@jeanniemesserschmidtz1954]

We have fountains, bird baths etc. We have tried so many products to control the algae in them. I did a search for using hydrogen peroxide for this purpose. What a great channel. New subscriber. Thank you for the video.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Hello Jeannie, nice to meet you! Thanks for sharing and subbing!

[@greenthumbelina7331]

I've been using hydrogen peroxide in my birdbaths for the past 20 or so years, and it keeps the slim from becoming a problem and inhibits its growth on the rocks that I place in the center for the birds to land on. I don't remember who told me about using it, but it is very effective and doesn't harm the birds. ~Margie

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience Margie! I'm kind of new to fountains as I got my first one about 6-7 years ago. I'm so glad I found something that worked and I feel comfortable using.

[@kaynucklehead1633]

Thanks Green!

[@roslynholcomb]

This is great. I’ve been thinking about getting a fountain but all the algicides scared me. I work full time and I have a son who will definitely be playing in it! He plays in the birdbath too! I don’t want anything to hurt wildlife as the wildlife is one of the reasons I garden in the first place. We use peroxide for everything from laundry to brushing teeth so I feel comfortable using it. Thank you. It’s brilliant.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you Roslyn, I also use peroxide and baking soda to do my laundry/teeth since my skin is so sensitive (the luck of the Irish lol). Yes, I feel the same way about the wildlife. It's not good to invite them in, just to poison them.

[@susanmcmillin1920]

I tried the Hydrogen Peroxide to clean my bird baths and wow, it worked great and they are still clean. I added some after I cleaned and refilled them. Thanks so much for that tip. Love your garden and the fact you have a husband who shares your love of gardening.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thanks for sharing! So glad it worked for you. 😊💜

[@ILoveMyself000]

First.. Nicole you really got an awesome garden. And your video's are very inspirational.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Aww thanks Ryan, I really needed this comment today...it's been a tough, hot, tiring day (work overload lol). Thanks for your positivity, it's much appreciated!! : )

[@garyklock4226]

Just bought home with a fountain such as your large one. Really like your video as I will follow your example, much appreciated!

[@MK-wm6gu]

I like your idea of blowing the water out of the fountain with a leaf blower. I never would’ve thought of that. Thanks for the peroxide suggestion. I’ll probably try it.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

I use my power tools for everything these days 🤣🙏

[@dianeasberry7928]

Love hearing the sound of water. Your fountains are beautiful. I had one but the wind would blow the water out causing the invisible pond to dry out so I unplugged it. Sad but I just couldn't keep up. My sister gave her pond away because of the maintenance. If I'd seen your video first I bet she'd still have hers.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

I can totally relate! The smaller fountain had to be put on a switch as we have high winds here also and even though it has a deep reservoir, it's no match for our winds. We turn it off at night and when we aren't home to be sure not to burn out the pump. We also placed it close to a hose bib for easy refilling. It's definitely something to think about so I'm really glad you shared your experience, it will help others who are thinking about getting one.

[@brendachristian582]

Fabulous idea !! I thought I had left a previous post , but I don’t see it . Thank you for this great idea !! I’ve been watching u tube all afternoon . This is the best one !! Thank you ❤

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thanks so much! 😊 We have strong word filters in place so it's possible KZbin screened the comment (sorry!!) It's to keep trolls from posting horrible things unfortunately.

[@DixieGirl9876]

Thanks for the tip, I'll be adding that to my maintenance routine.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

You're welcome and thank you for watching! : )

[@NYC_Urbanista]

Thanks so much for the hydrogen peroxide tip!! I have a large tiered fountain & several smaller ones in my landscaping & was searching for "bird friendly" solutions to combating algae formation. Love your content!

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you 🙏! So glad you found it helpful. It’s been a time saver for us!

[@mikemcmillen1253]

Hydrogen Peroxide…good to manage algae, bad for the water pump… FYI!

[@MyrtleBeachWebAngel]

@@mikemcmillen1253 Tell me more 🧐 lol. I'm nerdy and wondering if the small amount will damage the pump and also if adding an air stone would work just as well? Thanks to everyone for your ideas. I'm learning so much. I have a small (but busy) frog & bird bath, so I've been researching the best way to keep it as clean as possible. 💫💫💫

[@carolhorn6331]

Thanks so much! I love the sound of your fountain. I think I need another😂♥️

[@evitaslittleparadise]

Beautiful fountains! I've been thinking of getting one for a few years now, after seeing yours, I will put it on my birthday wish list this year. Thanks for sharing!

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

You should! Happy Birthday early, I'm a great enabler!! Thank you Evita!

[@evitaslittleparadise]

@@planttasticcookinggardenin1561 You're very welcome and thank you.🐦☘

[@brendachristian582]

Absolutely brilliant!! Thank you for caring about the wildlife !! I cleaned my foundation yesterday . I’m letting it dry out , then I will try this ! Thank you . Btw I wonder if it will be as effective on my fountain . It’s large , and in the shade . I will try this !!

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you! I hope our tips help. It varies from garden to garden as there are so many factors that effect the water. I will cross my fingers for you!!

[@sandyharrell1987]

I love those beautiful fountains

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Us too! Thank you!! : )

[@jenniferthorndyke7379]

Hi Nicole! I recently discovered your channel and I’m hooked! Do you have any videos about winter? Do you have a tour of your garden during winter time?

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you and welcome!! Not yet, but I plan to keep up with at least updates during the fall/winter season. I enjoyed my garden so much during the winter this year and was almost sad to see it fill in because I knew the view would be blocked. I found the barren landscape kind of enchanting. But that's the magic of spring, all of the sudden I had my cozy little garden rooms back to explore. I've really started to embrace the change of seasons so much more.

[@SQWIB]

Beautiful garden. Don't scrub away the green coating. There's so much beneficial bacteria. That is one of the things helping to clean the water. You have aeration and water circulation in your fountains so you should have a pretty good bio-filtration.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you! : ) Thanks for sharing your perspective! This is one area of the garden I do not want bacteria (either beneficial or not). My fountains do not run at night or if I am away for the day. It wastes electricity and the wind can get really strong here and blow the water out damaging the pumps. They smell bad and look awful if you allow the green slime (algae) to build up. It's not pleasant to sit next to or look at. If it were a pond, I would agree with you. My pond is left alone to create its own ecosystem. It's stagnate and crystal clear due to the plants. Algae is aggressive and just takes over in the fountains.

[@shervin6711]

I just spray hose ours, out once a week or so. In a " swirl" pattern. (Then, It waters plants below) Never thought of peroxide. We like the birds in ours. Hmmm

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Yes, I mentioned blasting with the hose as in between maintenance so I do that frequently. It doesn't stop the algae growth in ours. These are big fountains with large reservoirs, perhaps yours is smaller. Some of them are the size of large bird baths and would require much less care. Our plants get watered all day, 7 days a week from the splashing lol. We like the birds in ours too. I have a parrot and blot him with diluted peroxide when he gets a bad pin feather (vet approved). Hydrogen Peroxide breaks down very fast (possibly in 5 to 10 hours) when mixed with water. It starts to decompose even before you open it. In a closed container, it will eventually break down into water and oxygen gas. When the oxygen gas escapes through the top of the container, only water is left in the container. Do not do anything you are uncomfortable with though! It also sounds like you are not growing algae and can actually blast the water out, ours are way too big for that. The hose only has a mild effect on the top tiers.

[@shervin6711]

@@planttasticcookinggardenin1561 ours is rather large too. But made out of resin. I wonder if that helps. Its also a light color too. I would rather have stone. Since the resin has weakened where the weight sits and " twists" together each tier. But hubby was able to epoxy the stress crack where one sits over the other ( not base) We used diluted peroxide to save our very old ?40 year? Christmas cactus plant .. roots, leaves.. repotted. So far its doing ok.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

@@shervin6711 Oh yes peroxide is used for many plant diseases. 40 years old, wow, that's impressive!! Good question about the resin, I don't really know because I've never had one. The stone/cement fountains are porous, so like all stone, grow algae quite well. It also could be the amount of nitrogen that gets into our fountains from the surrounding jungle of plants. You need a few things to grow algae, carbon dioxide, minerals, nitrogen, and enough water (we have all of these in abundance lol). The constant debris falling from the surrounding plants contributes to our problem. It's all worth it though and this method has really reduced my time maintaining them thankfully!

[@swIMatt363]

Thank you for this video. Can you recommend a water surface plant that doesn't propagate quickly?

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Sorry, they all seem to be aggressive once happy in my pond. Maybe someone else could chime in…

[@johngrevas8819]

What is the name of the purple leaf tree with small branches. It's beautiful.

[@thierrymunseugandachildren802]

So beautiful thank you so much for sharing watching from Africa Uganda

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you Thierry!! : )

[@thierrymunseugandachildren802]

@@planttasticcookinggardenin1561 you're so welcome I am from Africa Uganda have you ever visited in Africa?I watched your videos with my ministry and I shared it , you're so welcome

[@lizmerritt2148]

Love your fountains. Where did you get them? I like the low bowl for my granddaughter, not so tippy.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you! We got both of them at our local farmers market, Genes.

[@phoenixinflight1608]

Hi Liz! Not sure if you're the Liz I know but you have the same name 😆

[@32speedygonzales]

I love your Buddha head. Where did you find it? Wondering if it’s the one I noticed online at Costco. I just wasn’t sure if it was any good

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thank you! I love it too : ) I bought mine many years ago at the Philadelphia Art Museum. He looks just as good as the day I bought him but he is VERY heavy lol. Good luck finding one you like. I collect buddha statues whenever I find one I love.

[@interesante80]

Erin from Impatient Gardener recently did an update on her little pond - said the guppies really help keep it clean.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Good to know! Mine has stayed crystal clear with no fish, just plants as it's a frog pond and fish would eat the tadpoles. Fish are not recommended for frog ponds. Hers is also a stock tank that is emptied in winter. Mine is permanent (it will not be emptied) so it will form its' own ecosystem.

[@kaynucklehead1633]

I have a solar generated fountain and the birds come to drink and take dips in. I hesitate to use any chemical because I worry it could harm the birds. Do you know if that capful of hydrogen peroxide is okay?

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

I have linked in the description area articles on Hydrogen Peroxide in water if you would like to read them. It is used to disinfect the water we drink along with chlorine and many other chemicals. I have a parrot and he drinks municipal water every day that is treated at much higher levels than what I show in this video. He's a very healthy, happy bird. The communal use of bird baths and feeders is a much greater concern particularly because people generally do not keep them clean enough to stop the spread of disease amongst the population. Please do your own research and never do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. I am completely comfortable with Peroxide and its' use in this manner.

[@kaynucklehead1633]

@@planttasticcookinggardenin1561 I didn't know if you had first hand knowledge of an effect if any on birds drinking from it. Unless I missed it I didn't see or hear of any mention about birds in this video. I scrub and empty the fountain almost weekly so if I can skip a week here and there I'm all for it. Of course I'll read up on this issue.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Oh wow that’s definitely a lot of work depending on the size! I can’t remember if I talked about birds or not in the final cut since i taped it twice due to audio issues. I know in one version i said if you were worried then just add it in at night. Hydrogen Peroxide breaks down quickly in water and is biodegradable. It probably got edited out by accident.

[@kaynucklehead1633]

@@planttasticcookinggardenin1561 I think I'll try it at night. I'm always going to get algae because the fountain is solar generated so it sits in all day sun. Add to that one daffy robin who splashes around in it and empties half the water. But it's worth it. :)

[@femalephobia]

Great info! Thank you!

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for stopping by : )

[@joedaniel8603]

Hello how big is the 2 tiered fountain?

[@ariellee1046]

thank you very much im needing for explosion in texas areas please guide me there .maybe yku can help .

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

[@sotterjoy6030]

Wow nice garden friend

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Thanks for visiting us in the garden!! : )

[@janicesgarden5748]

The warnings from California are just that this way the company can not be sued , California businesses have to put those stickers on almost everything by law. Called PROP 65 it's not always a risk but they have to do put the sticker on anyway. State California thinks everything is toxic! I personally would not worry about it! They even have this warning on latex gloves.

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Hmm I'm pretty sure I said in the video that everything carries this warning, maybe you missed it? I'm familiar with PROP65 but it's good info for those who aren't, thanks! I personally would worry about all the warnings I read to you on that bottle that had nothing to do with Cali, but to each their own. No judgement on my part.

[@cathyhatfield5340]

Great tips thanks👍❤️

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

You are so welcome! Thank you : )

[@ChipsGreenWorld]

Great vlog very interesting 👍🏼 always good to check the back of the bottle ✅👍🏼🌱 Chip 🌱👋🏼 CHIPS WORLD

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

Always! and normally I do...just one of those dumb moments lol.

[@yeye3295]

I couldn't take the maintains of my fountain so I gave it to a friend.....too much work🤢

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

I feel you. I have had many plants in my garden that I've felt the same way about lol. My fountains are a joy and minimal maintenance compared to other garden tasks.

[@deborahr9237]

After all they have to disclose on that label, it's a wonder anyone is willing to manufacture and sell it! Yikes!!

[@planttasticcookinggardenin1561]

I know!! : (