Rockin' n Rollin'

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AWG is rockin’ n rollin’ this season even with Covid restrictions. Customers are out. Customers are buying. Buying items like fountans, plants, birdbaths and statuary. Almost cleaning the store out! We are ordering constantly to replace and keep items in stock. Some shipments are a little late due to Covid shipping issues. We are hustling to get fountains delivered and set up. We are hustling to get maintenance requests completed on all fountains and ponds. As you probably hear everywhere, we are also having a hard time finding people to work.l So if you come to shop, please be patient.

Little side story, we were building a pond for a customer. They had several chickens in the yard, Gladys, Gertrude and Mildred who quickly became our friends during our time there. We were feeding them worms from the freshly dug dirt. They were feasting. They were like litttle puppy dogs at our feet. We constantly had to take them out of the pond area. Right back in they would come. These chickens made us smile and laugh constantly.

Moral to this story, sometimes you need a few chickens around your water gardens to make you smile.

Gladys, Gertrude, and Mildred

Fish Food Savings

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In an effort to become more eco-friendly, AWG has designed a new method for purchasing fish food. This will save AWG customers more than 25% in the cost of fish food!

Here’s how it will work:
–Purchase one 3lb plastic bag with resealed closure of Ichiban fish food (small or large pellet)
–When empty, bring the Ichiban 3lb plastic bag to AWG and request we refill the bag
–Pay only $15.54 for this refilled 3lb bag of Ichiban fish food, a savings of $6.00 per bag

Help - I Have Green Water!!

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There are several types of algae that can occur in a pond. One type causes the water to be green in color, one type produces string,hair-like algae and the other type produces a “blanket” effect. A pond can have one type or a combination of the three types.

There are several methods available to control algae.The “oldest” method is to have at least 70% of the the pond’s surface covered with floating plants. Water hyacinths and water lettuce work very well. They serve to block sunlight and absorb excess nitrates that are in the pond. Sunlight and nitrates(fertilizer) are two primary ingredients needed by the algae in order for it to grow rapidly. Another method for algae control is to use chemicals. Algaefix is a chemical product that is fish safe and plant safe. Care should be taken to follow the directions printed on the label. Adding more than the specified amount could adversely affect the fish population. A natural product called “barley” straw extract is an additive that can be used to deter algae growth. Natural products usually take longer to produce the desired results.

A very popular device used to control green water is an ultraviolet sterilizer. The size of the pond or water feature determines the size of the sterilizer needed. Proper water flow through the sterilizer is imperative to remove the “green” water. If the water flows too rapidly, the algae will not stay in contact with the sterilizer long enough to be destroyed. The sterilizer is primarily used to remove green water; however, spores released by string algae will also be destroyed as they move through the sterilizer. Ultraviolet bulbs gradually lose their strength as time goes on. Manufacturers recommend bulb replacement each year to assure maximum performance of the sterilizer.

Don’t despair, help is on the way!!