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Richard Recommends—
Q: How do I prepare my pond for winter?
A: A complete winterization includes the following. Thoroughly prune back all plant material to a few inches above the soil line. This can be done incrementally over time to enjoy the last of the plants beauty, but should be completed before ice appears. Tropical Plants should be removed for storage or disposal. Hardy plants can be left in place or lowered to the ponds deepest point. Do not cut or lower cattail varieties below the waterline, as these plants require foliage matter above the surface year round to transport oxygen to the root system. Thoroughly remove any leaves or other organic material by using a vacuuming tool, and/or a good strong net and skimmer net. Add a de-icer to maintain an opening in the ice. Cover the pond with netting, such as Big Top Net Kits (more durable) or Basic Netting (more economical), to keep leaves out. Completely clean pump intakes, filter systems, drain WF tanks, etc. and shut down system for winter. Note: Some pondowners and serious fishkeepers keep the water re-circulating all winter convinced that this makes the enviroment less stressful for the fish. This may certainly be true. Regardless the best asurance of fish survival is keeping a hole in the ice cover to ensure exchange of gases (oxygen, and carbon dioxide). This may also be accomplished with an Air Pump/ Air Stone System. Begin feeding the fish a lower protien food when the water temps fall below 65F and discontinue feeding altogether when the temp stabilizes below 50F. ( Check the temp daily each morning and a reading of 50F or lower 3 consecutive days means stop feeding until spring.) Continue to use a good bacterial product, particularly those with coldwater strains such as Ponsparkle, and keep Barley of some type in the pond year round. Reminder: All cool/ cold water pond chores are easier with gloves and boots. Be sure to check out the Seasonal "Autumn" Care Page for more about winterizing your pond.
Q: I just discovered that my de-icer is not working and my pond is completely frozen over with no warm weather in sight! What should I do?
A:
Purchase or order, a new De-icer unit right away. Most can simply be placed on the ice and plugged in. If the ice is newly formed, the pond has been well maintainedand is fairly clean then the fish should not be at risk. If in doubt, or if your de-icer cannot be placed directly onto the ice, never break or forcefully crack surface ice! This can be harmful or even fatal to pond fish through damage to thier ability to hear vibrations in the water. Slowly pour boiling water over one point and gently "chip" the ice away to open a hole. Then next year be prepared for these types of scenarios by placing a rubber sports-type ball, inflated or not, on the water surface where accessible before ice appears. Now simply lift the ball out of any ice to temporarily allow exchange of gases at the surface, until the de-icer can be replaced.
Q: Besides monitoring ice coverage, what other tasks should be performed regularly in the winter?
A: The water level in the pond should be checked and topped off as needed. Any accumulating snow on the ice should be safely removed as much as possible. Continue to apply a cold season bacterial product, such as Lilypons' "Ponsparkle",even if ice is present. Whenever possible use a net to remove any accumlated debris, such as leaves in the pond.
Q: How do I choose the proper pump for my pond?
A: Look for advice on this from trusted pond retailers (such as Lilypons). Before you seek them be prepared to provide some information so they can help make the correct decision. 1. The specific application: ie; filter/skimmer, waterfall, decorative fountain/statuary, or a combination. Each item has its own desired flow rate. 2. Entire volume of water in the pond(s). There are formulas for determining this. 3. The desired distance, vertically and horizontally from the placement of the pump (in the pond) to the discharge point. If you are replacing an existing pump be prepared to provide any available info about the existing pump and tubing/piping size. If possible taking the pump itself to the retailer may be best.Always check the power consumption (wattage use) of a chosen pump and the warranty. Many models are extremely energy efficient. Typically more expensive to purchase they may save many energy dollars over the course of time. See "How to Choose a Pump" for more details.
For more Frequently Asked Questions click here.
Richard M. Koogle is the Vice President and Director of Operations of Lilypons Water Gardens. He has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of water gardening, and is eager to share his knowledge through his captive presentations on creating and maintaining water gardens! He has installed hundreds of ponds and guided countless individuals to success with their ponds. This "hands on" experience has shown him all the "secrets" of easy, fun pond-keeping and many are explained in the three books Richard has written or advised on, as well as lilypons.com. Richard is a nationally recognized water garden speaker and his lectures are informative, practical, inspiring, and feature colorful slides! Contact him directly for more information: (ph)1.800.825.5459 x 1002
To find out more about Richard click here: Richard's Bio.
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