Plant Care Leave them in the pond! Hardy lilies deeper than 12" will winter over in the pond with no difficulty. Simple cut the dead lily leaves and stalks, leaving approximately 2" to 3" of tuber at the base of the plant. Hardy bog and marginal plants will need all of the dead leaves and plant material trimmed down just above the water level. Tropical lilies and floating plants can be brought inside for the winter with some success, or treated as an annual and replaced each season. Remove the tropical lily after the first frost. Cut the lily leaves and keep only the tubers. Store the tubers in a green house ot cool basement. (Check with your local plant supplier for more information) Fish Care One of the most common reasons fish die during the winter is improper gas exchange (not enough oxygen). There are two ways to assure that there is enough oxygen for the fish to survive. First, use a net to remove the leaves and debris that have fallen to the bottom of the pond. Large quantities of leaves and debris left in the pond will begin to decompose and produce harmful gases throughout the winter. Second, provide a hole in the ice for oxygen to enter the pond. Option #1 Keep Your Waterfalls Running The moving water will keep the area around the waterfall and skimmer open. Maintenance is usually the determining factor whether a pond owner keeps their pond running in the winter. The primary maintenance responsibility in the winter is to make sure there is enough water for the pump(s) to operate properly. There are a few conditions that affect the amount of water available to the pump. The first is the layer of ice that forms across the surface of the pond. For instance ponds in Chicago (zone 5) typically experience ice more than 6 inches thick. Generally this will not cause any problems. The ice layer will be thickest in the middle of the pond and thinner along the edges where the ground insulates the sides. The thickness of the ice directly in front of the skimmer will also be thinner due to the rushing water traveling into the skimmer. The weir flap on the skimmer door, if needed, can be removed during the winter to allow more water to flow into the skimmer. The second is the ice sculptures that form around the waterfalls also "lock up" water that was once available to the pump. Evaporation is another culprit and still takes place in the cold of winter, although not as quickly as in the summer. Most pond owners who run their systems find an alternate source to fill their pond. Water can be supplied via a hose run from inside the house or multiple trips back and forth with a 5-gallon bucket. Pump size and elevation change of the waterfalls are also important in the ability to run the waterfalls during the winter. We have found that pumps producing 2,000 gallons or more are usually the minimum flow rate to keep the waterfall operating. Be careful, ponds with long or slow moving streams may form ice dams that will divert water off the liner. We recommend observing your pond for the first season during extremely cold days, in order to assure that everything is running smoothly. Option #2 Using The De-icer Fountain Kit To make sure that your pond will have good gas exchange you must leave a hole in the ice so oxygen can enter and any harmful gases can escape. We recommend Aquascape's de-icer fountain kit. The de-icer fountain kit is placed approximately 12" below the water surface so the fountainhead is just below the surface of the water. The de-icer fountain kit will agitate the water so a hole remains in the ice. If the weather gets too cold, you may have to use a floating heater in conjunction with the fountain. Option #3 Using A Floating Heater Use a floating heater in combination with the fountain kit. Floating heaters are the most common method of keeping a hole open in the ice. Until now, they were expensive to operate (1250 watts). Thermo-Pond is the new pond heater that only uses 100-watts. Thermo-Pond is the world's only energy efficient pond heater! Saves as much as $30/month in electricity costs vs. most popular pond de-icers! Pays for itself in 2 months! Withstands temperatures dipping past -30° Fahrenheit! Operating the de-icer fountain kit will keep a hole open until the air temperature drops below 10 degrees, then it is time to switch on the heater. Place the pump and heater far enough apart to prevent the pump from moving heated water away from the heater. Pump Care If you decide to turn off your pond during the winter, you should remove it from the pond and put it in a bucket so the gaskets will not dry up and crack. Place the pump in a protected area. It is good practice to take the pump out of the bucket from time to time. Temporarily plug the pump in and let it run for a few seconds. Running the pump will help reduce the risk of rust seizing the internal components. The pump should be ready to go back into operation the following spring. Frogs and Critters Frogs and other critters survive the winter by burrowing in dead lily leaves and other debris on the bottom of the pond. If all of the leaves and debris have been removed, set a bedding tray or annual plant tray filled with soil and covering of sand in the pond. The trays will make a great hibernating spot for frogs and critters to burrow. |
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pondinfo@premierponds.com U.S.A. Copyright © 1999 - 2007 Premier Ponds LLC, North Salem, New York. All rights reserved. Thermo-Pond Heater 3.0, Aquascape Designs Pond Kits, ScareCrow Sprinkler, Nursery Pro Micro Pond Kits, AquaClearer, Microbe-Lift, Great Blue Heron Decoy, Pond Liners, Thermo Pond Heater & Deicer, Premium Koi Food, Select Koi, Butterfly Koi, Pond Aeration Pumps, Flexible PVC Piping, BioFalls, Skimmer, Aquascape Pumps, Cat Stop!, Animal Control Products, Pond Netting. |