Is Your Pond Ready for Winter
It may not seem like it today, but Fall is slipping away. Winter is just around the corner. Is your pond ready for the coming cold season?
If you live in a cold climate where your pond experiences long periods of ice cover, then some winter preparations are in order. A “Winter Ready Checklist” is posted on our company website - www.aquaparlifestyles.com. The main purpose of winter prep is to ensure the survival of your fish and to keep your pond ecosystem healthy. By taking a few steps now, your pond should make it through the coming long, cold winter months just fine.
We are often asked the following questions, “Can I run my pond all winter?” and “What should I do with my pond plants in the Winter?” Here’s some information that may help answer those questions.
“Can I run my pond all winter long?”
Here in Minnesota we are often asked this question. In some climates, it is possible to run your pond and waterfall all year long and avoid some of the winter preparations. However, keeping your system running in a colder climate requires some special attention.
You will have to be more aware of the water level of your pond in winter because ice will continually form and may divert water outside of the liner. Ice dams can become a problem in the colder northern climates. You will find ice dams mostly around your waterfall (if you choose to keep it running) and in shallow stream areas. One solution is to shutdown your waterfall, but keep the pond itself open. Attaching a skimmer de-icer to your pump will direct water through the skimmer opening and back into the pond itself. This will aerate the pond, and along with a floating heater, will keep the pond open so your fish will survive the winter.
Another technique is to pull the main pump, store it in a bucket of water in a warm, dry place and add a bubbler to your pond. Be sure to place the bubbler on an intermediate shelf in your pond, close to the pond heater. This will be more energy efficient and keep the pond open for your fish.
“What should I do with my plants in the Winter?”
That depends on what type of plants you have. Hardy marginal plants are, as the name suggests, winter hardy and can be treated like any perennials. Just cut them back to just above the water surface line. This prevents the dying plant material from falling into the pond and decaying throughout the winter.
Hardy water lilies will die back as the water temperature cools and the light diminishes. Remove the pads and blooms and trim the plants back to 2-3″ above the crown. Then moved them to the deepest portion of the pond to overwinter.
Tropical water lilies can be overwintered in a dormant state, but this process is difficult. Therefore, treat your tropical water lilies like a hanging basket and just replace each year. Their beauty, scent and unique night-blooming characteristics make them worth replacing annually.
Tropical marginal plants won’t survive in the pond during the winter. There are generally two ways of dealing with these type of plants. Many tropical marginal plants should be treated as annuals and simply discarded. Others, however, can be brought indoors and treated as houseplants during the winter months. Taros, bluebells and calla lilies are examples of plants that can overwinter well indoors. If in doubt as to whether a tropical marginal can be wintered indoors, give it a shot. It doesn’t hurt to try.
Floaters are tropical plants and die off with the first frost. They are impossible to overwinter due to their light and water temperature requirements. Remove and discard them into a compost pile.
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