POND CARE

You mentioned about stopping putting food out for the fish in winter a week or two ago. Is their anything else that I could do to protect the fish and the pond as winter approaches? L.E.

Reply.
I mentioned that fish don’t feed in temperatures less that 48-50 degrees Fahrenheit. They will eat the algae on the sides of the pond if the temperature rises at all in the winter months. Our goldfish that lives in the bathroom has to survive quite often on the green gunge that grows on the glass of the tank as we forget to feed him quite often. This does him no harm at all. The other point about the fish outdoors is that there should be a deep place in the water (about 2 feet minimum), where the fish can hide from the frost and herons. Here are some other jobs to do if you have a pond.

Keep the pond clear of fallen leaves and other debris. The rotting leaves can poison the water by becoming gungy and rotten. If there are a lot of them they could block out all of the natural light. The quality of water in the pond should be maintained even during the winter months to insure the survival of the pond inhabitants. Remove debris and decomposing leaves with a net often

Frost tender floating plants should be removed from the pond before they start to deteriorate and foul the water. Try to keep them over winter in a bucket in a sheltered spot you never know, they might survive.

Tropical marginal plants that live on the edge of the pond could be moved inside and treated as houseplants during the winter months. For better appearance, trim any roots that have grown outside the pot. Keep them in a cool, frost-free place and make sure they have plenty of light so they don’t grow straggly.

Hardy marginal plants just need to be trimmed and moved low enough into the water to avoid freezing. All dead foliage should be cut off and discarded.

Hardy Water Lilies will survive winter in the deeper parts of the pond and the fish can hide from the herons as well. Tropical Water Lilies will have to be brought inside or put in a bucket and put in the same sheltered place as the marginal plants.

Submerged oxygenating plants can be trimmed back at this time. They can be left in as they will keep the water fresh in the winter months.

Disconnect, clean and store away external filters. Drain all pipes and tubing to prevent bursting during freezing weather.Electric pumps can be left in the pond if they are located well below the freezing line. In ponds with a large fish population it may be necessary to continue to run the pump to keep a sufficient supply of oxygen. The pump should be moved just below the surface of the water under these circumstances to avoid cooling the lower layers of water too much

Horticultural.