August/September 2010 Issue

What are your best overwintering tips?

"Submerge hardy plants below the freeze line, bring tropical plants indoors as needed, and make sure you have a heater in the pond to keep some of the ice clear so your fish will make it. We also recommend using cold-weather blended bacteria to help break down the organics and make the spring start-up easier..”
Michelle McCallen, Imperial Water Gardens, Colorado Springs, Colo.

"Our care recommendations don’t change [for winter]. We cut back on feeding when the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit."
Jim Price, Pondtastic Water Gardens, Orlando, Fla.

"Let ‘em run. A well-constructed pond can run all winter long. We do a lazy man’s pond, where we put a bog at the top and an infinity edge at the bottom. We go down 6 feet deep and we build it up. The water temperature stays at 48 degrees Fahrenheit at that depth because of the Earth’s ambient temperature. I’m a firm believer in a pond that runs all winter.”
Dale M. Vnuk, Wyld Creek Inc. Water Gardens, Fox Lake, Ill.

"Keep some water moving. Netting keeps debris out of the pond. Take care of your pumps.”
Nate Robinson, Aqua Doc Lake and Pond Management, Chardon, Ohio

"Keep an aerator and deicer in the pond, and remove the excess sludge at the bottom. Net the pond, remove excess nutrients, such as leaves and debris, which can become toxic to the fish, and keep a small hole in the ice to allow toxic gases to escape. Think about winter bacteria. The pond needs to be 2- to 3-feet deep.”
Vicky Taylor, The Pond Place Inc., Milford, Mich.

"You should have a clean pond. Put a net over the pond. Get debris out of the pond. Some people keep the water circulating, while others use heaters. Do not to keep tropical plants because they will die. There’s not much too it."
Richmond Gwatkin, Enchanted Gardens and Ponds, Orange, Conn.

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August/September 2010 Issue

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