Out
On A Limb / November 2005
Autumn and Winter Pond Care
When leaves begin to fall, cover the pond with one of several sizes of leaf netting. It is much easier to keep the leaves out than to remove them, wet and gummy, after they fall into the pond. If leaves get in the pond and decay it will throw off the ecological balance of a water garden.
Fall is a good time to divide some types of aquatic plants , especially waterlilies and iris. It is also the time to remove tropicals from the pond sicne they will only decay and pollute the water. After the hardy plants have stopped growing, cut back the foliage and lower the pot to the bottom of the pond.
It’s hard, but necessary to stop feeding pond fish after the water temperature has dropped to the mid to upper forties. With their slower metabolism and the absence of plants, fish are more susceptible to predation by raccoons, birds and other animals, but the leaf netting to keep the leaves out of the pond this can help protect the fish as well.
Pond specialists say it is safe to turn off pumps and filters for the winter. Cold water holds much more oxygen than warm water and the fish’s respiration is slow so the circulation and aeration isn’t neceessary.
The bacteria in the biological filter doesn’t work in cold temperatures so the only reason to run the filter is to keep the bacteria alive. But, keeping the water flowing through the biological filter allows the bacteria to live, which will help create good water quality early in the spring. When gardeners choose to keep a filter running through the winter, they should take precautions against freezing of water in the plumbing in case of a power outage. A floating de-icer will keep an area free of ice, an opening necessary to allow an exchange of gases during periods of ice cover.
Even though it’s time to put away and cut back,water gardeners might want to invest in Water Hawthorns. A nice addition to the pond, they sometimes bloom through the ice and will grow and bloom fall through spring and go dormant in the summer.
Some plants do not like being submerged in the pond through the winter. Iris ensata, formerly know as Iris kaempferi, a Japanese Iris, should be removed from the pond and planted in the yard until spring when new growth starts and it can be placed back in the pond for the summer. Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) should be removed from the pond and planted in the yard for the winter. This plant should have a few inches of mulch over it as well. Gardeners will have more success by removing the rhizomes from the pot and storing them in slightly damp peat in a basement or other cool area. Some tropical water lilies will bloom all winter if kept in a tub container inside and given at least six hours of bright light. They may also be wintered over by removing the tuber from the pot after the foliage has died back from a freeze. Place the tuber in a container of slightly damp sand or peat moss at 50 degrees. In the spring you will need to heat the tuber in an aquarium to about 75 degrees to trigger its growth before moving outside.
One choice with tropical plants is simply to dispose of them after freezing weather and replace them in the spring. This way you get to try new plants and colors next season. If you want to try wintering over your tropical plants there are a few methods worth trying.
Many tropical plants can be brought inside and treated as a houseplant for the winter. Umbrella Palm, Taros, and Calla Lilies will do very well with medium light levels. If these are in no-hole containers then no special care is needed otherwise keeping the pots in a tray full of water is needed to keep the plants wet. Water hyacinths and water lettuce require more care than they are worth; it is much easier and less expensive to replace them each spring. If you still want to make the effort they require 10 hours of intense light and temperatures above 70 degrees. PL, MG
Copyright © 2005-2006 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
Femme Fair 2006
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