I can't say I dislike winter....when it snows everything looks so pretty but then this winter has been pretty nice so far. Temperatures are in the 50s today and the SUN is shinning. Unusual for January in Ohio. The pond is frozen but only a thin layer and the fish aren't moving much although I can catch a glimpse of them sometimes.
So while I continue to knit away the hours I keep thinking about spring.....changes to the pond.....new plants to offer.....what plants are thriving in the greenhouse. When the planting season ends things begin happening in the greenhouse. With seedlings and dividing of plants there is alot of do to get ready for the following season. Put on the gloves, play in the dirt, then watch the plants begin to grow.
It won't be long and most of us will begin the task of spring cleaning our ponds. While there is still alot of activity in the warmer climates those of us in the north continue to wait. Being a mild winter thus far only makes us more anxious for spring.
Its been a crazy pond year so far. First our weather didn't want to cooperate and get warm but then when the weather started getting warmer we were so busy I didn't have alot of time to write yet alone get my pond going.
We decided to redo our pond this year, again, as my husband would say. It was a long weekend project but its complete now and with a few minor changes here and there will be so much better than the old one. Mostly the problem I had with the other one was all the rocks in the pond which made it hard getting in and out. Pretty slippery....so we decided to remove all the rocks and make the shelf larger and the bottom flat instead of sloped around the edges. Much easier for getting in and out for the tasks of trimming plants and fertilizing them. We changed our waterfall to enter from a different angle with a long stream bed flowing into the pond. Much more tranquil and natural. This will still give me a nice bog area to plant bog plants in. Its been a couple weeks and the plants are finally starting to adjust. Now just need to get the bacteria going to clear it up more. What a difference one month makes!
I started this blog a couple weeks ago and then things got busy so now I have updated pictures of the pond and wow did it perform. Everything is growing well and I must say the plants and fish are happy. The water is crystal clear and the plants are looking so healthy. I already see a lotus bud on the Mrs. Perry Slocum in just 4 weeks time. Check out my Albert Greenberg.
Time to spring forward, or at least turn the clocks forward! Things are beginning to warm up a bit here in the north and we are anxiously waiting for Spring to arrive so we can begin to add new plants to our ponds. Another couple of months and we will be sitting back enjoying our ponds once again. It won't be long now. For those in the warmer regions, zones 8 and above, you are putting pond plants in your ponds and starting to enjoy them, while those of us in the lower zones are still waiting. At least most of the ice has melted and we can begin thinking about our ponds once again.
Don't be fooled by Mother Nature. We need to make sure it is warm enough outside, and make sure our pond water is warm enough for the plants to survive. Knowing your pond temperature is crucial, so begin by checking your pond water temperature at different times of the day. The pond water is cooler in the morning and warmer in the afternoon but will cool down again in the evening. Knowing what the consistant temperature of your pond water is important before adding the pond plants.
The first plants most of us want to put in are those that will help us keep the pond clear, such as floating plants like water hyacinths and water lettuce. Cold water will kill both of these in a matter of days if the water temperature is still too cold. We need to make sure the water temperature is consistent and reaches 65 degrees and stays there morning, afternoon and evening before we add floating plants.
There are other things we must do first that will keep us busy, such as adding beneficial bacteria to help keep our pond clear. The good bacteria, such as MicrobeLift PL neutralizes ammonia and nitrites, and will start to work when the water temperature are 50-55 degrees. If you add bacteria, it will stay in the pond and start working when the pond water is warm enough. It acts on its own and will stay un-activated until it knows to start working. For those of us who use barley, now is the right time to start adding it. This will also help retard the growth of string algae in the Spring months.
The list goes on and on. While all of us are anxious to add the pond plants there are still several things to do prior to this. I will be posting articles in the next few days with spring tips for our ponds.
Stay tuned!
