Ponding Ponderings

There is so much both going on and NOT going on in and around the ponds, that today’s post is merely a hodgepodge of things floating around in my head and I barely know where to begin.

My main pond was very murky this morning. I suppose it is rebelling against all of the unseasonal rains. Perhaps I need to clean the bio-filter. The barrel is so large that the chore is a bit daunting for me. Hubby is working long hours and my son is busy with a new “friend”. So eventually, the job of cleaning the filter will fall to me. Really, it is a matter of age, my balance isn’t as good as it used to be, so it’s not so much the cleaning that gives me cause for concern as it is my footing as I ascend and descend the hill. Maybe I should consider a tip into the pond a blessing while the heat here has been so oppressive. And I would, if I could manage not to break an appendage in the process, like my skull for instance. For now, I think I will simply add a filter of quilt batting around my pump.

The next challenge I faced this morning was the discovery that a squirrel had chewed through the lid on the barrel where I keep my fish food and bird seed. With all the rain we’ve had there is mold growing on the seed and pellets. That’s about ten pounds of sunflower seed and twenty pounds of fish pellets gone bad. Not that I really need to feed the fish, there is more than enough natural food for them. But, we enjoy watching them hungrily gobble up the pellets, splashing water at the dogs, announcing, “this food is for us, so back off”. I guess it is time to invest in a new steel drum.

Though my water lilies seem to be late blooming this year, the gardens around the ponds are in full glory, with the hummingbirds enraptured by the prolific monarda that blooms above the original small pond. Daylilies and lilies are in bloom everywhere I look and the rose of sharons are also a beloved stop for the hummers.

My yellow butterfly koi is changing color on her head. It is turning to a beautiful shade of golden copper. If her body remains as yellow as it is and her head stays this new coppery color she may well take the lead as my favorite in markings of my fish.

I finally installed a pond for the fry. I put in a 90-gallon pre-formed pond next to my porch. I counted 35 fish as I moved them from the small barrel where they hatched, to the new pond. Because it is in full sun, I covered the surface almost entirely with water lettuce. So far it’s doing a great job of filtering out excessive algae. The fish seem to be more than happy with their new digs.

The fry aren’t the only ones happy with the new pond, a little frog immediately took up residence and hangs out all day, hidden in the water lettuce.

Neither the fish nor the frog seem to mind that the water lettuce doesn’t like the excessive sun. The water lettuce on the other hand is getting quite a sunburn. I am fairly certain that it will survive the season.

The fry are still too small to capture clearly on camera, but the frog didn’t mind striking a pose.

There you have it, the hodgepodge of ponding ponderings.

Making a Splash-Waterfalls and Plants

Because waterfalls and plants are so dependant upon tastes I have decided to combine these categories. For instance, in waterfalls, you may prefer a big splash of water from one location while another may prefer a gentle spill across a wide area. In plants, one might prefer a subtle look while another chooses to make a bold statement with large, colorful plants. As you can see, there will be choices to make, from subtle to bold and everything in between.

Let’s talk first about waterfalls. I prefer the sound of the gentle waterfall. My main waterfall has a small, gravel covered pool near the top, where birds can drink and bathe. The pool is then bordered by Arrowroot and River Rush which spreads through the crevices of the fall and creates a gentle spill into the pond. This waterfall spreads gently into a slope for a softer fall.

Mosquitoes lay their larvae in still or almost still water, so the gentle waterfall does little to move the water enough to discourage them from visiting. To counteract this problem, I have also added a bubbler to the center of the large pond. The bubbler doesn’t distract much from the waterfall, but makes a big difference in the movement of the water.

The smaller pond has become more of a filtration system than it is used as a pond. The waterfall into the small pond is more upright and has further to “fall”. Much of the debris that makes it through the pump in the large pond settles to the bottom of the small pond, leaving the top water clear as it flows into the river and finally back into the large pond.

The river has a gravel bottom and is peppered throughout its length with larger rocks, Arrowroot and Parrots Feather, to further filter the water before it reaches the end of the river. The water at the end of the river is then slowed by thick plantings of Louisiana Iris and Arrowroot, before falling gently into the large pond.

All of this works together to give plenty of movement to the water in the ponds. A single sharp fall of water could do the same job. By creating a more upright fall with a single or only a few rocks jutting out over a long drop into the pond you can get more movement and much more splash. This bigger splash translates into more water movement from a single space. Of course the bigger the splash, just like with color, the louder the sound of the fall.

The choice of a faster fall over a slower fall is certainly subjective. So the next consideration will be in the cost and strength of the pump. A faster waterfall will need a stronger (or faster) pump to move the water quickly through the pump and reach the proper height of the fall. A sloped waterfall is well suited to a filtration system at the fall because you will want the water to enter the filter more slowly. Pondmarket.com has everything you need for your pond, including the pond itself.

Waterfalls add necessary oxygen to the life within the pond and when creating the sloped waterfall and adding plants into the fall itself, it also acts as a filter. The plants roots and stems will filter out some of the less desirable bacteria that finds its way through the filter, while at the same time introduce beneficial bacteria and oxygen to your pond.

As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, plants are subject to tastes. Yet, for the healthiest pond, there are a few rules to follow. There are three types of plants: Floating plants, marginal plants and submerged plants. Floating plants might include water lettuce, duckweed or water hyacinth. Marginal or bog plants will have the widest variety of choices, including the monster cattails. Finally, submerged plants, often called oxygenating plants.

When thinking of floating plants, it is important to note that for the best results for keeping algae out of the pond, you want 50% coverage of the top water. Water hyacinth spreads rapidly in my area to give quick cover to the pond. My sister uses duckweed to offer cover in her California pond. She says it covers her pond so quickly that she has to forcefully thin it out every week.

Marginal plants might include Louisiana Iris, Pickerel, Arrowroot or just about any plant that will grow in moist to wet soil. If you live in a tropical area, you will have a vast number of choices including taro, umbrella and canna. Many garden centers will offer tropical plants for ponds in non-tropical areas, however they will have to be brought inside to over-winter or considered annual plants.

Submersed plants are great for catching deep debris and algae, helping to keep your pond water clear and clean, not to mention that many, like hornwort, parrots feather and anacharis are great spawning areas for the fish. I suppose water lily falls into the category of submersed plant, though with its burst of beautiful blooms throughout the summer months, it’s hard to compare with parrots feather.

When planting pond plants it is best to use “old soil”. That would be the heavy dirt out of your garden rather than using a potting mix. A potting mix is too light and will quickly float out of your planters and dirty your pond. You can buy special pots made for the pond or you can use regular plastic garden pots. When potting, layer the bottom of the pot with small gravel, add the soil and plant, then top it off with another layer of gravel. This will keep your plants and dirt inside the pots.

Before introducing any plants into your pond be sure to check local recommendations and prohibitions as some plants can become invasive.

If you remember that your pond is three stories tall, you will have a healthy and beautiful pond for many years to come.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Problems arise on occasion beyond our control. Today, I want to cover a series of unfortunate events, what issues they cause and how to deal with it now.

The Problem: Toward the end of summer, a snapping turtle found his way into my pond. He/she proceeded to “snap” everything he/she could get his/her “teeth” into. The turtle snapped all the greenery floating in and on the pond. Checking with the local conservation department, I learned that snapping turtles love debris and waste. Apparently, he/she was snapping the plants so that the debris became a tasty treat after it rotted and fell to the bottom of the pond. All efforts to get the turtle out of the pond were in vain. Next, the debris began plugging up the pump and filter system. A fear of sharing the pond with the turtle, kept me from reaching into the now murky pond to retrieve the submerged pump. So, the only option left was to unplug the pump.

The next thing in this series to happen is we were called out of town in a hurry. The pond still had not been tended to. To make matters worse, we wound up being gone for several months. This trip took us through the remainder of summer, fall and into the winter months. Normally, the pond would be covered over in preparation for fall and winter. To protect it from leaves and debris that might blow into the pond. The plants should have been set to a greater depth to protect the roots from ice building up around the root system. All of this on top of the damage done by the turtle.

Now that we are home do you have suggestions for what steps I should take to get the pond ready for the next season?

The Solution: Lemony snickets you have a tough problem here! I am afraid I don’t have an easy solution. Your work is truly cut out for you.

First, you will have to wait for warmer weather. You’re going to have to go in there. As soon as the water warms enough that you think you can bear it, you need to pull the pump. Clean the pump to get all the debris out of it and make sure it still works. If the pump still functions, you can set it back into the pond and begin pumping the water out of your pond. You will want to save some of the water. The amount of water will depend on the size of your pond. For my 2000-gallon pond, I would fill three 55-gallon drums almost to the top. For my 200-gallon pond, I would fill two five-gallon buckets. Big difference.

If you have fish in your pond, as the pond empties it will be easier to catch them. Move them to part of the water you have saved. Be careful. Try not to traumatize them any more than you must. Save one container of water with no fish in it.

Once you have harvested the fish and the pond is as empty as possible, unplug the pump and wade on in. Some tools I would employ would be a bucket, an old soft bristle broom and a plastic scoop shovel. Warning! Be careful with that shovel! Keep your eyes open for any rogue fish that might have escaped your view hiding in the muck in the bottom of the pond.

If things go well, you will be able to use the scoop like a dustpan as you muck out the debris from the bottom of the pond. DON’T throw all of the muck away! It makes great compost starter for your gardens. All that fish waste is excellent.

Don’t remove every little bit of the “ingredients” in your pond. Your fish have worked hard to create that beneficial bacteria.

When you have your pond cleaned as much as you can start to refill it. When it is almost full you can add back the water you saved. The one with no fish. Check the water quality of your pond. If you are using a city water source, you will need to remove the chlorine from the water before you put your fish back in your pond. I would also allow as much time as possible for the water temperature to level out.

I think all we can do is hope for the best with your plants. Unless you had some extreme temperatures it is likely that they toughed it out and will survive the abuse. I would not get rid of them yet.

As soon as your fish are swimming happily back in the pond run a hot bath with Lavender Oil and Epson Salts, you’re going to need it.

If you have problems or questions about ponding or water gardens I would love to try and answer them.

A Warm Day by the Pond

I couldn’t resist it. We have had two 70-degree days in a row. I had to uncover the pond and have a peek.

I see a few leaves have managed to make their way into the pond despite the cover. Even though it is quite warm outside the wind is blowing hard and more leaves tumbled across the garden, jumped in for a swim then skated across the pond like tiny sailboats.

I know that while the pump is off for the winter, I should not feed the fish. But, my desire for them to come up to the edge and say hello was too strong. So I broke another rule. Just a single small handful and there they were.

Goliath my biggest koi never disappoints me in his mammoth size. Though I think at this point he may have only added a single inch to his last years 16 inches in length, his diameter is shocking. His large head pokes up out of the pond like a slow moving whale.

The babies from last year have grown more visibly than the larger fish. Most of them were simply dull brown in color last year. There is no sign of a brown or dull goldfish anywhere in the pond.

Another change I noticed was a Butterfly Koi that was steely black and yellow last year, has no sign of yellow and the steel black coloring has changed to a more metallic silver. What once was yellow is now white, giving him the look of highlights.

I see a tiny iris making an appearance on the far side of the water garden. It is the only plant showing visible signs of life. It is a prolific bloomer and will re-bloom from spring, right through summer.

I can see that even with the precautions, I will need to do a little bit of maintenance this year. In addition to the leaves that still managed to find their way into the pond that will have to be removed, some of the border rocks have been knocked loose by critters hoping to find water. It looks as though my filter barrel has settled some, and that will need to be re-leveled for the waterfall to function properly.

I see many oaks on my property are stubbornly hanging on to their leaves. I know those oaks. They will hard-headedly wait for spring to bring new leaves to push them out of the way. This little trick they pull makes raking a moot point for my garden. No matter how much I rake trying to keep the leaves out of the pond, there will still be more hiding, laying in wait for new leaves to force the dead ones to the ground and ultimately into the pond.

A fellow water gardener once told me, “If there is a leaf within 20 miles of the pond, it will find its way in there.”

Now if winter will just get out of the way and let spring move in, I am ready to get wet and dirty and get the pond and gardens ready for summer.

Dreaming Up My Next Project

It is February so that means my ponds have been covered with the tents we built last year after the bottom filled with leaves the previous fall. It means my fish are all swimming or sleeping under a sheet of ice.

But that does not stop me from dreaming up my next water garden project.

I am planning to visit my sister in California in April. She is always eager for my latest ideas for water in and around her gardens. Her yard is great for working the soil. Her sandy soil is so easy to work compared to our clay and rocks in Missouri.

We started simple in her “world of water gardens”. She wasn’t sure she was ready to commit to the effort a pond might take to maintain. So, the first thing we did was put a Japanese Fish Bowl on her patio.

This is the easiest of all ways to add a water garden to your life. Heck, you don’t even need a yard or patio for that, a sunny window will do!

The first stop was Home Depot where she chose her “fish bowl”. The next place we went was to her favorite local garden center that carried pond plants. I chose a nice bunch of Parrot's Feather (Myriophyllum aquatica) while she went for a miniature cattail and a bag of duckweed.

All we had left to do was get her to decide where she wanted it set-up on her patio and set it up. We decided to place it just outside the door; now she could admire it from her dining room, her yard and get a nice close-up look every time she entered or left her house.

We filled it with water, added the plants we had chosen and it was done. Just that easy!

Three days later, I tested the water quality and went to a nearby pet store and got her a fat little Oranda.

He has since moved into the bigger pond we installed on my next visit. But, her Japanese Goldfish Bowl remains the perfect place to quarantine new fish or her ever-growing family of baby goldfish. And it is still a lovely addition to her patio.

So, what am I dreaming up for my next water garden experience? I have visions of sand and surf dancing through my head. I am thinking of an above ground water garden, surrounded by two tiers of a perennial flower garden.

If you have any idea’s you’d like to throw my way…I’ll be listening. Or if you would just like to comment on what you think of my idea’s, I’d love to hear from you.

The picture included is a small pond in my sister's garden.