Filed under: Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Aquatic Plant Care, Aquatic Plant Fertilizer, Aquatic Plants, Clean Out Pump, Clean Pond, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Temp Koi Food, Detox, Fall Pond Tips, Fish Health, Fish Tank, Healthy Fish, Healthy Koi, Healthy Water, How Do I Clean My Water Garden, How Do I Clean My Water Garden | Koi Pond | Carters Nursery & Pond & Patio | Jackson, Koi Health, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Koi Nets, Koi Ponds, Maintenance Tips, Pond Cleaning, Pond Cleaning Supplies, Pond Maintenance, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Supplies, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Preventative Maintenance, Spring Cleaning, Spring Pond Cleaning, Spring Pond Maintenance, Summer Pond Tips, Tips, Unhealthy Water, Water Garden, Water Garden Maintenance, Weekly Pond Tip, Winter Pond Tips, Yard Ponds
The days are getting longer! Spring approachith… Soon it will be time to start our pond maintenance crews to doing the yearly work of cleaning Ponds & Water Gardens for the season. People are already calling in to get their names on our maintenance list to insure they get their Ponds Serviced for the season! Its always exciting to get ready for another great year with our Koi Ponds and Water Gardens, and a proper Late Winter/Early Spring Pond Cleaning is the key to success!

We clean a LOT of Water Features for our Clients. But many do their own clean out.
For the all the DIY’s out there, here’s a little checklist to help you be ready. My experience has taught me that projects of any type benefit from advanced planning. Having all the necessary supplies on hand before you get started always makes it go faster and easier.
HELPFUL TIP: it’s good planning to get your Aquatic Plant fertilizer tabs now, BEFORE draining your pond and then realizing you should have got them when you bought your low temp bacteria and dechlorinator. This keeps you from running to the store in the middle of your clean-out (which can mean a whole day of work instead of a half day) and it allows you to fertilize your plants while the pond is drained instead of later when the pond is full again.
Planning ahead a little just means you can spend less time working on your pond and more time ENJOYING it!
1. Fish Nets – Before you drain your pond for the spring clean-out, you’ll need to catch and relocate your fish. Purchasing a good quality net means doing this without injuring your fish during the catch and release.
2. Planting Pots – Spring clean-out is a great time to thin and divide plants that have grown out of bounds or crowded a pot. Make sure you have some aquatic plant pots & aquatic plant soil handy so you can re-pot and share your new plants with other water gardeners.
3. Extra Gravel – After the freeze and thaw of winter, you’ll inevitably find rocks and gravel that have shifted, exposing bare liner. With an extra bag or two of gravel, you can cover exposed liner in a jiffy.
4. Aquatic Plant Fertilizer – Take advantage of the water-free accessibility of water lilies, lotus, and other plants that may need to be fertilized, by having a container of aquatic plant fertilizer tabs on hand when you’re doing your pond clean-out.
5. Container for Plant Debris – Grab an old plastic plant pot or bucket so you can easily dispose of any debris that you gather from the pond bottom or from dead plant matter.
6. Rubber Gloves and Boots – Spring clean-outs can be cold, wet, and messy. Arming yourself with boots and gloves will go a long way toward making this chore much less unpleasant.
7. Fish Container – A large tub or tank will be needed so you can have a roomy place to keep your fish during the clean-out. Use water from the pond to fill the tank and use a small fountain pump to re-circulate the water.
8. Net to Cover the Fish Container – Fish, especially large Koi, jump, and they may very well jump right out of the container that you have set up for them. Be sure to cover it with a net that is pulled tight across the container to prevent them from jumping.
9. Pump and Discharge Pipe – To drain the water out of the pond, you will need a pump and some discharge pipe. It’s OK to use your pond pump, but even better if you have an extra pump to lessen the wear and tare on your pond pump. About 2,000 GPH, depending on the size of your pond, will do the trick.
10. High Pressure Nozzle – Use a pressure nozzle on your garden hose to dislodge debris and algae from the rocks.
11. Pond Detox – Always detox the newly filled pond before you put the fish back in.
12. Expanding Foam – Expanding foam may need a bit of a touch up in some areas. Be prepared with a can of it just in case.
13. New Filter Mats – Filter mats should be replaced approximately every 3 years. If you think it might be time, be prepared by purchasing replacements prior to your clean-out.
14. Pruners – Part of a spring clean-out is pruning back dead plant material from the previous season. Make sure you have a good pair of pruners and/or scissors to get the job done.
15. Plastic Rake – You can rake the leaves right out of your pond with a small plastic (child’s) rake. The plastic lessens the chance of damaging the liner and the small size makes it easier to maneuver in tight spots than an adult size rake.

After the Water Feature is thoroughly cleaned, re-filled, detoxed and running, carefully place the fish back in the pond & start adding fresh Cold Temperature Bacteria to the Pond to get the system up and running correctly.

With a little work you will be ready for a Great outdoor season.
It won’t be long now! Spring is Coming!
Have a great day!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 50 Degree Rule, 60 degree Rule, Cold Blooded, Cold Pond, Cold Water, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Color Enhancing Koi Food, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Temp Koi Food, Eating Healthy, Fish Food, Fish Health, Food, Good food, Great Food, Health, Healthy Fish, Healthy Koi, Healthy Water, High Protein Koi Food, Koi Food, Koi Health, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Maxi Growth Koi Food, Pond Tip, Pond Tips, Rule of 60, Seasonal Koi Feeding Temperatures, Seasonal Koi Feeding Times, The Rule of 50, The Rule of 60
I post seasonal Koi information, temperatures and best practices for your Koi’s health every year about this time. Sure enough, we have made another trip around the Sun and it’s Spring time again! 😊 People are already asking “can we start feeding our Koi now”… I always tell em’ to Check your Pond thermometer & “Remember the rule of 50”!

“I’ve been hawking my Pond Thermometer these last couple of weeks! The temperature of the water has been slowly rising as the days get longer and we approach Spring. As usual, I will start the feeding season with Cool Temp Koi Food when the water temperature has stabilized at 50 + degrees. The “rule of 50” I like to call it…

This is my favorite season of the year! Everything is waking up! Including my KOI! They have been VERY active! Literally begging for food 🐟 It’s so hard to wait… But, it’s part of the process & it’s so important for our finned friends health and well being.

So, to wrap it up…
The Rule of 50 = Let the water temp stabilize for a week at 50+ degrees Fahrenheit before you start to feed your koi in the Spring. AND, when you do start back to feeding, use a quality, Cool Season Koi Food! And don’t over feed! Happier days are here again.
Happy Pondering
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Family time, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Waterfalls | Tags: #waterfallwednesday, 24 Hour Enjoyment, Color Changing Fountain Lights, Color Changing Lights, Custom Fountains, Falling Water, Floating Fountains, Fountains, Gentle Sounds, Healthy Fish, Healthy Water, I ❤️ My Art, I ❤️ Water, I ❤️ Waterfalls, Oxygen, Soothing Sounds, Sound Therapy, Spot lights, Water Features, Water Quality
Good morning! You know I LOVE Waterfalls! I love Designing & Building them & I love sitting by a Waterfall and soaking up the relaxing, positive energy they provide.
Today I wanted to spotlight another style of “Falling Water” – The Floating Fountain!

If you have a large, earthen Pond or Lake, these Floating Fountains will totally transform them! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

These are truly a 24 Hour Feature! The Lighting is Amazing! The sound of the falling water is Amazing!
And check out the New Color Changing Lights for our Floating Fountains!! 1 word – Magical!

Color Changing Lights completely change the game! Transform that backyard or barnyard Pond Or Lake with a Floating Fountain with Magical, Color Changing Lights | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
The beauty and Sound that these Floating Fountains create is Amazing! Farm Ponds, Barnyard Ponds, Backyard ponds, Front-yard Ponds, Stock Ponds, HECK… ANY Pond or Small Lake will benefit from a feature like this!
- Improved Water Quality!!
- Higher Oxygen Levels!
- Healthier Fish!
- 24 Hour Enjoyment!!!
Falling Water & Waterfalls on #Waterfallwednesday!
Have a Great Day!
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