Carter’s Garden Blog

It happens every year – That first freeze comes in, and Its so easy to be caught off guard. I’m sending this little reminder to hopefully, help you finish getting ready 😊

To Do –

•  Get in/put up tender plants.
• Winterize garden hoses.
• Winterize Sprinkler Systems.
• Cut back aquatic plants.
• Install Leaf Net on Pond!
• Get your pets household in order! They depend on us to take care of them & keep them warm 😊
  

  We’re gonna be cold for the next couple weeks. Don’t forget – If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for them.

Pond Owners Survival Kit –

•  Have a dry hose available “just in case”! And an adapter for your sink faucet if you really want to be prepared for a BAD cold spell!
• Have a 5 gallon bucket set aside just for your pond. That bucket can really come in handy if you just need a little water or need a trash pail to clean up some leaves damming up the stream or waterfall!

FAQ #1 – What do I do if my Pond freezes?

ICE SAFETY: #1 NEVER, NEVER, NEVER break the ice by banging on it! It can cause your fish to go into shock! To allow the escape of gas & exchange oxagen, keep a hole open in front of the skimmer or on the ponds surface if you don’t have a skimmer. This is IMPORTANT!!! It will keep the gases from building up under the ice and suffocating your fish. This will also allow the pump to get water if surface is frozen. You can also keep a hole open by use of a floating De-Icer or by adding warm water from a water hose, bucket or pan of water. (If you use your water hose be sure to drain it when finished-to keep it from freezing and bursting, or keep it in your garage)

If you turn your pond off in a bad freeze, use a floating heater/de-icer to maintain a hole in the ice to exchange gases/oxygen for your fish’s health and well being. You can purchase a floating pond heater at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio.

Also, there is nothing like –

•  WINTER BEAUTY: Leaving your waterfall running all season in our part of the country is not a bad thing. As matter of fact, it will give you some beautiful photo ops. During the fall & winter birds love to come to your pond to drink fresh water, and in winter months, the running water will make some breath taking natural ice formations/sculptures. So keep your camera handy. And get some close ups. BUT – be sure to watch out for ice dams! These can cause your pond to lose some excessive amounts of water. If this happens add water back in to your pond with that dry hose we talked about earlier to bring your water levels back up.
  

  Birds come all day long to get a drink and even bathe. Try setting up some feeders in your viewing area and watch them flock to the WATER!

LOW TEMP. WATER TREATMENTS & LOW TEMP BACTERIA treatments should be used until the water temp. reaches 32 degrees. This will keep the bacteria active in your pond and promote healthier water for your fish during a longer period of time. In Spring, as water temps return to 40 degrees you may start the bacteria again. However this will not mean you no-longer need to clean your pond in the Spring because you will still have fish waste and plant debris in your pond that needs to be removed.

Come by Carters Nursery Pond & Patio and get your cold temp. pond products, like – cool temp. bacteria, cool temp. fish food, pond thermometers, floating pond heaters, seasonal decoys, dipping nets and more!

I really hope this helps you to get ready! I have learned to enjoy every season with my Water Features and my best advice to you is : Be Ready! Winter is Coming!

Happy Pondering!