Today is the 1st. Official Day of Winter ❄️ And not to be outdone, we are about to set some Winter records… Yes, snow and record low temps and windchills are coming! On top of all that, today is #waterfallwednesday, so I feel like I have to combine the two… Have you ever seen what super low temperatures can do to a Waterfall? Check this little video out of my pond on a COLD Day 👇🏻
Wow right?! This is one of the many reasons I Love my Waterfalls ❤️ There is something special in every season! I love a little ice baby 😳 But this might get bad…
I hope y’all are ready for this weather! 0 degree temps with – 25 degree wind chills 🥶 Bundle up! Take up some water! Keep a dry hose to top off your pond if needed! And drip those faucets 💧 🙏🏻
Fall is in full swing! The sun is setting earlier every day & the temps are falling… We are past our first frost and more are coming by weeks end. Soon, the saddest part of the season will be paying us a visit… The time when we STOP feeding our Koi for the season
My Koi have eaten well this year & have put on a good bit of fat to get them through the Cool Season ahead. Now is the time that many of my clients and fellow Koi enthusiasts start asking a very important question…
– When do I stop feeding Cool Season Koi Food to my Pond Pets?
– My Answer- Remember the rule of 50!
It’s getting close to the time of the year to stop feeding our ‘Finned Friends’… Sad, but so important for their health and well being. Until the water is too cold, we can keep feeding Cool Temp Food to them – We have it at Carters Nursery Pond & Patio, 2846 Old Medina Rd. Jackson, TN
When the water temperature stabilizes below 50 degrees Fahrenheit you should stop feeding your Koi… Even Cool Season Koi Food… We like to call it the ‘Rule Of 50’… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
Switching to a Cool Temperature Koi Food is very important for the health of your Koi!So is knowing when to stop feeding!
Every Pond should have a floating Pond thermometer. Our finned friends are cold blooded & water temperature is very important when it comes to seasonal feeding times. Pick one up at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
So to wrap it up, keep a check on your water temp (via a Pond thermometer) & when your water temp stabilizes below 50 degrees, you should transition from Cool Season Koi Food to NO More feeding for this season. That’s the “Rule of 50”…
The nights have gotten longer and longer as the days shrank for the last 6 months… Tonight is the longest night of the year! The ”Longest Night” aka: The Winter Solstice happens NOW!
Tomorrow we start tilting back towards the sun! The days will get longer again as we head through Winter toward Spring!
The Winter solstice is the shortest day of year and the official first day of Winter! Christmas 🎅🏻 is in only 4 days! And Spring will be here before we know it 😊 Things are looking up indeed!
“I heard a bird sing In the dark of December A magical thing And sweet to remember.
‘We are nearer to Spring Than we were in September,’ I heard a bird sing In the dark of December.”
~ Oliver Herford
Have a Great Day! AND, a Very Merry Christmas! 🎅🏻🎄
I got up a little late this morning… We were up late watching Christmas movies 🎅🏻 Just a few more days till Christmas 🎄 Only 2 days till the Winter Solstice, which make me happy as well! After Tuesday the days start getting longer again 🙏🏻 Come on Spring! Don’t let me get ahead of myself… The real next stop is Sunday brunch!
So much to do this week! Cooking, shopping, wrapping, cleaning, work work work… Sometimes I have to remind myself to slow down, and focus on what this season is really all about – Who its all about 🙏🏻
This has and always will be one of my favorIte Christmas shows ❤️ Its as relevant and meaningful as the day it was released in 1965.
Have a great day and a VERY Merry Christmas!
“Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmas time with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don’t quite know how to put our love into words.”
Fall is in full swing! The sun is setting earlier every day & the temps are falling… And soon, the saddest part of the season will be paying us a visit… The time when we STOP feeding our Koi for the season 😔
The Koi have eaten well this year & have put on a good bit of fat to get them through the Cool Season ahead. Now is the time that many of my clients and fellow Koi enthusiasts start asking a very important question…
– When do I stop feeding Cool Season Koi Food to my Pond Pets?
– My Answer- Remember the rule of 50!
It’s getting close to the time of the year to stop feeding our ‘Finned Friends’… Sad, but so important for their health and well being.
When the water temperature stabilizes below 50 degrees Fahrenheit you should stop feeding your Koi… Even Cool Season Koi Food… We like to call it the ‘Rule Of 50’… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
Switching to a Cool Temperature Koi Food is very important for the health of your Koi!So is knowing when to stop feeding!
Every Pond should have a floating Pond thermometer. Our finned friends are cold blooded & water temperature is very important when it comes to seasonal feeding times. Pick one up at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
So to wrap it up, keep a check on your water temp (via a floating thermometer) & when your water temp stabilizes below 50 degrees, you should transition from Cool Season Koi Food to NO More feeding for this season. That’s the “Rule of 50”…
All I can say is WOW! It doesn’t feel like a November morning… It feels like Spring out there! It’s going to be 78 degrees today and in honor of this gorgeous weather we are having a ‘November Spring Sale’! 💥
Good morning! It’s Pond Tip Tuesday again, and I want to try to get ahead of the weather a little bit and talk about the inevitable problem that comes with Winter… Ice 🧊
As a matter of fact, we got down to 28 degrees night before last, and it’s just now November.
Don’t break the ice! It will harm your Koi! Instead, melt a hole 🕳 in the Ice with hot tap water.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER break the ice by banging on it! It can cause your fish great harm – it can even KILL them! To allow the escape/exchange of gasses in a frozen over pond, keep a hole open in the ice. This is IMPORTANT!!! It will keep the gases from building up under the ice and allow for oxygen exchange and keep your fish from suffocating. This will also allow the pump to get water if the surface is frozen. If you have a skimmer, this will be MUCH easier on you! The water movement will help keep the ice from forming. You may need to keep the hole open by adding water from a water hose, bucket or pan of water. (This is why I always say “keep a dry hose” or a 5 gallon bucket for this purpose! If & when you use your water hose be sure to drain it when finished-to keep it from freezing and bursting, or just keep it in your garage). You can also use a floating pond heater or a small pump in a shallow area to “flash up’ and break the water surface. Just do it!
My Pond Tip today is be ready for the ice! Have a floating heater on hand. Or a small pump to use in freezing weather to keep a hole open. And don’t forget that dry hose and 5 gallon bucket! They will be your best friend if and when the temperatures plummet!
Yes today is the Winter Solstice! Today we experience the shortest day of the year and the longest night. Today is the first official day of Winter… But, fret not, there is good news!
Many other names have been given to this day – Midwinter, Yule, Hibernal Solstice, The Long Night.
The good news is, the days start getting longer now! Boom! 💥 That’s right, the sun makes a comeback baby 🌞
Even better, what follows Winter? Springtime! Yes! Rejoice! Spring is Coming! 💥💥💥
Winter is Coming! I really want everyone with a Water Garden or Koi Pond to be prepared and to stay ahead of potential problems. Cold weather is here and snow is in the forecast, so being prepared is important. I post this every year, but I still get people asking me these questions. So I have learned to keep on posting! Repetition is a huge part of getting a message through… Be prepared 😊
PLANTS AND DEBRIS:
Remove plant debris and other organic matter. Excess organic matter can contribute to increased algae growth. A large amount of leaves collected in the bottom of your pond will decompose and produce tannins. This can be harmful to your fish and reduce water clarity. Leaves can also collect in the stream and cause a plant dam. It is very important to keep your skimmer net cleaned out regularly during the heavy leaf fall, DAILY if needed. Pond netting which can be purchased at Carter’s Nursery can make these things less problematic and will make it easier on you during the winter.
We stock bulk pond netting at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio in Jackson, TN | It will keep debris out of your pond & help protect your fish from predators during the cold, bare months.
HEALTHY FISH:
Its time to STOP feeding your Koi. The water temps are below 50 degrees F here in West Tn now, so it’s time… Spring isn’t really that far away…
WINTER BEAUTY:
Leaving your waterfall running all winter will not hurt anything. As matter of fact, it could give you some beautiful photo op’s. The running water will make some breath taking natural ice 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.
A snowy landscape is Beautiful! Get out and take some beautiful pictures 😊
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER break the ice by banging on it!It can cause your fish great harm – it can even KILL them! To allow the escape/exchange of gasses in a frozen over pond, keep a hole open in the ice. This is IMPORTANT!!! It will keep the gases from building up under the ice and allow for oxygen exchange and keep your fish from suffocating. This will also allow the pump to get water if the surface is frozen. If you have a skimmer, this will be MUCH easier on you! The water movement will help keep the ice from forming. You may need to keep the hole open by adding water from a water hose, bucket or pan of water. (This is why I always say “keep a dry hose” or a 5 gallon bucket for this purpose! If & when you use your water hose be sure to drain it when finished-to keep it from freezing and bursting, or just keep it in your garage). You can also use a floating heater or a small pump in a shallow area to “flash up’ and break the water surface.
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.
LOW TEMP. BACTERIA:
Use Low Temp bacteria treatments when the water reaches 55 degrees F. This will help keep the pond clean, keep the water healthy and make your Spring pond clean out much easier.
Keep using your Bacteria through the winter for a cleaner, healthier pond.
I hope this helps! I enjoy the winter, it is really a great season! So many birds visit the Pond to drink and eat, it’s a wonderful time to do all my garden planning and I know that Spring is right around the corner!
I always enjoy watching the days grow longer toward the Summer solstice & I have learned to enjoy watching them grow shorter as we approach the Winter solstice. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and happens this year on Saturday, December 21st.
The best news is, the day after the solstice, the days start getting Longer again! Hee Haw!
Pay attention to the time of sunset over the next several days. You can literally feel the days getting shorter…
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year! AND, after that the days start getting LONGER again! 🌞
I love watching the days get shorter, but I really love when they start getting longer after the 21st.!
Carter's Water Garden 
