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, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 5 gallon Bucket, Bad Weather, Be Positive, Be Prepared, Don’t Break The Ice, Dry Hose, Floating Pond De-icer, Hot Water, Ice, Ice Safety, Ice Storm, Koi Health, Never Break The Ice, Pond De-Icer, Water Bucket, Winterize Hoses
Pete and Repeat… Yes, Another ICE Warning for your Ponds… There is some Bad Weather Coming. Below 0 wind chills and Several chances for BIG snow accumulations next week, and more ice to boot! Be Ready!
Brrrrr! 🥶 Baby, it’s COLD outside! I think the Pond is frozen… What do I do? As my nephew, Nick, the Eagle Scout says, “Always Be Prepared”! AND, Don’t worry, it’s not hard to be ready!
The #1 Rule if your pond ever Ices over – 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!
We don’t get too many Ice Days’ here in West Tennessee, but when we do, it’s Never at a convenient moment… In other words, if your not prepared, it can be an emergency
Simple Winter Pond Tool Kit
1 – 5 gallon bucket 🪣 (use to add water as needed. Hot tap water from your faucet will melt a hole in ice if needed)
2 – Clean, dry Water-hose (store in garage or shed so it will be ready to go when needed)
3 – Floating Pond Heater (A floating heater will maintain a opening 🕳 in an ice covered pond. This will allow for oxygen exchange and will keep your Koi alive).
That my Pond Tip today – Be Prepared! Next week, you might thank me…
And don’t worry! Spring is Coming!
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: Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 5 gallon Bucket, Don’t Break The Ice, Dry Hose, Floating Pond De-icer, Ice, Ice Safety, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Maintenance Tips, Never Break The Ice, Pond De-Icer, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Tips, Water Bucket, Weekly Pond Tip, Winter Pond Problems, Winter Pond Tips, Winter Ponds, Winterize Hoses
Brrr! 🥶 Baby, it’s COLD outside! I think the Pond is frozen… What do I do? As my nephew the Eagle Scout says, “Be Prepared”! AND, Don’t worry, it’s not hard to be ready!
The #1 Rule if your pond ever Ices over – 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!
We don’t get too many Ice Days’ here in West Tennessee, but when we do, it’s Never at a convenient moment… In other words, if your not prepared, it can be an emergency 🚨
Simple Winter Pond Tool Kit
1 – 5 gallon bucket 🪣 (use to add water as needed. Hot tap water from your faucet will melt a hole in ice if needed)
2 – Clean, dry Water-hose 💦 (store in garage or shed so it will be ready to go when needed)
3 – Floating Pond Heater (A floating heater will maintain a opening 🕳 in an ice covered pond. This will allow for oxygen exchange and will keep your Koi alive).
That my Pond Tip today – Be Prepared!
And don’t worry! Spring is Coming!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
Filed under: Family time, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 101.5 FM, 5 gallon Bucket, 731-423-8101, Floating Pond De-icer, Floating Pond Heater, Friday blog, Friday Radio Report, Friday’s, gardening 101, Gardening answers, gardening questions, Koi Health, Pond Aeration, Spring Planting, Winter Koi care, Winter Planting, Winter Pond Problems, Winter Pond Tips, Winterize Hoses, Winterize Sprinkler Systems
It was a beautiful, cold morning with the 180 Crew at WNWS 101.5 FM this morning! Dan & Sea Bass are ‘Keepin it real’! Lori Nunnery was in the house giving the low down on what’s happening in J Town! Check out more on what’s happening in our great little town at the web site – https://jacksontn.com/tourism/
Lot of enthusiasm for the return of Spring & LOTS of gardening questions –
- Can I plant trees and shrubs now? Yes!
- Can I start a compost now? Yes! Use all those excessive leafs and landscape debris along with kitchen scraps like vegetable peaking, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc.
- What can I do to keep my pond from freezing? Several things can help you. First a floating pond heater is a great tool! It only kicks on when temps fall below freezing and it will keep a hole open in the ice! Also – an aeration unit wil bubble up and keep the surface moving. OR you can use a small pump close to the surface to flash up and keep a hole open.
- When is a good time to amend the soil in my garden? Any time now if the ground is workable.
- Do I have blueberries in stock? YES! 25% off!
- When can I start feeding my Koi again? It’s all about water temperature! Above 50 degrees is the magic #!
Sonic Blast of the Past question – Who played Louie Depalma in the TV series Taxi??? The winner gets a $10 gift card! John L. Called in almost immediately with the answer! Interesting fact – Danny Devito is 4’ 10” tall…
Great show! Have a great weekend!
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Filed under: Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 5 gallon Bucket, Be Ready, Bring Your Pets Inside, Dry Hose, Floating Pond Heater, Love Your Pets, Pond Heater, Pond Owners Survival Kit, Water Bucket, Winter Pond Problems, Winter Pond Tips, Winter Temperatures, Winterize Hoses
It happens every year – The weather moderates and we all feel like it’s almost Spring – Then, out of nowhere an arctic blast comes blowing in… and Its so easy to be caught off guard. I’m sending this little reminder to hopefully, help you be ready 😊
To Do –
- Winterize garden hoses, again…
- Get your pets taken care of! They depend on us to take care of them & keep them warm 😊
We’re gonna be cold off and on 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 I always have an adapter for my sink faucet. It helps to really 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 Good Stuff Too 😊
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 food & the WATER!
I hope this helps! If your prepared, a winter ❄️ storm ian enjoyable, beautiful event.
Happy Pondering!
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Filed under: Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 5 gallon Bucket, Cool Season Water Treatments, Dry Hose, Fall and Winter Water Garden Care, Floating Pond De-icer, Floating Pond Heater, Freezing Temps., Love Your Pets, Move Your Plants In!, Pets, Pond De-Icer, Pond Heater, Winter Temperatures, Winterize Hoses, Winterize Sprinkler Systems
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 😊
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)
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.
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.
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!
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