On Sun, 2 Oct 2011 10:35:25 EDT, wrote:

Anybody working on winterizing their ponds?

Ingrid

This is the month for me, currently koi pond is 58.3F, lily pond 63F. DS
installed an overflow pipe out of the pre-filter so I can do winter water
change w/o pumping out water. He will also install a waterfall by-pass that
is under ground.

Prior I ran a hose connected to my water change outlet that was on the far
side of the hill, so about 20+ feet of hose around the mountain to the area
I wanted it to spill into. I insulated a cooler and put over the pipe
connections and covered the hose w/pipe wrap. Last year though we got some
cold temps w/o insulating snow and DS had done the insulating in the cooler
rather than moi. It froze. Thankfully once thawed with a heat gun (DS was
stuck with this chore as I had to go to work) nothing was broken.
Apparently though *he* doesn't want to be out in the cold doing that again.
Thus the work now.

So that is the start to our winterizing. Most plants are still blooming and
green. I am moving some tiny wakin goldfish inside today. I caught them at
the eyelash size from my filter and put them in a tub of lilies I had for
sale. They've grown, but not big enough to make it thru winter, imo. Will
also move those lilies and other plants that didn't sell this year back
into the lily pond to winter over..... well maybe. I might wait till it is
almost time to cover the ponds. We'll see how I feel after I trim, mow and
move fish today, if I want to move plants too.

How about you? ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Down here in Mississippi, it has not started to be cold. In fact, the
end of the blazing summer heat has led to my tomatoes and asparagus
growing well! The pond plants, on the other hand, seem to be
responding to changes in light more than to changes in heat. The
lilies are slowing and the hyacinth is developing brown spots.

I have winter bypasses for the berm (veggie filter) ponds. I only
need them on a few days per year. Last year I did not cover the
hyacinth and lost all but one of the hundreds I had. This year I will
cover them in the berm pond. Otherwise, no winterizing.

Sadly, the deer have figured out that water lettuce is tastey. They
have grazed down the 4 x 4 pond that is usually 18" deep in water
celery. Only the inner most corner that they cannot reach has grown
freely. I will move some of it to the main pond so it can make it
through the winter without being grazed to death!

I have a half dozen shbunkins in one 4 x 8 berm pond. They were small
this year and should be large enough to breed next year...I hope.
They won't be winterized, although they are in the pond that will be
covered.

We will turn off the pump and let the pond freeze over.
Very few fish and they did fine last year. So did Lady
Bullfrog. But she, I think, has abandoned us after several
run ins with the puppies.
k :-)