Wintering my pond
 

I have a hand built pond that measures about 7 feet by 3 feet by 1 1/2 feet deep. Each winter I drain, bring in the fish, pumps (fountain and waterfall) and cover with a tarp to keep the snow off. Then each spring begin anew.

This year we have a great plant of parrots feather that has exploded in growth and we would like to winter this over.

Various sites say different solutions to this. I was planning to put the pot at the bottom of the pond, put in a heater and cover the pond with a tarp.

Will this work? We never had luck trying to winter plants in doors.

should I leave a pump in to keep water moving?

We live in western NY state, where snow is plentiful and typically Dec-Feb can be below zero.

Thanks

rfm wrote:


I have a hand built pond that measures about 7 feet by 3 feet by 1 1/2
feet deep. Each winter I drain, bring in the fish, pumps (fountain and
waterfall) and cover with a tarp to keep the snow off. Then each spring
begin anew.

This year we have a great plant of parrots feather that has exploded in
growth and we would like to winter this over.

Various sites say different solutions to this. I was planning to put
the pot at the bottom of the pond, put in a heater and cover the pond
with a tarp.

Will this work? We never had luck trying to winter plants in doors.

I wouldn't think so. It's going to die back anyway, because it gets no
light, and it's got no tuber to store energy, so I can't see it coming back
in the spring. I have dropped PF to the bottom of a 5 foot pond, where I
know it never froze, and it hasn't survived.

should I leave a pump in to keep water moving?

That would just distribute the heat over a much larger area, and raise your
electricity bill even higher.

It would be great to be able to start off the season with growing Parrot
Feather, but it's a lot cheaper to buy than your electrical bill for
keeping a heater in the pond - and I still doubt the likelihood of success.
--
derek

rfm wrote:


I have a hand built pond that measures about 7 feet by 3 feet by 1 1/2
feet deep. Each winter I drain, bring in the fish, pumps (fountain and
waterfall) and cover with a tarp to keep the snow off. Then each spring
begin anew.

This year we have a great plant of parrots feather that has exploded in
growth and we would like to winter this over.

Various sites say different solutions to this. I was planning to put
the pot at the bottom of the pond, put in a heater and cover the pond
with a tarp.

Will this work? We never had luck trying to winter plants in doors.

I wouldn't think so. It's going to die back anyway, because it gets no
light, and it's got no tuber to store energy, so I can't see it coming back
in the spring. I have dropped PF to the bottom of a 5 foot pond, where I
know it never froze, and it hasn't survived.

should I leave a pump in to keep water moving?

That would just distribute the heat over a much larger area, and raise your
electricity bill even higher.

It would be great to be able to start off the season with growing Parrot
Feather, but it's a lot cheaper to buy than your electrical bill for
keeping a heater in the pond - and I still doubt the likelihood of success.
--
derek

The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was covered
with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's tail, horsetail,
forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was covered
with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's tail, horsetail,
forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Thanks to Kathy's advice I was more patient this spring. Instead of
throwing out plants, parrots feather in particular, that looked dead I left
them in the pond and by mid June growth was showing. We are in SW Ontario -
Zone 5 or 6.

BTW Kathy, did the frogs make it through? Our frog pond is 20" deep. I am
concerned the frogs will die in there. Considering draining it to force
them to move into the fish pond for the winter. It's 4' deep. Your
thoughts?

Heather



"Ka30P" wrote in message
...

The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was
covered
with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's tail,
horsetail,
forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Thanks to Kathy's advice I was more patient this spring. Instead of
throwing out plants, parrots feather in particular, that looked dead I left
them in the pond and by mid June growth was showing. We are in SW Ontario -
Zone 5 or 6.

BTW Kathy, did the frogs make it through? Our frog pond is 20" deep. I am
concerned the frogs will die in there. Considering draining it to force
them to move into the fish pond for the winter. It's 4' deep. Your
thoughts?

Heather



"Ka30P" wrote in message
...

The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was
covered
with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's tail,
horsetail,
forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Ka30P wrote:


The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was
covered with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's
tail, horsetail, forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.

I tried every way I could think of to keep the parrot feather in zone 6, and
nothing ever worked. I'm sooooo jealous.
--
derek

Ka30P wrote:


The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was
covered with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's
tail, horsetail, forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.

I tried every way I could think of to keep the parrot feather in zone 6, and
nothing ever worked. I'm sooooo jealous.
--
derek

Heather wrote BTW Kathy, did the frogs make it through?

I had one lady bullfrog in the ponds last fall and she showed up again this
spring. How she made it I have no idea! The deeper pond was frozen over
completely, I lost all my koi (from not being ready for the severe winter we
had). But the bullfrog came thru. Not sure which pond she wintered over in but
she shouldn't have survived and she did!


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Heather wrote BTW Kathy, did the frogs make it through?

I had one lady bullfrog in the ponds last fall and she showed up again this
spring. How she made it I have no idea! The deeper pond was frozen over
completely, I lost all my koi (from not being ready for the severe winter we
had). But the bullfrog came thru. Not sure which pond she wintered over in but
she shouldn't have survived and she did!


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

The parrots feather stays alive year 'round in the lotus garden. I never
do anything to that
12' pond - just wait for the lotuses, etc to start growing again. I do
think I have
a microclimate in the ponds area - approximately 40' x 15'. It's on the
north side of the
house so who knows?
..... zone maps show my area as zone 6, but I
grow so many zone 7 and up plants there.

Nedra
Lotus Garden:
www.community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Ka30P wrote:


The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was
covered with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's
tail, horsetail, forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.

I tried every way I could think of to keep the parrot feather in zone 6,
and
nothing ever worked. I'm sooooo jealous.
--
derek

The parrots feather stays alive year 'round in the lotus garden. I never
do anything to that
12' pond - just wait for the lotuses, etc to start growing again. I do
think I have
a microclimate in the ponds area - approximately 40' x 15'. It's on the
north side of the
house so who knows?
..... zone maps show my area as zone 6, but I
grow so many zone 7 and up plants there.

Nedra
Lotus Garden:
www.community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Ka30P wrote:


The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was
covered with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's
tail, horsetail, forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.

I tried every way I could think of to keep the parrot feather in zone 6,
and
nothing ever worked. I'm sooooo jealous.
--
derek

The parrots feather stays alive year 'round in the lotus garden. I never
do anything to that
12' pond - just wait for the lotuses, etc to start growing again. I do
think I have
a microclimate in the ponds area - approximately 40' x 15'. It's on the
north side of the
house so who knows?
..... zone maps show my area as zone 6, but I
grow so many zone 7 and up plants there.

Nedra
Lotus Garden:
www.community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Ka30P wrote:


The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and was
covered with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's
tail, horsetail, forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.

I tried every way I could think of to keep the parrot feather in zone 6,
and
nothing ever worked. I'm sooooo jealous.
--
derek

Note: The link I posted for the lotus garden doesn't work. Actually when
the
computer crashed I lost everything... including the links :(
Nedra

"Nedra" wrote in message
k.net...
The parrots feather stays alive year 'round in the lotus garden. I never
do anything to that
12' pond - just wait for the lotuses, etc to start growing again. I do
think I have
a microclimate in the ponds area - approximately 40' x 15'. It's on the
north side of the
house so who knows?
.... zone maps show my area as zone 6, but I
grow so many zone 7 and up plants there.

Nedra
Lotus Garden:
www.community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Ka30P wrote:


The whole frog bog (ten-ish inches deep) froze solid last year and
was
covered with snow, everything came back - penneywort, lilies, lizard's
tail, horsetail, forget-me-not, cattails, rushes, parrot's feather.
Parrot's feather is usually the last to show up here in zone 7.

I tried every way I could think of to keep the parrot feather in zone 6,
and
nothing ever worked. I'm sooooo jealous.
--
derek