When winterizing a water garden pond, there are several steps to keep in mind.
You must do each to ensure that your fish and plant life survive.
Here's a step-by-step method for ensuring that your water garden pond thrives over the winter.
This is a guide for those with a soft pond liner.
If you have a hard pond liner, you have many less steps to take, which can be found easily online.
Make sure that you check which type of liner you have before you begin to winterize your pond.
The first thing you'll do is to empty half the water from your pond.
This is done by removing the hose connected to your pump, and attaching a different hose that feeds away from your pond.
You do this to make your fish, plants, and any debris easier for you to see and remove.
Your second step is to remove any and all potted plants.
You will need to trim any plants that need it, and excess leaves will die over the winter and fall into your pond, causing debris that will be dangerous for your fish in the spring.
If any of your plants need repotting, hold off until the spring.
Repotting in the fall will weaken your plant.
If you have water lilies, they must be cut to their base, and should also not be repotted until the warmer spring to ensure their health.
Your third step is to catch and remove your fish.
When you have caught them, place them in a bucket filled with pond water.
This will clear the pond so that you can continue to your next step, clearing the pond of debris.
This debris makes a great mulch.
Next, place your plants back in the pond.
Leave them in at least one and a half feet of water that will remain under the freezing line.
As long as you have hardy plants, and your water is at least three feet deep, they will survive.
Next, you can return your hose to its pump.
Your final step when winterizing a water garden pond is to return your fish to their pond.
Stop feeding them when the temperature hits fifty degrees, and begin again when it reaches fifty five.
Make sure that you maintain a hole in the ice all winter, creating it by using a hot pan, and not by chipping at the ice.