Spring is here at last
Dear Ponders, I just put my goldies back outside in the pond and they couldn’t be happier. Now I just have to figure out where to setup the stock tank pond for the summer. Hope everyone is able to get into your ponds by now. Our pond Club the Central Iowa Water Garden Association meeting covered the basics of Spring pond care and I thought I’d pass along some of the tips members shared. You can visit their website at http://www.ciwga.org for even more tips. You can head off algae by cleaning out as much muck as possible and starting your algae control program. String and pea soup algae grow more rapidly than your plants. Barley straw and beneficial bacteria are best used as a preventive. The water gardeners international http://www.watergardenersinternational.org uses a product called a water wych because it keeps the algae down and balances your water. Last year I learned the hard way what happens if your don’t keep on top of algae. My pond turned pea soup green over a matter of days and I lost some fish that got trapped under a tipped over waterlily pot. One of the ones I lost was over 8 years old. So I can’t stress water quality enough. It’s also time to get in and divide your plants. Jamie Beyer an expert watergardener did a great presentation on plant divisions . Here’s the link to the video http://www.ciwga.org/photos/divisions/homepage.htm . Our pond club does a plant exchange every year. Joining your local pond club is a great way to get 1st hand experience. Fish are becoming more active and are ready to start eating agian. Koi will love a treat of peeled oranges, dark lettuce, peas, watercress and some even enjoy watermelon. Until the water reaches 70 or so use a wheat germ based food. Just don’t overfed them at any time! Using a feeding ring will train them to come to you for closer viewing. You should keep and eye out for any illnesses or injuries. I hoe you find these tips helpful. Happy Ponding, Gail
Category: Ponds-Koi
