Your Fall/Winter Pond Care Basics

As you begin settling in for the colder fall and winter months, so will your pond!

Winterizing your backyard water feature or koi pond will protect the water, the plants and the fish and ensure another year of beauty and relaxation for your backyard oasis.

1. As the leaves begin to change and fall, the first order of business is to keep up on pond cleaning. Use a standard skimmer to remove any leaves that have fallen onto the surface of the water, as a build-up of leaves will begin to decay and throw off the balance of the pond.

If you have a significant amount of falling leaves near your water feature, you may also want to consider installing leaf netting for easier maintenance. Use may also want to use a chemical water additive, which accelerates decomposition of the leaves and debris. Using a siphon or pond vacuum is also a practical choice for removing sludge and debris from the bottom of the pond.

2. Your fishes’ feeding needs will also change once the weather turns cooler. Once the water temperature falls into the 60s, you will want to decrease their feeding to just once a day. A wheat germ-based food is often recommended at this time of the year because it is easily digested. As the water temperature continues to drop, you will want to continue to decrease your fishes’ food intake. When the water temperature falls below 60 degrees, you can drop their feeding schedule to two or three times a week. Once the water temperature falls below 50 degrees, you’ll want to stop feeding altogether.
3. Insert a floating pond de-icer into your pond before the water freezes. This will warm the pond enough to prevent a total freezing over of the water. This is important, as it allows gases from decomposing organic material to escape.
4. Prepare your aquatic plants from the cold weather by first trimming away any dead foliage, and by placing the plants far enough into the water as to protect their roots from freezing. You may also consider bringing your plants indoors during the winter. Fall is also a good time to separate and re-pot your plants, if desired.

Talk with your local nursery about the needs of your aquatic plants. Some plants, such as the Japanese Iris and the Cardinal Flower, do not do well in winter ponds. Other heartier plants can be left in the pond. The more sensitive plants should not be placed back into the pond until after the winter has passed and after they have begun showing signs of new growth.

5. If you don’t have plants or fish in your pond, consider insulating it over the winter with such materials as bales of hay or bags of leaves or straw.  You may want to cover these with a plastic tarp to keep them dry.
6. If temperatures in your region stay well above freezing, you may want to consider running your pump throughout the winter; otherwise, you’ll want to turn off all pumps and filters once the water temperature has dropped into the 40s.
7. By preparing your pond for the winter, you can ensure that your pond, fishes, and plants stay healthy and happy for years to come.