Water gardening in
the spring
By Dee Anne Beckman
Tagawa Gardens
7711 S. Parker Rd. Centennial, Co. 80016
(303) 690-4722 ext 128
Water gardening is a year round project but
in the winter and spring you do the least amount of work. You need to make sure
the pond hasn’t had any structural damage and is leaking. Usually this happens
in the waterfall/stream area. Look for wet areas around rocks. You may have to
use spray-expanding foam to fill in where rocks have moved or in cracks. Is your water line changing? You may have a
hole in the liner, which could be caused by expansion or a rock has punctured
the liner. Usually that happens at the water line and when you top it off it
seems to go back to the same line. Look
for areas on the liner that are warn or scratched. You can use silicone sealant
or a liner repair kit.
Next is to do a 1/3rd
water change if the water has a lot of decaying matter in it. First dredge the bottom of the pond with a
net to get out all the solid matter that you missed this last winter, drain no
more than a third. Refill with water
that has been dechlorinated (if needed).
You can use beneficial bacteria called SPRING/SUMMER CLEANER By MICROBE-LIFT
that will help dissolve solid matter that has built up during the winter
months.
Set up your filter system when
the temperatures have stabilized about 50 degrees F. it may be time to replace
the filter foam, this lasts for about two seasons before breaking down. Watch
for algae blooms when it starts to get warm. Remove string algae by hand, by
using a toilet brush. Use GREENCLEAN or other types of string algae
controllers like barley straw.
Move submerged aquatics and lilies
closer to the water surface until the water has cleared or the plant needs
deeper water. Lilies will need to be eventually in water that is about 18’ to
24’ deep and marginal or bog plants need 6’ to 8’ deep. Remove dead leaf matter
on marginal plants and pull any excess roots that may be running about on the
sides and bottom of the pond.
Especially invasive plants like water clover and celery. Get ready to
divide water lilies and bog plants in about late may to early June when you see
new growth sprouting. Start to add new plants to your pond about mid May to
first of June. Winter hardy plants; continue adding until end of September. For
naturally clean clear water, use this recipe. For up to 400 gallons of water
you need:
v v 1
water lily (tropical or winter hardy) Nymphea spp
v v 2
bog or marginal plants (tropical and winter hardy) I advise at least one
Cattail
v v 1
to 2 floaters (tropical) Water Hyacinth or Duckweed
v v 1
oxygenator for every square foot of water surface, usually found in bunches of
five. (Usually winter hardy) Hornwort or Anacheris
Don’t feed the fish when temperatures are too
cool, wait till night temperatures are above 50 degrees, only feed every other
day as long as the fish are eating, then increase how often you feed as the
temperatures increase. Salt your pond at this time to prevent parasites and
other bacterial diseases and not cause too much of a problem to the
plants. Provide shade for your fish by
using a shading compound (die) in the water. Put large PVC piping on the floor
of the pond so that the fish have a place to hide from predators.
As the temperatures rise the oxygen level
will go down. Make sure you Continue
aeration or recirculation of the water to prevent still water. Revised 7-7-6