From Autumn to Spring

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness." It isn't good scripture, but it is good pond maintanence practice. Not surprisingly, then, the first winterizing task you have involves cleanliness in the pond.

Netting
Net your pond to keep the leaves out as they fall. In my case that would involve building a frame to elevate it enough to clear the water and not turn into a giant tea bag. So far this year I have been using my pool net to skim out the leaves and debris. which ever way you go, the main thing is to have it as clean as possible before you put on your winter cover.

Iced In. . . .Not!
You must prevent the pond from freezing over completely. One way to do this is to float a large ball in the pond. As the Ice forms, it will exert pressure against the ball not against the sides of your pond. An air stone will keep the water moving and will keep it from freezing. Running a fountain or even your waterfall will have the same effect. Be wary however, you don't want water to freeze in your pump during power outages! Pond heaters will work also and don't need to be kept on during mild weather.

Under Cover
View this as a coat. If you are worried about the winter, your pond probably needs cover of some kind. I have a friend who puts concrete blocks around the outside edge of her pond, lays plywood on top of them and then piles bagged leaves on top of and around that. She has had great success with this approach. An air stone or heater could be used in this setup if the temperatures became severe. A frame covered with plastic and then covered with leaves would also work. If you do this you could conceivably leave the pump run year round.

Fish Fix
I don't keep koi, but for those who do visit Koi Konnections to find their winter needs.
For goldfish, stop feeding when the water temperatures drop below 55 degrees. They will do fine if they have eaten well through the summer. Make sure there is room in the deepest part of the pond for them to winter over in. It is for the sake of your fish you want to keep the ice from freezing over completely. You need to allow the toxic gases to escape. Many winter fish deaths are due to suffocation rather than freezing.

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