From the Pondlady's Pad

As with many animals, when a fish is diseased the other fish will attack and kill it. If you see a sick fish, remove it as soon as you see it. There is a chance you can save it and also not have it infect the other fish.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Overflowing ponds

Building fish pond using pond liner...What to I need to do/know?

I have been hearing scary DIY stories like people's pond flooding! How do I prevent that?

If you mean will your pond overflow, it could. But it won't overflow any more than the rest of your property will. If your yard is flooded, your pond's water level will be higher, but will never overflow its banks unless your neighborhood is flooded as well. Think about it. Lakes/rivers flood all the time and the pond gets covered in water too. But the pond by itself will not overflow. I suppose it would if you put a hose in it and turned it on, but one would hope you would watch it or set a timer or somesuch.

Check out how to build at my website:

http://www.pondlady.com

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Repairing natural bottom ponds

We just purchased a home and moved in end of July. There is a nice sized pond in the front, and its getting lower and lower every day, to where at the moment, its more of a dirt hole than a pond. I know the rainfall hasn't been quite good this summer, and with the heat, water does evaporate... but I wouldn't think it would be as it is now. I also see other people with ponds and theirs are still relatively full. We aren't the ones who built this pond, so I am not certain what was done when doing so. To me, it doesn't look like anything special was done other than digging a great big huge hole... I dont see a liner or pump system, or anything like that. We do have some frogs in there, and some pussy willows growing... other than that, maybe a fish or two in there, but we aren't certain. Can anyone tell me if we have a leak somewhere, or if we need to drain what water is left and line it, or what we need to do so we can actually enjoy a full pond at our new house. I know rainfall isn't much for us in Ohio, so, how do others keep theirs full?
Any help I can get would be great! I have tried to google and get answers on my own, but they all talk about turning off a pump, and ours doesn't have one.
Thanks.

Answer:

If you have a natural bottom pond, get some bentonite. It's clay and perfect for sealing natural ponds. If I were you, I would put a liner in it and then refill it. For lots more info about how to do that, see my website at:
• http://www.pondlady.com
• Click on Jan's articles.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Build your pond above grade

If you do nothing else while building your pond, build it above grade. You can use my method or just pile up the soil you removed from the hole around the edges, but if you don't build it up, run off from your yard can kill your pond.

When you are digging your hole, dig straight down. If you dig a bowl shape you will slide down into the water every time you try to get in your pond to do maintenance. The extra surface area exposes the pond to more sun and therefore more algae growth.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Trapping pond wildlife

Trapping Wildlife

If you trap visiting wildlife like raccoons, and want to relocate them, check with the Wildlife Commission to see if (1) you have rights to move them to a more suited environment, (2) if they are prone to mark their territory and return, (3) have the local humane society trap and move them to a more fitting area.
If they are taken to a brand new neighborhood, they are likely to be unable to find food and die.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Friday, September 24, 2010

Prepping pond plants for winter

If you have not yet cut back your Louisiana irises, cyperus or papyrus, do so in September so new growth can start freely in the spring.

Water lilies begin dormancy in September. Their leaves get smaller and smaller and they stop blooming. Don't worry. They are reacting to shorter periods of daylight.

Stop fertilizing water lilies in mid October in the South. By starving the plants at the end of the season, they will form some small, hard and durable tubers which survive the dormant period better than the large fleshy root of the main plant. This, along with dropping the water lily to the bottom of your pond will give you a better chance of your lilies coming back in the spring.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Overwintering water lilies

I have a lilly in my pond and it seems to be dying off does it die or need to be cut back to over winter ?

i bought it this summer and had a couple of flowers and and has quite a few leaves but they are slowly dying off.will it completely die off for winter or do i need to cut it back .if any one has any advice on how to over winter it would be much appreciated

Answer:
If you live where the night temperatures are starting to drop below 55º, your lilies are going dormant. They will soon do that in warmer climes. Here's an article I wrote about water lily care. It should answer all your questions.
http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/Water_L…

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Pond building cost

What is the cost of having a little fish pond made in your backyard?

Answer:
It always depends on the size. A 6' x 9' kidney shape turnkey with pump, filter, waterfall, plants and landscaping would run about 5 thousand bucks.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Pond liner?

What is a pond liner?

Answer:
Anything that holds water indefinitely can be a pond liner. 40 mil butyl rubber is the best. You can cut it to order, it lasts well over 20 years and is my choice for ponds.
Concrete not such a good choice because it's brittle and has a problem with temperature extremes.
Flexible PVC is cheap and widely used, but does not hold up at all.
Preformed liners are popular, but just like PVC is only good for a short time.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com