Winter Pond Care Basics by Joe Gordon

Joe Gordon who works out of the JCM Environmental Georgetown Delaware Office prepared this general outline for Winter Pond Care as a basic reference for employees and clients:

Winter Pond Care

Aeration Systems

Fountains

It is always a good idea to take the fountains out by November.
1. Leaving the fountains in when the pond freezes over can create a complicated situation in which the fountain can be damaged.
ii. It is good to have them serviced on a yearly basis in order to keep them working properly and to protect the customer’s investment. This is most often done while the fountains are out for the winter.

Bubblers

The bubblers or “under water aeration systems” should stay in during the winter.
1. The bubblers help guard against the build up of nutrients in the pond by preventing the formation of a benthic layer in which anaerobic conditions allow bacteria to break down phosphorus into forms readily available to plants, more specifically algae.
2. The bubblers will keep the pond from freezing over in all except the most extreme temperatures.
a. This allows your pond crews to keep working in the water, removing organic debris (see below).
ii. Once a year typically in the winter the carbon veins should be serviced on the bubbler systems to keep them in working order.

Removal of Organics

a. During winter, when things slow down, decaying leaves, the emergent part of your aquatic plants and other organic matter (including fish and waterfowl waste) begin to break down in the pond. The result is an excess of organic nutrients in the water, which is essentially food for algae growth. Add sunlight and some warmer weather to these conditions, and you have an ideal environment for algae growth, both the filamentous and cellular algae varieties.
b. Removing these organics has a tremendous impact on the amount of nutrients available for algae growth and thus can seriously cut down on the use of algaecides in the spring season.
This will ultimately save you the customer money.

Care and Trimming of Buffer

This includes everything from Bayberry to Broom Sedge. It is important to cut and remove (portions) of the past season’s vegetation to provide opportunity (room and sunlight) for vegetation in the next season.
i. One could compare this process to the trimming of a Forsythia or Rhododendron. A trimmed plant will have more blooms the following season then an untrimmed plant.
This also adds to the aesthetic appeal of the pond. With all the vegetation dormant, the pond takes on the look of a “dead spot.” When the vegetation neatly cut and portions removed, the pond appears cleaner and thus is more appealing to the eye.

You can contact Joe at joe@jcmenv.com for more information.