Well, it’s that time of year when fall is soon upon us, then the short cold days of winter. If you own or manage a pond or lake, then you’re probably not thinking too much about “winterizing” it. Nature will take just take its course until spring arrives. However there are a few things that you can do proactively if you want to get a head start on next year.
- 1. Keep aeration in place thru the winter months. Bottom diffused pond aeration helps to keep the water circulating eliminating fall turnover and fish kills. It can also help to prevent fish from dying under the ice if you live in areas where you have complete freeze over. Lastly aeration will give you a head start on algae control next spring by circulating oxygen rich water thru the whole pond which will increase the amount of beneficial aerobic bacteria present.If you don’t already have aeration in place, now would be a great time to install it, before the ground freezes up. There’s still ample time to build a windmill for energy efficient wind aeration or to set up an electric aerator with bottom diffused aeration.
- If you don’t already have aeration in place, now would be a great time to install it, before the ground freezes up. There’s still ample time to build a windmill for energy efficient wind aeration or to set up an electric aerator with bottom diffused aeration.
2. Use a pond dye or colorant – even over the winter months.
Most algae can grow on the bottom of a pond year around. Come February or March, it can really take off. Using a pond dye adds a nice color but also filters the sunlight, keeping it off of the bottom where most algae live and grow. Aquashade is a good choice as well as any of the other pond dye’s we carry.
3. Continue using beneficial aerobic bacteria until the water temperature drops to 50 degrees. In some parts of the country, you might use supplemental bacteria year around. In the Northern climates, it might be from April through November. The biggest benefit of adding supplemental bacteria is in breaking down the organic matter on the bottom and in reducing the amount of nutrients available to feed bacteria and aquatic vegetation. They are much more effective than anaerobic bacteria and really go to work if you have supplemental aeration.
4. Fall is the best time of the year to kill aquatic weeds like cattails. Why? Because they are actively taking sugars to the roots to store up energy for the winter. When you treat them in the fall, they take the herbicide directly to the roots giving you better control. Treating after a frost is fine as long as you have > 50% of the leaf surface that is still green. Shoreklear Plus is the product to use as it has an aquatic registration, so is safe to use around fish and ponds.
