“When my landscape pond freezes up does my landscape pond freeze?” This is a question I hear often from my landscaping clients. The answer to this question isn’t always an easy one, and you may need to do a little research. If your pond freezes up it won’t affect your fish and plants, unless it’s very large, since fish and plants all use oxygen. However if the freeze up is just too mild, and your pond is used for low fertility fish or plants, it could cause problems.
My first advice is to call your local water provider and explain the situation. Your local water provider will probably have some advice on how to solve this problem. ” Premium Aquascapes”, a Florida company, offers “How To Protect Your Garden Pond And Vegetable Garden From Winter Ice” by Edger Russell. This book gives detailed information on how to treat problems with your landscape pond and garden ponds, including how to thaw landscape ponds and garden ponds. It also includes helpful suggestions for protecting the fish and plants, as well as suggestions on how to extend the growing season.
Another good idea is to contact your local nursery and ask if they can help. Many landscape ponds use pump systems, which allow water to percolate through rocks, to move through the soil, helping to keep the pond alive. When the water in a landscaping pond freezes, the flow of water can be reduced, especially if there are rocks behind the pond. The ice will make it harder for the pumps to move the water, reducing plant growth. A local nursery might be able to suggest solutions to this problem, or provide equipment to thaw the landscape pond.
Some landscaping ponds are designed for fish. You need to have an emergency heater on hand to keep the fish alive. If your pond freezes in the winter, you will lose all of the oxygen and kill all of your fish. A professional landscaper can fix this problem or install a heater during a bad freeze.
Landscaping ponds that are located near bodies of water are more susceptible to freezes. It is hard to say how much damage will be done, since the freeze will depend on the weather. Some areas may see more damage than others, depending on the snow accumulation and how long it freezes over. If your landscape pond freezes over, do not attempt to drain it, because it will destroy your landscape. Make sure you put the pond back into the ground as soon as possible by digging a hole and filling it with dirt, or installing a frozen pond liner.
Sometimes a frozen pond can thaw naturally. This does not happen very often, but it does happen. For small ponds, it is usually possible to quickly thaw the water out by allowing surface water to drain through a crack in the ice. The larger ponds, however, will take longer to thaw the water out. A water garden, bird bath, or other water feature that freezes up might also require some intervention to get the water flowing again.
A frozen pond does not mean the end of your landscape pond. The water can always be drained, but it is more difficult to do when there are large amounts of water in the pond. You could try draining the water slowly by hand, using a garden hose. You could also send in a water garden pump or sprinkler system to quickly remove the water if necessary.
A frozen pond also means that you will have to treat your landscape pond with some sort of water based treatment before you use it again. Some pond treatments do not work at all on frozen pond water. You should first test the pH and ammonia levels in your pond to make sure you get the correct treatment for your type of water. The proper water treatment is very important to keep your pond healthy. If your landscape pond freezes up, it is best to try to thaw it out as soon as possible, before you start to ruin your hard work.