Preparing a pond, fountains and a well in the country for winter
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PREPARATION OF THE COUNTRY POND, FOUNTAINS AND WELLS FOR WINTER
HOW TO PREPARE THE COUNTRY POND FOR COLD
During leaf fall, it is advisable to protect the pond with a net, otherwise you will have to catch the garbage with a net later so that it does not accumulate and decompose, silting up the reservoir.
Cleaning the bottom is a must and can even be done with a rake.
The pond is less than 1 m deep and hibernates dry and covered in any area. The water in it is drained, cleaned of dirt, and fish and plants are transferred to home aquariums.
With ice - from 1,5 m deep, freezing of any type (concrete or film).
With water and fish - its depth is more than 1,5 m, and the mirror is from 15 sq. m.
When the temperature drops to +5 degrees at night, turn off the pump (if any) and disconnect it from the filter. Store them rolled up in a container with water (!).
SANITARY POND CLEANING
Before frost, dead parts of coastal vegetation are removed (healthy shoots are cut off as late as possible, some of them are left for the shelter of small animals and access to oxygen). In parallel, you can remove excess plants or plant them.
ABOUT WATER INHABITANTS
Water hyacinths, pistia, salvinia are transferred to the aquarium for the winter. Hyacinths and pistia can be planted in a pot in a mixture of sand and clay (1: 1). The soil should be constantly filled with water, and the room should be light and warm (+18 degrees).
Cold-water trout, koi carp, goldfish, verkhovka, minnow are moved to a large aquarium or a water barrel of +15 degrees, where a recirculating filter is installed. And left until spring in a semi-lit room. It is better to give high-protein food at this time in small doses.
At the end of November, the wintering fish lies in the deepest place (it is not cleaned). In extreme cold, you can drill ice and pump out some water, and plug the hole with straw. This will give the fish oxygen.
© Author: Sergey ZYUBIN, plant collector, Samara. Photo by Valentina BONDAR
POND PREPARATION FOR WINTER - VIDEO
PREPARING FOR WINTER: WELLS AND FOUNTAINS
Whether the well freezes in winter or not depends on the depth of freezing of the site. This indicator is different for peat, sandy and clayey soil, on average - 1-1,5 m. The material from which such a structure is made is also important.
Concrete is a good conductor; it freezes to the same depth as the soil. And if the water in the well is below the freezing level, you can use the well all winter, if higher, you need to insulate. The outside of the concrete rings is covered with mineral wool, foam. Close the top with a lid. Or they install a wooden blockhouse with a roof in the form of a house above such a well.
The walls of the log house protect the upper ring of the well from destruction, reduce the formation of ice on the concrete.
But a wooden well does not need insulation. Covers or roofs are installed over it to protect the water from debris.
For the winter, it is imperative to drain the water from the fountain (waterfall) and clean the equipment, disassemble all removable parts that can be damaged by freezing water. Close the ends of the pipes with plugs. In the bowl (where the water is drained), throw pieces of foam or closed plastic bottles, cover it with a dense film without holes and securely fasten.
See also: Calendar for care of the garden pond - what and when to do
FOR THE NOTICE
If the site is not supervised, it is better not to drain the water from good barrels (200 liters or more), otherwise they will become easy prey for thieves. Dip 5-6 plastic bottles in them, a third filled with sand - they will weigh the barrel and prevent the walls from breaking in cold weather.
© Author: Natalya Danilova, biologist, St. Petersburg
PREPARATION OF WATER BODIES FOR WINTER - ADVICE AND FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS
HOW TO PREPARE A POND FOR WINTER
Two years ago, my son and I made a small pond, planted reeds nearby and even launched fry from the river. All guests highly appreciated the innovation, asked many questions about the construction of the pond, there were also questions about how to take care of it and how it hibernates. I decided to draw up all the advice in writing and send it to you - suddenly someone wants to make a decorative reservoir on their site, but they are afraid that caring for it is difficult.
The main enemy of the reservoir is garbage. But there is no way to avoid pollution, as we have trees and shrubs around us. Therefore, at night it is better to cover the pond with plastic, we do the same if we leave the country for a while. Well, we clean it with a net, a rake.
Before preserving the pond for the winter, it must also be thoroughly cleaned of everything at the bottom. Our pond is shallow and small, cleaning can be done manually. But first, we pump out the water and send the fry back to the river with our grandchildren - this is our tradition.
After pumping out the water, we clean and rinse the concrete bowl. I know that shallow ponds are considered "non-wintering" and many owners leave water in them, but I do it differently: I cover it with black foil and cover with the same foil from above, stretch and secure with stones. This prevents snow and dirt from entering the pond bowl. Fish in our pond does not hibernate, there are no aquatic plants, only a reed planted nearby, but we leave it, it tolerates wintering quite well.
Rigid reservoirs (made of plastic or fiberglass) are sensitive to pressure increases. To prevent the pond from bursting in winter, you need to lower several plastic bottles partially filled with sand into it. In winter, they will take on the pressure of the ice.
If your pond is equipped with equipment (pump, filters, etc.), carefully monitor the night air temperature in the fall. When lowering the thermometer to 5 degrees, turn off all devices (if they are not equipped with special protection against freezing), remove them from the water, rinse, dry and store until spring in a warm, dry place.
In general, the higher the quality of the ponds, the less care they require before winter storage, but we have a homemade pond, there are other requirements for it. But if the waterproofing of your reservoir is not in doubt, then such a reservoir can be left completely filled for the winter.
© Author: Nikolay Ermikov Bryansk
PREPARATION OF THE POND FOR WINTERING: FISH - INTO THE ICE-HOLE, WATER-LITERS - TO THE BASEMENT
It is believed that for the winter it is necessary to drain all the water from the reservoir. In fact, this is not entirely true: from concrete - yes, we merge, but from film - not completely. You need to leave a little water so that in the spring the groundwater does not push your film out of the pit.
Where to start preparing the pond for winter? First, we pump out the water, but again, not all of it, if water lilies bloom in your country pond and goldfish swim. The level of the remaining water must be at least 10 cm below the cladding - otherwise it will crumble due to the difference in air and water temperatures.
Then we remove all the “beauty” for the winter - fountains, lanterns, figurines, etc. If you have living creatures in your pond, you will have to take care of it - prepare a large aquarium in advance. But if you have a solid body of water, the fish will overwinter in it, as in a natural one. Only you will have to provide air access all winter, i.e. keep the hole open. Don't forget to feed regularly.
But life is not the main problem. It is more difficult to decide what to do with aquatic vegetation. Iris, hornwort, calla will overwinter in water - cut the plants so that they remain at least a meter deep. With a water lily it is more difficult: it will have to be stored in the cellar. Wrap it with damp moss and leave it in a cool dark room (from +2 to +5 degrees). To facilitate the procedure, plant water lilies in water directly in pots - it is more convenient to carry.
If you live in the city during the winter and the fish are hibernating in the pond, use the old advice: set up vertical thick bundles of straw so that they freeze into the ice. The water in the straws does not freeze, and the pond thus breathes.
PREPARING A PLASTIC POND FOR WINTER - VIDEO
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