NATURAL PREDATOR PROTECTION
Ok, pond owners this is the time of year that we all have to start our vigilance and watch out for herons showing up at out pond. Late winter is always the time of year that the herons start making their patrols in search of that easy meal, of our beloved pets, from our ponds. We all get a bit complacent this time of year in checking our ponds but now is the time to start being a bit more aware of our ponds presence to local herons.
Read MoreTHE FROZEN POND
Frozen ponds is a subject that of course only seems to pop up seasonally, like during winter…well of course, why worry about it at any other time of year? The problem I see again and again with many pond owners is a real misunderstanding of what is happening with their ponds during this season, and if the subject is not addressed quickly the season ends and if a pond is not frozen why talk about it. So NOW is the perfect time. Here in the northeast U.S. I’d guess just about everyone’s ponds are frozen if they have not taken the steps to de-ice their ponds. So, naturally this is the time everyone goes into panic mode about what to do with their iced over pond.
Read MoreDE-ICING YOUR POND
It’s that time of year here in the Northeast US that pond owners need to keep an eye on their ponds. Typically when January hits, this area will receive some sustained below freezing weather that will surely create ice on unheated ponds. Pond heaters are a pretty costly approach to controlling temperatures in the pond but they do work well. I usually recommend to my pond customers that the use of at least a de-icer should be employed by those who are not able to swing the costs of a pond heating system; this recommendation applies to pretty much ALL my customers, myself included.
Read MorePOND WINTERIZATION, HOW TO WINTERIZE YOUR POND
Labor Day weekend, the last hurrah for summer, and all our thoughts go back to…everything and everything is coming like a freight train. Back-to-school, kids sports programs, the holidays just WEEKS away, and time to winterize the pond. No, not exactly time to say goodbye to the pond yet, but we all know that the time is drawing near where for a few months here in the northeast our ponds becomes just something pretty look at. A nice waterfall running with a snowy scene behind it.
Read MorePONDS AND RAINY DAYS
Driven inside. Yes, believe it or not another New Jersey rainy day in the summer of 2009. You know my pond work is outdoors most of the time so I only get rained out by heavy rain with thunder and lighting, and that’s what we have today in New Jersey. So, it’s a good excuse to give the pond construction crew a day of rest, and the pond maintenance services tech a day to cool off too. But for me I just find another way to work, and this seems like a golden opportunity to talk about ponds and watergardens and how rain can affect them. Full Service Aquatics customers come to expect clear water in their ponds on a consistent basis, and that’s what we deliver to them, but there has to be an exception made when Mother Nature decides to drop that wonderfully precious, nutrient rich rainwater from the sky. Rainwater is one of our greatest gifts but water full of nutrient is not always great for our koi ponds and water gardens, especially in great quantities.
Read MoreTODAY BLOG FOR 10.16.09
A very unseasonable cold October day today. None of the rain that they called for in the morning hours, but that should be hitting tonight. Today’s pond agenda consisted of starting the day with pond winterization services. First pond winterizing was in Cranford, NJ on a new pond renovation service we had done about 1 month ago. The pond water was very clear and clean looking and just the first hints of pond algae was starting to appear on the submerged and waterfall rockwork. The waterfall looked great; very peaceful, and smoothly flowing. The koi and shubunkins were taking advantage of the fish caves we built into this pond but I did get a look at them and they all look great and seemed to have possibly grown a bit. For the service we cut back the hardy aquatic plants; pickerel, lilies, sweetflag, lizard tail, and iris.
Read MoreFollow Love your Pond
