Well, its that time of year…
This is a common phrase used in so many ways, yet always signaling a change.
Pond keepers know what that phrase means for them. It means the end of pond season is coming on. The waning of our outdoor living and good times by the pond are only a moon cycle or two away from ending as the days are getting shorter and the nights are growing long.
But us pond keepers can push back.
Here are some things us pond keepers can do to extend the pond season and keep the good times going for just a bit longer.
Let’s start with the fish.
Switch out to a low temperature fish food. As the air temperatures around us drop so will the water temperatures in our pond. Water temperatures will drop slower than air temps so this time of year is a good time to keep your pond thermometer handy. We can still continue to feed our fish during chillier air temperatures for some time. Getting those last feedings in during those crisp Autumn days is a really enjoyable time outdoors. Those last few feedings really help our fish make it through the true winter months much more comfortably. This time of year let them eat. Your fish will typically “tell you” when it is time to stop feeding them, because they just don’t eat anymore. You can use your water temperatures as well and stop feeding your fish once water temperatures settle in the low 50sF. If you feed your fish until they quit eating, you have successfully extended your season.
Add lighting to your pondscape.
If you don’t have lighting on your pond you are missing out. You are missing a whole other dimension of pond keeping when the enjoyment of your pond continues into the evening with dramatic and watery lighting effects. Submersible lighting can illuminate the body of your pond so create a soft glowing aquatic scened with colorful koi and goldfish slowly gliding their way through the water. You can enjoy the subtle changes of color as your different koi reflect their colors into the landscape as they circle in the path of the lights. You can highlight the cascades of your waterfall for those rippling effects of light. Don’t stop there, add landscape lighting to the area; add string lighting, torches, or your choice of endless illumination possibilities. The point is to extend the pond season and extend the enjoyment.
Add seasonal decorations and plantings.
How fun would pumpkins, gourds, and jack-o-lanterns be to have around the pond? Put some mums around, get some color out by the pond! Create the seasonal scene of your liking. Creating seasonal scenes can REALLY extend your enjoyment of the pond well beyond the Autumn time. Snowmen and hot chocolate by the pond comes to mind.
Have a party!
Isn’t any reason to have a party a good one? As a pond keeper you have a great reason to have a party, and that is simply because you have a pond!! So party! Why not share the amazing experience that you are enjoying as a pond keeper with others? Get the family over, bring in the friends, draw in the neighbors, have the police show up. Ok, maybe keep the police out of it, but do bring everyone else to have fun and party by the pond. Wine and cheese, beer flights and soft pretzels, hot cocoa and cookies, campfire and s’mores, of course pizza party by the pond is something that everyone will enjoy and have an awesome experience by your pond perhaps making the end of the season one of the best times of year to enjoy your pond. Make sure you have a few special nights alone by the pond with the one you love as well, even if that is just you and Fido. Keep that time by the pond going a little longer.
Take photos.
Create memories and document the seasonal changes of your pond. Ponds are incredibly dynamic in their presentation. The spring pond and summer pond are as different from each other as the autumn pond and winter pond, etc. Get photos of these seasonal changes for the beauty of it. Keep the camera handy for those photo ops of all the critters and creatures that visit your pond. There are a myriad of birds for those who watch. Frogs, turtles, racoon, possum, deer, turkey, squirrel, chipmunk, and many others that use your pond can create very special photos to share.
However you come to enjoy more time by your pond is perfect, just do it. Once the outdoor pond season truly comes to an end and the winter takes over just bide your time by enjoying the pond from your favorite window perch. Spring will be here again soon enough, guaranteed, and the next season will again offer the opportunity to spend lots of time outdoors. Enjoy every season of your pond!
Thank you, you got me excited about spending more time at our pond and answered my questions about feeding the koi. Should we be cleaning the pond (removing algae and fallen leaves) at the same rate this time of year?
Hi Lisa. Thanks for commenting. Yes, I’d still look to keep leaf debris well controlled, as well as algae. There are treatments that are formulated for this time of year as well so try to use those.
Good luck!! -Mike