Container Pond Winter Questions

[Pondlover2020]

Hi guys! This is my first winter with our above ground container pond and I need a lot of help. We live in WA state where it doesn’t get too cold in the winter (I believe we are zone 8) but it does hit into the teens every now and then. I have the following questions:

1) When should I stop feeding the fish? I heard I’m supposed to stop in October but wasn’t sure.

2) do I cut back the plants pictured? One of a monkey flower and the other I have no idea. I think they are perennials but don’t know how I should go about winterizing them.

3) Should I add a heater for the fish?

 

[TheFishGuy]

Hi guys! This is my first winter with our above ground container pond and I need a lot of help. We live in WA state where it doesn’t get too cold in the winter (I believe we are zone 8) but it does hit into the teens every now and then. I have the following questions:

1) When should I stop feeding the fish? I heard I’m supposed to stop in October but wasn’t sure.

2) do I cut back the plants pictured? One of a monkey flower and the other I have no idea. I think they are perennials but don’t know how I should go about winterizing them.

3) Should I add a heater for the fish?

I dont know too much about all the plants n stuff,

and as for the heater, I don't think that is necessary, as long as you have moving water to keep a hole in the ice, you should be fine. If you really want to be safe you could get a small deicer, and only run it if needed.

 

[brokensword]

Hi guys! This is my first winter with our above ground container pond and I need a lot of help. We live in WA state where it doesn’t get too cold in the winter (I believe we are zone 8) but it does hit into the teens every now and then. I have the following questions:

1) When should I stop feeding the fish? I heard I’m supposed to stop in October but wasn’t sure.

2) do I cut back the plants pictured? One of a monkey flower and the other I have no idea. I think they are perennials but don’t know how I should go about winterizing them.

3) Should I add a heater for the fish?

I stop feeding when the water temp goes below 50. There's plenty on the liner and various underwater plants they can nibble on if needed. When the temp lowers, the fish's metabolism slows and there is less need.

I cut back my plants after a frost hits them. Until then, they're still valuable toward cleaning the water of nitrates.

as long as you don't let your container totally ice up, you'll be fine. Running an aerator, suspended near the surface, can keep a hole open to help let out any noxious gas build up. Goldfish can take almost freezing (they can actually survive being frozen) water and koi are not far behind.

 

[Pondlover2020]

I stop feeding when the water temp goes below 50. There's plenty on the liner and various underwater plants they can nibble on if needed. When the temp lowers, the fish's metabolism slows and there is less need.

I cut back my plants after a frost hits them. Until then, they're still valuable toward cleaning the water of nitrates.

as long as you don't let your container totally ice up, you'll be fine. Running an aerator, suspended near the surface, can keep a hole open to help let out any noxious gas build up. Goldfish can take almost freezing (they can actually survive being frozen) water and koi are not far behind.

Thank you! How much should I cut back my plants? Below the water line?

 

[Lisak1]

I only cut back things that will fall in the water over winter if I don't. The rest I just leave until spring. I think the dead plant material can help protect the crown from freezing.

 

[brokensword]

Thank you! How much should I cut back my plants? Below the water line?

For plants like horsetail, I don't cut back at all because if water gets in the tube, it can rot the plant. Most, such as Monkey Flower, I just cut to just above the waterline. For waterlilies, I cut the leaves as far as I can reach (the water is cold at this time!). For cardinal flower, I cut to the crown, which is usually above the water. For iris, just above the waterline (just above the rhizome). The floaters I pitch into the compost pile and any tropicals I think I can overwinter, they get taken down before any frost. I just took down my one tropical waterlily where it'll reside in a heated aquarium in the basement.

In general, there are those two schools of thought; in fall, or in spring. I find that any dead vegetation can then rot and promote fungus, so I remove in the fall, for most plants, be they in my garden or in the pond beds/bog.

 

[Pondlover2020]

For plants like horsetail, I don't cut back at all because if water gets in the tube, it can rot the plant. Most, such as Monkey Flower, I just cut to just above the waterline. For waterlilies, I cut the leaves as far as I can reach (the water is cold at this time!). For cardinal flower, I cut to the crown, which is usually above the water. For iris, just above the waterline (just above the rhizome). The floaters I pitch into the compost pile and any tropicals I think I can overwinter, they get taken down before any frost. I just took down my one tropical waterlily where it'll reside in a heated aquarium in the basement.

In general, there are those two schools of thought; in fall, or in spring. I find that any dead vegetation can then rot and promote fungus, so I remove in the fall, for most plants, be they in my garden or in the pond beds/bog.

Thank you so much for the detailed reply. I agree with you that I don’t want the dead material rotting in the tank so I rather be proactive about it. I will leave the horsetail plant alone. I did not know about the water ruining it!

 

[addy1]

Zone 8 most likely your plants will keep living over winter. I would not cut them back unless they start dying.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

For plants like horsetail, I don't cut back at all because if water gets in the tube, it can rot the plant.

Interesting.... I have a small area of horsetail rush & I cut it back completely every Spring. I do cut above the waterline, but I've never had a problem with it suffering in any noticeable way. Maybe I've been lucky? Maybe that's what has kept it in check for the past several years? Who knows. I'd ask the plant, but he's not talking...