My pond runs all winter, zone 2/3

[callingcolleen1]

No ice on ponds yet up here out west yet, weather has been unseasonably mild so I have been outside working on my Christmas lights.

Fish are down at the deepest level of the ponds and moving much slower these days. Water remains crystal clear as always.

 

[Gordo33]

In the stream you may want to cut it back so the long stems don't fall all over and block the flow of water. .

Thanks, I trimmed back one of the yellow flag that was in the upper stream next to the waterfall. The way they have multiplied the last couple years is amazing. I'm going to have a lot to give away or end up tossing them in mulch pile next fall.

The yellow flag you have floating in your pond do they eventually anchor from the weight of the roots or are they constantly moving around your pond.? Do you trim down the roots as part of their maintance? I may try floating some next spring

 

[Gordo33]

My aracharnis and parrots feather both are in shallow ponds, one only a foot deep, they freeze solid the plants come back fine

Thanks for the input. Do you cut back the parrots feather for the winter? It's been a warm fall and although the have shrunk down over the past month they still look hardy.

 

[addy1]

No I ignore them, they look dead then come back. (Parrots feather) In the spring I might pull out some if there is to much in the pond.
The aracharnis I ignore, it grows great, I do grab hunks and toss it from one pond to another.

 

[callingcolleen1]

The big yellow flag that I have just floats and bobs up and down if you pull on it. It's a really large mass and it seams to just stay put on the one side of pond. I think some roots are anchored somewhere but I can still push it around. Never blows over no matter how big the wind is cause the base roots go down to bottom of that pond. Fish still swim under roots and completely disappear under that plant all winter.

To float a piece , you have to anchor at first to side of pond till it gets big

 

[callingcolleen1]

Last night was cold, at minus 10 Celsius. (About 14 Fahrenheit ) ice has began to grow along the outskirts of one exposed water way from top pond..
Under the plastic dome all appears fine so far.

 

[MitchM]

Colleen, I'm convinced you live in the banana belt of Alberta.
I have snow piling up on my pond now.

Your pond looks great, btw.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Thanks Mitch. The weather has been mild for November and the ground is still not froze so that makes a huge difference.

Speaking of bananas, I let the banana plants freeze back and trimmed them down. The one was froze harder than the other before I moved it into greenhouse. I don't want to lose those big babies cause I paid good money for them. We shall see if the other grows back come spring. They are on my greenhouse now.

 

[MitchM]

The gas company just buried a gas line for our neighbours and said that frost was 6 inches deep here already.

 

[sissy]

you can trim them down even farther if you keep the greenhouse warm enough .As long as the roots stay warm they will grow back .You may have to repot them in a bigger pot and if you do use sand in with the soil .They like moist roots but not wet roots

 

[callingcolleen1]

I was afraid to cut them back too much. The one banana two new leafs now, that one was put into greenhouse sooner and escaped the hard frost. Will repot for sure in spring for sure. Thanks for the tips Sissy.

Mitch the ground is still not froze here and I can still push spikes easy into ground. Next week we will have colder weather so I think ground will freeze then. It is indeed strange to not have ground froze by now.

Currently 36 degrees and should get to high of 41 degrees today. (Plus 5 Celsius)
NeXT Wednesday low of Minus 20 Celsius (-1 Fahrenheit )

 

[callingcolleen1]

Ice growing along top waterfall

Two oldest Koi still alive and doing well, been in pond outside since 1991!

Aquatic Mint has frozen bits now.

View attachment 87880

 

[callingcolleen1]

Winter is here and the temporary cold frame I set up on lower ponds a complete flop. Snow weighted it down and now partly stuck in ice. Should have used better stronger stuff. Taking it down cause I much perfer the natural ice cover.

Finally just got floating heater in too.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I'm back and actually got this dumb computer sorted out since I upgraded to windows ten. What a nightmare it was and still not sure exactly how I did it, ha ha ha

 

[callingcolleen1]

I should mention that it was pretty darn cold Christmas eve, coldest it has been all winter, down to minus 21 Celsius, but not really that cold compared to what I usually get by now, which would be down to about minus 40 by now. Really has been a mild winter. I might have to get another red 1500 watt heater if it gets down to minus 40 below zero cause since I made the pond bigger I noticed this heater having hard time keeping holes open at minus 20 now. However, under what is left of the plastic cold frame, I see there is no ice and open water!!!