Planning a bog filter / water garden

[csdude55]

I'm getting close to being able to start the bog! I hope to have it "live" by the end of September.

I understand that the plants are what does the filtering, right? But, how about during the winter, when they're all dormant? Do you have winter plants, or do the dormant roots / bulbs still filter?

I'm in zone 7A, and I usually spread out kale around my gardens during the winter to keep them from looking too dead. I have a handful of shrubs and evergreens, too, but nothing that's really transferable to a bog.

 

[addy1]

I understand that the plants are what does the filtering, right? But, how about during the winter, when they're all dormant? Do you have winter plants, or do the dormant roots / bulbs still filter?

The plants and the pea gravel they work together. I turn all off for the winter, my pump is external, my bog is huge, the bog cools the pond water too much if kept running. Some on here keep it running all winter. I prefer pond down time.

My plants all die back, they start growing, dependent on the winter, in Feb or March. I turn on the bog in March/April depending on the winter, i.e. cold or warm winter.

 

[csdude55]

My pond is only about 1,000 gallons, and has a bunch of fish. I've always kept the filter running so that the movement keeps the surface from freezing up, and I'm only guessing that it keeps the water oxygenated for the fish.

Knowing that, do you still think I should turn it all off? If so, what outdoor temperature should I wait for before turning it off?

 

[Mmathis]

Turning things off for the winter depends mostly on where you live and what happens to your pond during the colder months. I live in zone 8 a/b. I keep everything going. We rarely have temps low enough, that stay low enough for things to freeze. Even if we do have a day or 2 of below freezing temps, it’s not enough to “freeze” the pond over. The most ice I’ve ever seen on my pond was one winter where water around the falls had crusted on a few rocks. It was melted by mid-day. Never had a problem with the bog plants.

 

[mrsclem]

I keep mine running until I start to get an ice buildup on the pond. Last year that didn't happen so kept most of it running.

 

[addy1]

Knowing that, do you still think I should turn it all off? If so, what outdoor temperature should I wait for before turning it off?

I turn mine off when we start dropping into the 40's and lower. We have had up to 18 inches of ice on the pond, during a cold winter. We have not had a real cold winter in a bit. But I still turn it off. Power out, external pump, pump killed it would freeze up.

 

[csdude55]

I might have spoken too soon... I went to get everything today, and the total's gonna be about $500! I had only budgeted $200 :-( With the pandemic affecting my income and no end in sight, I'm afraid this might have to be a 2021 project instead :-(