Since the temperatures in Arizona typically don’t come close to freezing during the winter season, you may be asking yourself, “Do I need to winterize my pond?” The answer is yes. Even in a warmer climate, learning how to winterize a pond is essential to avoid damaging it and potentially killing plant and animal life that dwells within it.
While completely draining the pond isn’t necessary, there are some cold-water pond prep steps you need to take before winter arrives. Here’s a look.
Install netting
As temperatures drop and leaves start to fall, you need to do your best to keep them out of your pond. Most pond owners install netting over the pond to prevent leaves and debris from building up. After all leaves have fallen, roll up the net, and put it away until next year.
Remove debris
When it comes to learning how to winterize a pond, cleaning and removing debris is an essential step. If you choose not to install netting, you’ll likely have plenty of leaves and debris built up in your pond. Use a long-handled pond net to clean the debris from the bottom of the pond. This is an essential step to take, since any leftover landscaping material at the bottom of the pond will decay over the winter and cause an even bigger problem when spring arrives.
Prune pond plants
Before cold weather arrives, pull all pond plants out of the water, and give them a careful trim. It’s best to remove all foliage down to the plant’s base. The idea here is the same as removing leaves and debris from the pond—all excess foliage must be removed to prevent decomposition. If you fail to take this step, the decomposing plant material creates toxic gas buildup in the water, harming the health of your fish.
Add cold-water bacteria
There are special cold-water bacteria that aid in the breakdown of fish waste and debris. Talk to your pond maintenance professionals, and determine what blend of bacteria is best for your garden pond. Choosing the right cold-water bacteria not only keeps the water cleaner throughout the winter, but it also prevents toxic gas buildup from harming the plant and animal life in the pond.
Turn off the pump
If your garden pond has a pumping system (most do), shut down the pump, and clean the filter before winter arrives. Any other components that stick out of the surface of the water (like waterfall tubing or fountain attachments) should be removed at this time as well, keeping them from getting damaged if temperatures do reach the freezing point.
Add a heater
Keeping fish in your pond throughout the winter? It’s smart to invest in a floating pond heater or deicer to keep them comfortable regardless of the temperature outside.
Since you do need to winterize your pond, waste no time in getting the job done before winter truly arrives. Contact Arizona Pool & Pond Company today. We know what it takes to get your pond in shape for the upcoming winter.