With an understanding of how to design ponds for winter and why winterization is important, you’re ready to undertake the process. This checklist will guide you through the basic steps most pond owners should follow each fall and winter. You may be able to skip a few of them or may need to add some other chores to your routine. Modify this checklist as needed and save it somewhere readily accessible the next time fall rolls around.
Clean the Pond
Start off in the fall by cleaning the pond as thoroughly as you can. Drain some of the water out to expose the shelf or ledge and give it a scrub; along with any large rocks along the banks. Clean out water features, like waterfalls, so they are running smoothly before being shut down for the year. Do any necessary dredging at this point, so there’s as little waste as possible interfering with water quality over the winter.
Control Leaves and Prepare Plants
Plants that have grown too exuberantly over the summer need pruning so they will survive the winter. Remove any tropical plants while temperatures are still warm and leave the hardy ones in place. Trim up floating and submerged plants that are growing through the surface so that ice doesn’t damage them. As fall progresses, skim leaves out weekly or install a net to catch them.
Shut Down Pumps and Install De-Icers
Once freezing temperatures are likely to begin within the next few weeks, drain all the essential equipment like pumps, aerators, and filtration systems. Drain the pond’s water slightly to just below the inlets and outlets of these fixtures to ensure that water can’t flow back into them and freeze them. Clean any filters before shutting down the equipment for the year. Go ahead and get the deicers in place well ahead of the first frost so you don’t have to scramble when the forecast suddenly changes.
Drain Water Features
Water features, like waterfalls and fountains, can often stay on a little longer than other equipment. Eventually, they should be drained and shut off as well. Make sure to remove any pipes and nozzles that protrude through the water’s surface, since that’s where ice is likely to form. Concrete water features will become damaged if they freeze solid, and even mild climates can occasionally dip low enough to freeze moving water solid. Don’t rely on having the waterfall or fountain running to keep it from freezing.
Add Any Covers
If you want to keep the pond covered over the winter to control late leaf fall or keep predators out, make sure to secure it before the first snowfall. Trying to hammer stakes or anchors into the ground around a wet muddy pond is hard enough but it is even harder when the ground is frozen. Net covers, used for leaf collection, can stay in place the entire winter as long as they let plenty of air circulate over the water’s surface.
Check Weekly or More Often
Finally, keep returning to the pond at least once a week as the winter progresses. Make sure the de-icing equipment is working properly and that nothing is overheating or making contact with the liner. Check on any submersible pumps or aerators you have running, since they can easily freeze up if they shift out of the original placement. If you have valuable fish in the pond, consider checking it daily to ensure there’s no ice cap or other issues that could rapidly harm them.
