The Nature-Friendly Garden by Marlene A. Condon

Author:Marlene A. Condon [Condon, Marlene A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: GAR022000 GARDENING / Techniques
ISBN: 9780811749107
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Published: 2013-05-16T00:00:00+00:00

The growth of algae in your pond in spring is normal. It is nature’s way of providing food for the many young amphibians that will be born.

Keeping Water from Freezing

Whether you have a birdbath or a pond, it is a good idea to heat the water during freezing weather so wildlife has access to this vital liquid year-round.

The easiest way to keep water in a birdbath unfrozen is to buy one that has a heater in the base. Submersible deicers are also available; these heating elements are placed into the birdbath. In order to use a heated birdbath or a deicing unit, your birdbath must be located near an electrical outlet where it can be plugged in. The outlet should be grounded, preferably on a ground-fault circuit interrupter for safety.

Unless you are vigilant about keeping the water from freezing, you should probably empty a concrete birdbath and store it for the winter, because concrete can crack. Make sure that it is completely dry before storing it. You can either store the birdbath indoors or leave it covered outside. If you choose to do the latter, place the dish leaning on the side of the pedestal and cover both parts with a large plastic trash bag. Weigh down the edges of the bag with bricks or rocks so that it will not blow away.

Small artificial ponds can also employ deicers. If your pond is not located near the house and an appropriate outlet, hire a licensed electrician to bring a wire from your circuit box to the vicinity of the pond where an outlet can be installed.

For preformed artificial ponds, a 250-watt or smaller heating element will do just fine. Ignore the information on the box that says that the heater is made for containers up to twenty-five gallons in size (your pond is much larger than this). The manufacturer is assuming that you want a heater capable of keeping that entire volume of water unfrozen, but your goal is different. You need to maintain only a small opening of liquid water in your pond. This opening will prevent carbon dioxide and methane (which result from metabolic processes and decomposition) from building up. Otherwise, these gases could asphyxiate wildlife living in the pond. The opening in the ice will introduce oxygen into the water, in addition to allowing land-dwelling animals to get a drink.

You should not use a large heating element that will warm the water in the entire pond. Cold water is necessary for animals (including fish) to either hibernate or enter a state of torpor (slowed metabolism). Animals that remain active would require food that is not readily available during the winter.

I place my heating element on a brick that I put on an underwater shelf at the edge of my pond. This positions the heater just a few inches under the surface of the water to keep it warmer than the freezing air above. Be sure that the deicer is thermostatically controlled (to keep the water temperature in the 35- to 45-degree range).

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