Hinds Water Gardens
Open to the public May to Oct (Simcoe Ont.)Contact Us
WE WILL BE OFFERING
Water lilies, Lotus, Bog Plants and Marginal plants to the puplic in the Spring of 2005
Pond Planing--Useful Links-- KOI--Winterizing Your Pond --Fish Health--Lily Care
Water lilies colorful blooms floating on shimmering water evokes a sense of awe in the beholder.
Lilies are hardy (perennials) and tropical (annuals) and exhibit colors that span a spectrum from white to yellows, pinks, reds, blues, lavenders and deep purples. Their beguiling fragrance conjures up memories of secret gardens and childhood pleasures. The combining of day and night blooming lilies provide a glimpse in the morning and hours of pleasure in the evening to enjoy your aquatic oasis.
The lotus inspires spiritual reverence and harmony in cultures throughout the world. Its unique blooms are like no other plant in nature. Lotuses thrive in a warm, sunny location. They may grow to 3 feet or stand at a majestic height of over six feet. For centuries the tuber has been a food source and the pods dried, and used as ornamentation. Their color ranges from white to yellow, pink, and crimson.
Victoria
The giant water platter Victoria has captured the imagination of the world from the very first glimpse of it in its wild South American home in l801. Named for Queen Victoria, it was nearly 50 years later that it was first brought to bloom in “captivity" in England, inspiring a wave of enthusiasm for its size and the beauty of its flowers.
There are two species in the magnificent genus Victoria. "V amazonica", once called "V regia", grows in quiet pools and inlets of the mighty Amazon River. "V cruziana", sometimes formerly called "V trickeri", inhabits cooler climates of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
All Victorias are night blooming, scenting the afternoon and evening air with their pineapple fragrance in anticipation of the first night flower, huge and white.
History of the Vicorian Lilly
Plants are one of the most important features of the pond. Not only do they enhance the beauty of your pond with lush foliage and colourful flowers, they improve water quality and provide shelter for fish and other aquatic creatures.
Yellow Iris, Water Hyacinth, White Arrow Arum, add wonderful colour and interest to any water Garden.
A Breif History of Water Gardening
Contact Us
Please drop by At:
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International Waterlily
Useful Links
( Use Your BACK BUTTON to return )
and Water Gardening Society Home Page
The definitive association for those passionate about water gardening.
Ontario Water Gardening Society
Water gardening society for Ontario gardeners, based in Toronto.
Canadian Gardening Magazine
A great Canadian magazine with lots of information for gardeners.
ICanGarden
Extensive reference site for Canadian gardeners.
Butchart
Gardens
One of the great gardens of the world, near Victoria B.C.
Garden Guides
Lots of Gardening links!
Planing Your Pond
Before you start to dig, there are some important things to consider about where you are going to put your pond, what shape and size to make it and the liner you should use.
Choosing a site
First, make sure you don't have your pond in the lowest area of the garden; runoff from lawn pesticides, driveway salt and garden fertilizers can pollute your pond. Try to put your pond where it will get as much sunlight as possible, less than 6 hours of full sun severely limits bloom production on most aquatic plants. An area that is already marshy (from a high water table) is not usually the best place to put a liner pond. The water tends to come up under the liner, creating a bulge in the middle of the liner.
Try to avoid areas with lots of trees. Trees are a problem for three reasons. First, because they shade the pond, remember most aquatic plants need AT LEAST 6 hours of full sunlight to bloom. Secondly, trees mean that there will be a lot of roots to dig through and, depending on the quality of the liner you choose, they can also damage your liner in the future. The last (and most important) reason to avoid trees is autumn, or more appropriately FALL... the leaves will mean endless cleanup as they fall from the trees, try to get as far away from them as possible. If the leaves are left in the pond all winter, your water in spring will look brown, and the rotting leaves can cause major algae problems. They also may cause fish kill over the winter.
Shape and Size
In choosing pond size, remember that smaller does NOT equal easier, in fact, the larger the pond, the easier it is to achieve a natural balance and the less algae problems usually occur. Try to plan a simple shape, a kidney shape is popular, and gives a natural look. Avoid narrow sections and bays, the water will not cirulate well and may cause problems.
Examining the site
Lay out the shape you have chosen with a garden hose, then look at it from different angles. Don't forget to check the kitchen/livingroom window. Sometimes moving the pond over by two feet can make the difference to the view from inside the house and it is a lot easier to move the pond BEFORE you dig it! This is a good time to watch and see if you will get enough sunlight. Try to think about what might reflect in the pond... if you have a large mirror, lie it in the hose outline and have a look.
Depth
Two feet deep is the MINIMUM recommended depth, ponds less than 18" deep= algae problems. For our climate (Canadian zone 5, USDA zone 4) 2 1/2 to 3 feet is needed if you plan to overwinter fish and waterlilies in the pond. Check with your municipality and insurance company to see if there is a depth over which you need a fence. The depth of the marginal shelf should be nine inches.
Type of Pond
The advice we have given here is aimed at installing a liner pond but most is also applicable to a concrete or rigid preformed pond. If you install a concrete pond, make sure you seal it and then treat it to neutralize the alkalinity from the concrete. Preformed ponds (sometimes called molded ponds) tend to be more expensive than putting in a liner pond, and are seldom deep enough. Preformed ponds are also difficult to install, you must make sure that the shape of the hole you dig EXACTLY matches the shape of the pond or it will shift and you will have to reinstall it.
When choosing a liner, take a close look at the warranty period, it gives you a good idea of how long the liner will last. The two most popular liners are PVC (vinyl) and EPDM (synthetic rubber). There are major environmental concerns in Europe about PVC as it is the only type of plastic that can not be recycled and causes problems in landfills. PVC has a 5 to 10 year life span and tends to be more expensive than the same thickness of EPDM rubber liner that comes with a 10 to 20 year warranty. We recommend EPDM fish-safe rubber liner... don't confuse this with roofing EPDM, fish-safe liner is made with virgin material, roofing rubber contains heavy metals and will kill your fish and stunt your plants. EPDM rubber is always flexible, even in cold weather, is easily patched but is very hard to puncture since it very strong.
Choosing the correct material for building your pond is probably the most important decision you will make for your pond. Just imagine having to take out an old liner to replace it when the pond is mature with blooming plants and pet fish which have to be safeguarded while you repeat the whole original installation process!
Winterizing your pond
Plants
Stop fertilizing plants several weeks before the weather turns chilly in the fall. This way they consume the fertilizer and leave little nutrients for algae to form after the plants go dormant.
Lets start with the plants in your pond. Plants are the number one factor creating decay in your pond and must be dealt with before or right after the first frost. Remove all foliage from aquatic plants. Water lily leaves and blooms should be snipped at the container level and discarded. The containers then placed in the deepest section of the pond. You may find wearing pond gloves will help to protect your hands and arms from the cold and keep them dry.
Clip marginal plants 2 inches above the water line. You may want to winterize these plants last, in case the weather suddenly warms and causes them to grow. This will eliminate the need to cut them again.
Remove surface plants and discard. Most are tropical in nature and will not make it through the winter months. Submerged or oxygenating plants can survive under certain conditions. Usually the deeper your pond the more likely they will survive.
Remove fallen leaves and debris thoroughly from the pond. A skim net will help. Leaving this debris in your pond will foul it and create more work for you in the spring.
Koi and Goldfish Feeding
Koi and Goldfish are cold weather fish, their metabolism will slow as the water gets colder, making them inactive. With air and water temperatures dropping day by day it is time to greatly reduce the amount of food you are feeding your fish.
When the water temperature falls below 65 degrees, you should consider switching your fish food to a more digestible wheat germ food. At lower temperatures, the good bacteria in your fish's digestive tract become less active, and have a harder time digesting their normal high-protein diet.
As the water temperature dips below 50 degrees, you should stop feeding your fish altogether. Don't be tempted to feed them again as the temperature fluctuates, even though they may eat, and seem hungry, you can actually harm them by feeding them their regular diet.
Undigested food can cause health problems in fish. When fed high-protein diets in cool water, the excess protein is excreted as ammonia, and the fish can get sick and die from the high levels of ammonia.
Equipment
Disconnect and thoroughly clean all the equipment in your pond. The pump, filter systems and UV sterilizers. Let them air dry before storing in your shed or garage.
Some people like to keep their pumps and waterfalls running all through the winter, but if you have fish, do not leave the pump running. It will disturb the warmer water at the bottom of the pond making it colder and could kill your hibernating fish.
De-icing
Winter pond temperatures can remain very cold for months in our climate.
If you live in an area where the pond will be covered over by ice, then it may be necessary to install a pond de-icer.
A pond de-icer will keep an open hole in a frozen pond allowing trapped gases to escape, Without this opening the fish and decaying plant material will consume all the available oxygen and your fish will suffocate and die. This is commonly known as "winter kill" The best defense is a thermostatically controlled pond de-icer that automatically turns on and off as the temperature fluctuates, protecting your investment.
Air bubblers can be used to keep small areas ice free, but do not allow them to mix the lower layer of warmer water with the colder top layers. Bubblers cost less to run than de-icers but do not work when the air temperature drops below the teens for long periods of time. De-icers are not meant to warm the pond but to keep a small area free from ice cover.
If the pond freezes over use hot water pots to melt a larger hole. Never break the ice by pounding a hole, you could kill your fish.
TIP! Build a small wooden frame to float on the pond and place the De-Icer inside as above Photo. This will help to keep the De-Icer from sinking while keeping open only the water within the frame, therefore using less energy but providing enough open water to keep your pond safe
Taking care of your Koi
Before you buy
Before you buy any fish you must prepare a good stress free place to keep them.
Overcrowding can lead to future water quality and disease problems, so you must prepare a place large enough to accommodate the fish. A long term stocking rate of 70 to 120 total inches of fish per 1,000 gallons of water is recommended. Jumbo koi over 24 inches need at least 500 gallons per fish. This will give the fish room to settle in and grow. When ponds become overcrowded at about 5 inches per 10 gallons the fish will stop growing and deformities may appear.
Water quality is the most important variable in fish health management. Poor water quality leads to disease or direct mortality. Chemical test kits should be purchased to monitor the following parameters.
Chlorine
Chlorine is present in most city water supplies. A concentration of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) will kill fish. Chlorine can be removed from water with aeration, chemical filtration through activated carbon, or by the addition of chemicals such as sodium thiosulfa.
pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with pH of 7.0 being the neutral point. A pH less than 7.0 is acidic, and pH of more than 7.0 is basic. The further pH departs from 7.0, the more acidic or basic it becomes. Fish feel comfortable between pH 6.5 and 8.5. Some growers believe that a lower pH causes brighter color in koi and goldfish. The pH of water can be altered in many ways. A complete water quality evaluation is necessary before a recommendation can be made.
Temperature between 33° F and 85° F is easily tolerated by koi and goldfish. The key to stress management is to avoid large or frequent fluctuations. In ground pools or tanks incur less fluctuation than those built above ground. Ponds should have some area greater than 3 feet deep to avoid freezing in winter and heating in summer. Overheating can also be controlled through shading with vegetation or shade cloth.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a toxic byproduct of fish, which must be controlled. High stocking and feeding rates increase ammonia production. An ammonia concentration of zero is optimum. Levels up to 1.0 ppm are stressful, and higher levels can cause death. Ammonia is more toxic when pH is high. Aeration will not remove ammonia. Biofiltration is the best way to remove it. Flushing with ammonia free water is another option, but this changes other water quality parameters. Filtration through zeolite ore will also remove ammonia.
Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen is essential to the health of your fish and biofilter. Concentrations of less than 2 ppm D.O. are stressful, and lower levels are lethal. The amount of oxygen in air is constant, while dissolved oxygen levels in water fluctuate. Exchange of oxygen between air and water occurs at their interface. If high densities of fish, plants, or bacteria are consuming more oxygen than is being exchanged at this interface, then supplemental aeration is necessary. This is achieved by either stirring the water, pumping water into the air, or pumping air into the water.
Alkalinity
Total alkalinity is a measure of the amount of carbonates in water. Fish find water with low alkalinity (less than 20 ppm) to be stressful. Water with higher alkalinity has a higher buffering capacity or the ability to prevent large changes in pH. The alkalinity and hardness of water can be increased simultaneously by adding lime (either magnesium or calcium carbonate).
Hardness is a measure of the amount of magnesium and calcium in water. The hardness concentration in ppm should be the same as the concentration of total alkalinity. If they are not the same it will adversely effect the pH. To raise just hardness add calcium chloride. Adding 210g of calcium chloride to 1000 gallons of water will raise the hardness 50 ppm. To raise just the alkalinity add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Adding 318g of sodium bicarbonate to 1000 gallons of water will raise the alkalinity by 50 ppm.
Salinity
Salinity is a measure of the amount of salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) in water. Salt relieves stress on koi and goldfish. It also helps prevent disease. We highly recommend that new koi and goldfish are kept in water containing 3 pounds of salt per 100 gallons. Once the new koi are established the salt concentration can be reduced to a concentration of 200-500 ppm salinity. This concentration can be achieved by adding 2-4 pounds of salt per 1,000 gallons of fresh water. Be sure to use uniodized salt. Salt is cheap, and it has great medicinal effects.
Filtration
Biofiltration should be incorporated into koi and goldfish culture systems. Basically, biofiltration is the process whereby a colony of nitrifying bacteria converts toxic ammonia into nitrite and nontoxic nitrate. Biofilters can be purchased or constructed. They provide a high surface area media such as lava rock, bioballs, brushes, etc. to which millions of nitrifying bacteria can attach. Water is constantly pumped through the biofilter media which supplies the bacterial colony with oxygen and food (ammonia and nitrite).
The rate of flow through the biofilter should be one to two times the volume of the pond or tank per hour. Nitrifying bacteria will naturally inhabit a filter when ammonia is present. For faster colonization bottled bacteria or filter media from an existing biofilter can be introduced as seed. Feeding and stocking rates should be limited until the biofilter is able to handle higher rates of ammonia production.
The effectiveness of a biofilter can be checked by monitoring ammonia and nitrite levels. A healthy biofilter will keep your fish healthy and your water clear so that you can enjoy them.
When you receive your fish
Acclimating fish slowly into their new home is important and will avoid stress. Understand that fish can tolerate a change, but not a fast change. Rapid changes in temperature, pH, or other water chemistry may shock the fish leading to future problems or even death. You must realize that receiving water is very different than the shipping water. Therefore, an effort should be made to slowly change or acclimate your new fish into their new home. We recommend that you spend at least one half hour as follows.
First, float the unopened plastic bag in the receiving water until the temperature feels equal.
Second, open the plastic bag. If available you should bubble an airstone in with the fish to prevent oxygen depletion. If air is not available watch for the fish gulping for air. The acclimation procedure will have to be rushed if low oxygen stress occurs.
Third, begin adding about one cup of the receiving water every five minutes. Increase the amount of water added as the procedure progresses. After the volume in the shipping bag has at least tripled they should be sufficiently adjusted.
Fourth, take your new fish out, and place them into their new home.
Fifth, discard the water in the shipping bags. Do not pour it into your pond. It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to slowly acclimate you new fish. Take a little extra time to start your new fish off right in their new stress free home.
Sixth, Cover the fish or tank or pond to prevent your new fish from jumping out. When Koi encounter new water they tend to jump for a day or two.
Management of Koi and Goldfish
Feeding - All fish are cold blooded animals, meaning that their body temperature stays the same as the water temperature. Thus, a fish's appetite and digestion varies with the water temperature. When the temperature is less than 50° F don't feed. As temperature warms from 50° F to 85° F the daily feeding rate increases from 1% to 3% of the body weight. High feeding rates lead to faster fish growth. Lower feeding rates slow growth, but also produce more intense coloration. Many koi foods contain color enhancers such as spirulina algae and carotenoid pigments. If they are fed for several weeks they will improve the beauty of your fish. Make sure that the feed you buy is fresh. Time and heat will degrade ingredients such as vitamin C which may cause scoliosis (broken back syndrome). Refrigerate or freeze your feed if it will not be used within two months to keep it fresh.
Maintain good water quality as outlined earlier to keep your fish free from stress.
Ammonia and nitrite levels will rise after the stocking and feeding rates are increased. Colonization of your biofilter with nitrifying bacteria should follow. Limit feeding until the biofilter can handle ammonia and nitrite production. Use chemical test kits periodically to monitor water quality. Clean mechanical filters and remove sludge from pond bottom to prevent organic build up. Remember that your fish don't like changes.
Health Management - Koi and goldfish have been bred over the years primarily for their ornamental qualities. Consequently, much of their natural resistance to disease has been lost. It is a fact that high quality koi and goldfish are more susceptible to disease than those of poor quality. A successful fish keeper must understand that fish, like people, sometimes get sick.
Fortunately, we live in a time where modern chemicals and drugs can cure almost anything. Most fish diseases fall into two categories, parasite or bacteria. The fish culturist must observe subtle changes, which may signal the beginning of future disease problems. Once the problem has been diagnosed an aggressive treatment should follow. Some diseases develop very rapidly. A complacent attitude is sure to fail. Be cautious of the dealer who "has no problems." The dealer should know more about his fish than anyone. His willingness to share that experience will help you learn and succeed as a fish keeper.
POTTING NEW LILY TUBERS
Remove any damaged or dead leaves and any soft or rotten portions of the tuber. Sections of the tuber with no active growth can be trimmed back. Trim off the white anchoring roots and open leaves.
For potting material, you can use pea gravel,aquatic potting soil or heavy garden soil. Use no-hole Round pots or mesh baskets. When
using fine soil in mesh baskets you will need to line them with News paper. Do not use amended soil or potting soils as they will float.
We use rinsed pea gravel as it allows more air space and is less likely to dirty the pond water.
If you are using granular fertilizer when transplanting, blend it into your media before potting. Fill the pot three-quarters full of dampened potting material. Place the cut edge of the tuber against the side wall of the container. Tilt the rootstock at a 45 degree angle so that the growing tip is above the anticipated soil level and near the center of the pot.
Carefully add more potting material around the tuber to secure it in place, taking care not to bury the growing tip. If you did not use
transplanting fertilizer, place one time-release Pond-Tab fertilizer pellet into the potting material on each side of the tuber.
If you are using garden soil, add a shallow layer of river or decorative rock on the surface to keep the soil in place. If you have large Koi, river rocks will help protect the tuber from being disturbed. Again, however, do not bury the growing tip.
Once you have potted your water lily, place it in an area of the pond that receives full sunlight.Carefully tilt the pot and slowly lower it into the pond. This allows the air bubbles within
the pot to escape without dislodging the tuber.
Placing a medium size rock on top of the tuber (do not cover growing tip) will also secure it in place temporarily. Remove the rock in a few weeks when the tuber is well-rooted.
Start young plants near the water surface, allowing only 6-10 inches of water over the crown. Lower them gradually as leaf stems
lengthen. Keep a majority of the foliage at the surface when determining the depth of placement.
Newly planted lily tubers may not flower for 6-8 weeks as they slowly develops roots. Flowering will also depend on the amount of sunlight and warmth received. In successive seasons blooms will become larger and more plentiful.
FERTILIZING YOUR LILIES
Water lilies are exceptionally heavy feeders. Fertilize monthly with POND-Tab tablets during the spring and summer months. Or use
the new Aquatic-Tab Spikes once in the spring to gradually release nutrients for the full season. Yellow leaves, infrequent blooms or
slow growth usually indicate inadequate fertilization.
TRANSPLANTING MATURE WATER LILIES
Mature water lilies like to be somewhat crowded in their pots. However, if your lily has grown out over the side of its container and has roots dangling in the water, it is time to move it up one pot size. Use wide shallow water round plant containers, which have no holes, or European mesh baskets (these Should be lined with news paper to keep the soil from leaching out).
Lilies can be transplanted any time they are actively growing. Carefully remove the lily from the pot. The less you disturb the root-mass,the more quickly your lily will re-establish in the new container. Trim away any damaged or dead leaves. Use a knife to cut away any soft or rotted portions of the tuber. Sections of the tuber with no new growth can also be trimmed off.
Place the lily in a new container. If the new pot is deeper, add potting material under the lily to raise it to its original planting
level. Continue filling in around the lily taking care not to bury the growing tip. For potting material selection and fertilizer instructions, see "Potting New Lily Tubers"
PROPAGATION & DIVISION OF TUBERS
Water lilies can be expensive to buy. If you have a mature specimen that is starting to out grow the pot, you may wish to propagate new plants from the old rootstock. Spring is the best time to divide lilies, as this gives the new plants plenty of time to establish themselves.
Propagation of the "Eyes"
Carefully remove the lily from the pot. Wash away the potting material from the tuber so that you can see it clearly. Some lilies produce small protruding bulbs or "eyes" with new growing tips along the body of the tuber. If your lily has developed eyes, these can be pulled or cut off and placed in small, no-hole pots or trays to grow and develop.
They will need adequate light and warmth, so a greenhouse is the best place to grow the eyes until they are large enough to transplant as tubers. Otherwise you can leave them attached to the tuber to mature naturally and divide the main tuber as follows.
Division of the Tuber
Large lily tubers with multiple growing tips can be divided into sections. Each section must have both a strong growing tip and slender
dark feeding roots. Wear gloves when handling lily roots, as some species can stain your hands. Using a sharp knife, cut the tuber into
sections. Remove the long white anchor roots from the new divisions, making a clean cut close to the tuber. Leave the smaller feeding
roots intact.
Trim away all large open leaves in the same manner. If left on they will make the newly planted tuber too buoyant. Do leave attached
young foliage which has not yet unfurled.Follow this procedure on each new section. Now you are ready to pot the divided tubers.
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