Utilizing the colder months to tidy up around the pond will help set you up for year-round success!
If you have or are considering an aeration system be sure to keep it running to prevent the pond from fully freezing over. If you turn the pump off for any amount of time the water could freeze around the unit and damage the machine. By having an open section in the ice, you are also preventing natural gasses from being trapped under the ice. Trapped gasses can lead to a winter fish kill.
When temperatures are more favorable, you will also want to start introducing high doses of pond bacteria. The bacteria remains quite active as long as the water temperatures are 50℉ and above. Adding a high dose of bacteria in the off-season will help break down more of the dead vegetation from this past summer.
Colder months can be a great time to for general cleanup! This can look like brush and dead vegetation removal around the pond and cleaning equipment.
