Spring cleanup- The Pond

For those who have ponds it is the yearly big filter clean in the biofall- the mats and rocks in the waterfall tub.

It is a big job for us and I had my daughter, Carolyn, helping me with this gooey chore.

We scooped out floating algae, brushed off the boulders in the pond, cleaned the mats in the biofall and skimmer and added some fresh water to even out the pH.

I had a fish die off one year in spring due to a pH spike so I am now careful to do the pond clean-up before the heat of the late spring sets in.

As you can see the pond is large and full of plants so I usually thin out the plants in the pond a bit too. This allows flow to the pond skimmer and gives room for our waterlilies. My favorite!

Don't forget to add the good bacteria back in with Aquaclearer or Mircrobiotics so that the rocks and mats will be replenished with these helpers.

Enjoy the cool water and say hi to the fish for me!

Spring Garden Reminders

Wow- spring has sprung!

A few tips for garden tasks in the early spring:

*spray fruit trees with dormant oil spray just as the flowers buds are about to open.

*Apply snail bait often- they're herrrrrrrrre! Use "Sluggo" for gardens with pets and wildlife.

*Trim back subtropicals to keep them from getting leggy i.e. fuchsias, abutilon, bougainvillea,
hibiscus, angels trumpet etc....

*Pull weeds just after the rain- they come out with root and all when the soil is wet.

*Fertilize plants and add iron chelate for yellowing plants so that the spring rains will wash it in.

*Prune tips of Crape Myrtles and old flower heads (seed pods) for better flowering and a fuller tree.

Enjoy the garden- it is a great time of year and so much fun!