The Prairieland Splash

Transcription

1 The Prairieland Splash Meeting Date: Saturday 14 July 2014 At 9:00 AM. Outback Water Gardens, From Peoria take Rt116 towards Germantown Hills, turn left at Fandel Road (Germantown Grade School), stay on Fandel road until you reach Santa Fe Trail, Proceed straight and enter the driveway to Outback, please plan on parking in the grass unless we receive a lot of rain. Well the 4th of July has come and gone so it must mean that the year is half over. The cool weather that we have had for the last several days have so been a welcomed relief, I know Cheryl and I have been able to complete several of our big projects that would Hope have taken to see longer you Saturday. if the weather had stayed hot and humid. As you know this months meeting will be held at Todd Outback Water Gardens, Jeanne, Shawn and David Owen will discuss their business and I understand they will be providing a 10% discount for items purchased by club members on Saturday. As you know I discussed the officer elections in last months letter and if you remember at that time I hadn t decide if I would seek re-election; so I have made the decision not to run again, while I really enjoy the meetings and helping make sure that the necessary work gets done, I find that between work, my requirements/duties with the village and family I have just run out of time to get everything done that I want to do. And on a sad note, one of our club members ( Kathy Wakeman ) passed away Monday morning after a long battle. Please keep Steve and Kathy s family in your thoughts and prayers.. Hope to see you Saturday. Prairieland Koi & Pond Society July 2014 Volume 18 Issue 6 TREASURER S REPORT Beginning Balance $ Income $ Expenses $ End Balance $ PKPS DUES Were due On 1 April Don t Forget to check the website;

2 Prairieland Koi & Pond Society June 14, 2014 Club President, Todd Bong, called the June 14, 2014, meeting to order at 10:00 am at the home of Don and Marianne Brubaker. About 35 members were present. Speakers Larry Zehr, club member and fish expert, reminded members that they probably lost fish this past winter because we failed to get out on the ice and shovel off the snow! Snow blocks the light from entering your pond, therefore no algae is allowed to survive. Without the algae, the fish can be starved. For show-and-tell, Larry showed us one of the Japanese trap door snails he purchased to eat his string algae. Sad to say, but these snails are no longer available to Illinois residents for purchase as they are a non-native species. Show-and-tell continued with pictures of several varieties of koi. Particularly desirable are those koi with large metallic, but fewer scales than the more common varieties. Larry recommends moving to a separate pond any fish eggs your fish may have laid. You may wish to treat the eggs with a broad spectrum disinfectant to treat and prevent fungus and various other diseases. He shared that his yard is home to a number of Eastern green tree frogs. They are blotchy gray like the bark of oak trees where they live. The orange on them is visible only when the frog stretches out. Thanks, Larry, for sharing your knowledge and love of fish. The duo of Vince Smith and Allen Kruger shared the work they have done on preparing a Trouble Shooting Section 4 addition to the PKPS Membership Handbook. But first, Vince gave us the commercial for the kneeling pad he relies on when working in his yard. It is actually sold as a hunter's seat pad for $6 at Menards. He also demonstrated the use of the rolling seat he also found to save from overtaxing his back while doing many projects in and around his home. He noted, These have nothing to do with Section 4, but I thought they were pretty cool and thought some other club members might like them as well. In Section 4, readers will learn how to determine the volume of their ponds as well as the size pump their pond needs. This section also helps one determine how to locate leaks in a pond. Vince gave the warning, If you put up a fence to keep your dog from falling through the ice in the winter, don't stick rebar through the pond liner. This is only asking for trouble. (He learned this one too late!) Thank you Vince and Allen for the time and effort you put into preparing the new addition to our membership guide and for sharing it at the meeting. Don and Marianne are longtime members of PKPS. At one time their backyard was home to a lovely fish pond. As they are currently doing more traveling, they preferred to convert their pond into a pondless system. Don discussed the process of converting their pond into a pondless system. They have a waterfall and a fountain where the pond once was. This still affords them the relaxing waterfall sounds and welcomes the birds to their yard without the maintenance of a fish pond. Thanks, Don and Marianne, for hosting the meeting. Club Business Lori Kruger reminded everyone the deadline for signing up for the August 2nd bus trip to Missouri Botanical Gardens was June 14. Only enough to fill half the bus had signed up. She has decided to open up the trip to the public or to rent 15-passenger vans to make the trip. Reminder: This year, on August 23, the LUAU will be hosted by the Swansons. Respectfully submitted, Karen Hofstetter

3 Club Meeting Dates 12July Outback Water Gardens 9 Aug Barclay s 13Sep ICC (Garden Day) 11 Oct Hess s Board Meeting Dates Date Location 27 July Cantrell 23 Aug Hoffstetter 27 Sep Cantrell 26 Oct Moreland Important Dates Bus Trip to St Louis Luau 23 Aug Banquet 8 Nov 2 Aug

4 Summer Time Pond Tips Remember to continue fertilizing your plant. Remove dead foliage. The leaves of plants will yellow and brown as they age. When this happens,it is best to cut them off. This reduces debris buildup in the pond, provides more room for new growth, and improves the appearance of the pond. Feed your fish well. Do not over-feed. Feed no more than the fish will eat in 5 minutes. Feed 1-3 times per day. Continue cleaning filter as needed, making sure not to over-clean. Continue use of bacterial products Enjoy! This is the time to sit back and enjoy the work you have put into your water garden.

5 LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP! Lets go for a ride to the St Louis Botanical Gardens Saturday 2 August 2014 $35 PER PERSON WILL COVER THE BUS AND ADMISSION TO THE GARDENS Will leave from Peoria Charter Coach Co. at 7:00AM Straight to St Louis and then depart for home at 3:00 PM = With a stop in Collinville at the Golden Coral for dinner =Yummy!!! Need your reservation by 14 June 2014 Any questions please contact Lori Kuger Please feel free to bring a friend MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO LORI KRUGER 606 N. HAMILTON ST LINCOLN, IL 62656

6 Prairieland Koi & Pond Society Todd Bong President/Editor 317 N. Sampson St Tremont, IL Ph Officers Todd Bong President/Editor Vince Smith Vice President Letriana Cantrell Secretary Directors Allen Kruger Senior Director Web Master/ Product Mgr of Ways and Means Rick Moreland Director Food And Beverage Chairpersons Cheryl Bong Raffles/Door Prizes/Special Events Karen Hofstetter Treasurer Greg Cantrell Director Jean Clarke Director Membership