Oct. 2016 issue Beneath the Surface Find us on Facebook as: Eastern Iowa Pond Society In this newsletter: Oct. meeting info...1 Meeting minutes...2-3 Tips for winter pond care.4-6 Cold care for Lilies.7 Facebook..8 Membership Form. 9 Contact Information: Find us on the web at: www.eips.org or on Facebook President: Dave Keller dakeller@southslope.net VP : Jackie Allsup 934-3665 Sec.: Linda Nolan 363-9408 Treas.:Pam Moore, 362-3375 Next meeting: www.eips.org COME TO THE OCTOBER MEETING AND HELP US NAME ONE OF THESE CUTIES! Deb and Joe Holzman s 1835 Ridgeview Ct. Cedar Rapids, (out by Bertram) 2:00-4:00 Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share And a chair!
EIPS MEETING MINUTES 9-24-16 @ DAVE & JANICE BELLS IN IOWA CITY MEMBERS PRESENT: 7 Dave began the meeting by talking about his pond, complete with picture boards of the evolution of the pond they have today. They started with a 4X4 cinder block pond in 2004 with a cedar edging on the top to trim it. When that didn't hold up they went with cement board and now have composit decking board on their final expansion which is 4X8 and approximately 4 feet deep and 750 gallons. They use a veggie filter and mechanical filter to keep their pond clean. Their assorted Koi and Goldfish looked happy and healthy! They do not use a bottom filter but we had a discussion on the pros and cons of that. In the winter, they put a Plexiglas cover over their pond to keep it warm enough not to freeze over. In the warm months they have a nice pergola over their pond to help keep it cooler. Janice had us come into the house for our potluck, which as always, was so good! We had nice discussions about pond related issues. We also enjoyed viewing the beautiful paintings done by Janice, that were on display in their dining room. There was no old or new business to share. Next meeting will be at Joe & Deb Holtzmans' pond on Saturday October 22, 2016 from 2 4 PM. Please bring an APPETIZER or DESSERT to share for this meeting! Meeting was adjourned. Notes submitted by Linda Nolan, Secretary
Have you ever noticed that your pond water is clearer in the fall? This is typically due to cooler temperatures and full, lush plants. To keep your pond looking its best throughout the fall season, follow our helpful, easy-to-follow pond maintenance tips (From the Aquascape website.) Prune yellowing leaves off all of your plants. Your lilies - tropical and hardy - should still be going strong, at least until the first heavy frost. Stop fertilizing plants when the weather becomes cooler. This lets the plants know the season is coming to an end. When the water temperature is around 50 degrees F, stop feeding your fish. If you continue to feed them, you might create health problems for your finned friends, since their digestive systems are beginning to slow down for the winter. As leaves falls from nearby trees, you'll need to empty your skimmer s debris net every day to keep up with the influx of leaves. Some leaves will undoubtedly sink to the bottom of the pond; try to remove as many as you can. However, a few left in the pond will give insects and frogs a place to over-winter. If you leave too much organic matter in your pond, the water may turn brown. If this happens, remove the excess debris and add activated carbon to clear the water. As the temperature gets colder and your plants expire, cut back the dead plant material and remove the tropicals. Cut back the cattails above the water level, or better yet, leave them up to see how magnificent they look in
If you live up north where the surface of the pond freezes, you'll need to prepare for winter by deciding whether you want to keep your pond running or shut it down. To shut your pond down, first unplug your pump and pull it out of the water. The pump should be stored in a frost-free location, submerged in a bucket of water to keep the seals from drying. If you have fish, a small re-circulating pump or aerator that bubbles at the water surface is necessary to oxygenate the water. In all but extremely low temperatures, the bubbling of the pump will also keep a hole open in the ice to allow for a gas exchange, keeping your fish alive. It is not necessary to oxygenate the water or keep a hole open in the ice if you don't have fish. If your area experiences long periods of extremely cold weather, you may consider adding a Floating de-icer. Controlled by a thermostat, the unit only runs when the water temperature is at or below freezing, heats the water to just above that, and then shuts off again. Ask your installer or local supplier for products to help your pond during the winter. If you use a floating de-icer, place it away from the bubbler. The movement of the water from the bubbler can move the heated water away from the de-icer, making it run more than necessary. You can also choose to keep the waterfall running. This will require a little babysitting to make sure an ice dam does not form, which could cause water to run out of the waterfall s basin. You will also still need to replace water loss so the pump can continue to function properly. This extra effort during the winter will reward you with the most beautiful ice formations and patterns around the falls and stream beds. The most important thing is to have fun with your water feature all year long. Keep some of these key maintenance issues in mind, and it will be smooth sailing.
COLD WEATHER CARE FOR WATER LILIES Aquascape October 4, 2016 Fall is a bittersweet season for pond enthusiasts. The crisp, clear water of the autumn pond spectacularly reflects the riotous color of leaves on the trees above, providing great enjoyment. At the same time, it's sad to say goodbye to your beautiful water lilies bobbing on the pond's surface. As fall approaches, hardy water lilies stop producing leaves that grow to the surface of the pond and start producing leaves that grow only a few inches high. To overwinter hardy water lilies, trim off the mature leaves a few inches above the crown and drop the pot to the lowest depth of the pond. If your water lilies are permanently planted in pockets at the lowest part of your pond, all you need to do is remove the dead foliage. Hardy water lilies need to have a period of dormancy which is onset by cold water, so do not bring them into a heated indoor pond to keep them growing. Tropical water lilies will flower up to and past the first light frost as they have no idea what winter is and no need to prepare for it. Tropical water lilies can be over-wintered indoors in water over 50 degrees F, or they can be taken out of the pot and stored in moist sand. The warm water method isn t practical for most, and success with the moist sand method is variable, usually ending in the loss of the tuber to mold or rot. Botanical gardens with trained horticulturists expect to lose many of the tropical water lilies they store every winter. Start over each year as you do with your terrestrial annuals.
Our Facebook page is back up and running!!! Be sure to go find us at Eastern Iowa Pond Society. LIKE us so you get all the notices! POST your pictures of your pond! COMMENT - we want to hear from you!! SHARE EIPS with everyone you know!! Promote the club so that other s can find us!! It s FALL! Don t forget the Pond Club owns a Pond Vacuum. If you would like to use it for your cleanouts, simply make arrangements with Pam Moore to come and get it.
Standing at the edge of the pond, a older man saw a woman flailing about in the deep water. Unable to swim, the man screamed for help. A young man walking by ran up to help. The man said, My wife is drowning and I can t swim. Please save her. I ll give you a hundred dollars. The fan dove into the water In ten powerful strokes, he reached the woman, put his arm around her, and swam back to shore. Depositing her at the feet of the man, the young man said, Okay, where s my hundred dollars? The old man said, Look, when I saw her going down for the third time, I thought it was my wife. But this is my mother-in-law. The young man reached into his pocket and said, Just my luck. How much do I owe you? Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Inc. Membership Application To become a member of the Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Complete this form and mail along with your dues to: Eastern Iowa Pond Society % Pam Moore 2010 Spoon Creek Ct. SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 New Membership Renew Membership Name: Address: Phone Number: E-mail Address: Dues are $10.00 per calendar year per family. Make checks payable to Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Inc. ALL newsletters can now be found on line at www. EIPS.org
Eastern Iowa Pond Society Our Mission Statement: The purpose of the Association shall be to create, promote and enlarge the hobbies of ponds, aquatic gardening, and keeping, breeding, appreciating, and exhibiting the wonderful world of fish. The Association shall disseminate information about t he above to the membership to engage in educational and social activities related to our purposes; and to acquire and own such property as may be necessary for any or all of the fore going purposes. Eastern Iowa Pond Society Jackie Allsup, Editor PO Box 148 Quasqueton, IA 52326