As we all know Oklahoma is well known for tornadoes, rain, hail, lightning and various other weather conditions.  Do these storms affect my pond, if so how? Storms can suddenly drop water temperatures and most importantly change the pH in a pond. So you ask, "What is pH and how do storm affect my Oklahoma Pond".  Several things  can happen with storms, here are a few listed below, but lets start with what pH is!    

The pH level is a numeric value that indicates the relative acidity or alkalinity of the water on a scale of 0 to 14, with neutral at 7. Most Oklahoma            lake and pond organisms prefer pH levels of 6.5 to 9. When storms are present, atmospheric pressure changes sometimes causing pH in your                pond to change. This change in pH can be lethal to your fish.

• Hail is not big deal but if you have excessive amounts floating in the water you may want to consider scooping as much as you can out so that the fish don't suffer such temperature fluctuation.  (imagine someone dumping ice water on you!)

 

• Lightning is another thing most people don't think of when it comes to your pond. Sure we've all experienced a power outage, but we have seen ponds get hit by lightning that affected the fish. My personal pond got hit by lightning and killed two fish and damaged another. Of course this is something out of our control but we need to be aware it can happen. 

 

• Tornadoes, we've all seen them and know the damage they can do. No need for details here!

 

• Exposed liner can be damaged by hail.  Protect it by covering it with rock and gravel. Liner needs to be completely protected from the harsh rays of the sun, from the freeze and thaw cycle and from hail.  

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• Hail can cause leaves, branches and other debris to drop in the pond.  Get out what you can and make sure to dump the skimmer basket a couple extra times to make sure it doesn't get clogged with leaves caused by a hail storm.

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• Lily pads can be damaged. It is better to leave the damaged lily pads there because they are still converting sunlight to energy for the plant.    Wait until the whole leaf and even the stem turn brown and look mushy.  Then give them a quick tug and they will come right off.  Good to pull them off because they add nutrients to the pond as they decay and can cause more algae.  Luckily, lily pads send up new leaves pretty quickly and will look gorgeous before you know it!

 

• Excessive rain and hail can upset the balance of the pond ecosystem.  Give it an extra dose of beneficial bacteria.

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​For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

​Pond plants/Aquatic Plants are a huge part of the pond ecosystem and need to be there to make sure everything lives harmoniously. Pond plants in Oklahoma also enhance the beauty of any water feature. So, when your pond plants aren’t healthy, you know it. One sign that there’s something wrong is yellowing leaves. Listed below are some of the more common reasons why your Oklahoma pond plants are turning yellow.

​Be sure to fertilize your pond plants. If your plants are potted (which is what we recommend) poke a hole in the soil and push the fertilizer down inside, then carefully close the soil over the hole. Fertilizer should also be added whenever re-potting your plants is necessary. For floating plants, remove them from the pond and place them in a container that will hold water. Add your favorite water-soluble fertilizer according to the directions. Do not add more than the recommended amount. Too much fertilizer can cause plants to turn yellow too.

Inspect your pond’s plants just like you do your other plants. Pond plants are not immune to insects, especially in the winter if you bring them in the house.

Spider mites love the dry winter environment our homes have. Any insecticide that you can use on houseplants is safe to use on water plants inside the home. Aphids are sometimes problems in the house, but mites are more prevalent. Leaf Beetles​ are also a problem when growing plants in a container outside.

Aphids are usually the main insects to attack pond plants. Depending on the plant, you may be able to wash them off in the water where they will become yummy treats for your fish. Floating plants like hyacinths, water lettuce and lily pads and their flowers are good candidates for this. When you do water changes or add water to your pond due to evaporation, spray the water on the plants. This will wash the insects off too.

Healthy pond plants can burn just like us. A sunburned plant will have a bleached look or brownish cast to the leaves, sometimes they will yellow. When moving pond plants outside, if they have spent the winter inside, do it gradually. Move them first to a shady spot. Set the pot in a larger container that will hold water. Gradually over a 2-week period expose the plants to more sunlight. Do this in the spring when the weather begins to warm so that they also get used to the cooler nighttime temperatures.

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.
 

​The waterlily is one of the most popular additions to any Oklahoma City fish pond or water garden.  They are beautiful, have wonderful flowers, and of course the the most favored area for our favorite pond inhabitant, the frog, to hang out.  
While these "jewels" of the water garden are beautiful they do have have a few requirements for them to grow big and beautiful.  Have you ever noticed from one year to the next they just aren't doing as well or maybe you noticed it's not blooming? 

There are a few factors that can contribute to your Oklahoma City water lilies not doing as well one year to the next, let's go over them:
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1. Sunlight: All Waterlilies require a minimum amount of sunlight every day to look their best. To look ok and just keep them looking nice 4-6 hours is the bare minimum, however most will do their best in 6-8 hours of sunlight per day! If you're pond is a bit shady and on the border of sunlight requirements, try the Colorado Waterlily. They tend to do ok with lesser amounts of sunlight per day.   
2. Something is eating them: There are a few known pests of that like to snack on waterlilies.  Aphids and snails can be culprits. If you're lilies have holes in them or it looks like something is taking bites out of them it's probably snails. Our fish, especially large fish, will also "play" in them and rip new growth as well as the lily pads off the plant, well because they can and they are bored.  Another culprit, could be deer. They do like water lilies and have been known to get in there and have a snack.  
3. Feed them: Yep, give those puppies some fertilizer once a month. While a pond will provide nutrients for our water lilies, some supplemental fertilizer will definitely help. We recommend using aquatic fertilizer tabs once a month or use a once a year fertilizer for your waterlilies.  
4. Too much water movement:  Waterlilies typically love calm water and will do their best without water crashing on them or a strong current.  If your water lilies are near a strong aerator or even close to your waterfall this could be affecting it's growth. Just move the plant to a different area of the pond. 

Common Problem
In years past you're Oklahoma City water lilies have done fantastic!  Beautiful and plentiful lily flower blooms with vibrant and abundant green leaves, but this year is different!  You haven't seen as many flowers and the leaves are turning yellow or getting holes in them and just don't appear to be great like years past.  What could be the problem?

Let's go back to number two above, something is eating them. Let's talk about the fish or koi pulling our lilies apart. Many times when our koi and pond fish get larger it's very difficult to keep waterlilies in a pond. At this point, you'll more than likely have to make a decision: fish or waterlilies. To combat  aphids and the snails is a bit more tricky.  The best way to combat snails is to find them and pull them off the water lily. For aphids, blasting them off with a hose and/or using a garlic spray will take care of these pests.  Deer, well we know how this goes keeping deer away from our plants.  The use of a scarecrow or even a pond net may be the ticket.  
Waterlilies are such a magnificent addition to any water garden or koi pond, but sometimes they to need a little help and care to look their best.  Check these few items, make some changes if you need to and enjoy the beauty of your waterlilies again.  

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.