El 2-Grower & Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 17, 2003 Have A Place For A Pond? (Continued from Page El) ing more time at their home” and are looking to improve their home and yards for when they come job from job stresses. Consequently, Smith rec ommends picking a spot “close to the house, so you can enjoy it more. The area should also have at least six hours of sunlight a day and not a lot of tree cover close so debris such as leaves and twigs will not be as much of a problem. The pond should also be lo cated to a source of electricity, which is necessary to power the pump, lighting, or perhaps an ultraviolet clarifier, which kills algae with ultraviolet ra diation from the bulb. Anyone considering install ing a pond will have to also think about what depth the pond should be, since some townships will require a fence for a pond more than three feet deep. Fish, however, “winter more reliably in water at least 30 inches deep,” said Smith. Nick, 3, and Adrianna Spatafora, 2, Lititz, are eager helpers when it comes to feeding fish. Also, “bear in mind what will it fit into your landscape,” he said. “If you have a peren nial, colonial-type garden, a pond with Japanese features will not necessarily be appro priate.” Money is another consid eration. An on-deck, 3 5-gallon pond with the filter and foun tain will run about $lOO. The average pond, however, is six foot by six foot and holds 500 gallons of water, estimates Smith. This setup runs about $l,OOO complete with fish, plants, a pump, liner, and fil ter. Although preform ponds are available, liners are actual ly easier and more durable. Made of heavy-gauge rubber, the liners are flexible and not affected by ultraviolet light. “It conforms to any shape you dig, and can be molded around a rock or root,” he said. Liners also come with a 20-year warranty for holes. Liners, which come in pre cut widths, are about $8 a lin ear foot. The smallest is 10-foot wide, although choices range up to SO feet and lengths to whatever the installer needs. As for shape, pond owners tend to prefer the kidney or hourglass contours. “There are very few that are perfectly round or perfectly square.” Once the hole is dug, the rest of the pond can be install ed in a day or two, said Smith, although “it is best to let it sit for a day or two with the water in it and the pumps running before putting the fish in.” Whereas there are two schools of thought on stones versus a clean pond bottom, said Smith, he recommends not placing stones on the bot tom of the pond. “It is easier to clean, it doesn’t hold debris like a rock bottom, it’s easier to view fish, and it retains heat better for tropical plants. However, it’s a debate among pond-keepers. There are pros and cons to both.” Why Plants? Smith advises that 60-75 percent of the pond’s surface IDEAL for FARM MARKETS: Jl. BAKING MIXES: \jQ In Fowler's Mill Cloth Bags: ] jJ/ •®* 4 Fruit Mixes (the consumer adds fruit) ■3* 5 Muffin Mixes (pumpkin, double apple) l |ls)| i®* 6 Pancake Mixes (ideal for holiday gifts) SEI In Private Label Paper Bags (consumer adds fruit): i®* 6 Pancake and Waffle Mixes i®* 3 Peach and 3 Cherry Mixes (crisp, cobbler, muffin) gjgH * i® 3 6 Apple Mixes (crisp, fritter, cookie, pancake) *g“ i®* 9 Other Mixes (shortcake, scone, blueberry muffin, banana bread, carrot cake, pumpkin bread mix) The Fowler's Milling Company • chardon. Ohio Call 800-321-2024, or visit: www.fowlennill.com Vividly-hued Koi are bred for their color. be covered with floating plants such as lilies, water hy acinths, or water lettuce. This helps to shade the pond while the hanging roots absorb nu trients to keep the water clear, he explained. Additionally, fish nibble at the roots and hanging foliage while they are protected from predators. Aquatic edge plants vege tation that lives in six inches of water to boggy, moist soils include irises, cattails, and rushes. “They give height, ad ditional levels, and color around the ponds,” he said. These plants sit in pots on the pond’s shelves. Commercial soils feature chips of baked clay so that the water will not cloud if the pot is disturbed. Comets, fantails, Shubun kin, and Koi brighten up the waters of many ponds across the county. Prices run from 25 cents for the small golden Comets to $9O for the larger, splashily-colored Koi. Also, tadpoles and selected species of snails provide clean up duty for the pond’s algae. They are useful, said Smith, since they help keep the algae under control with minimal use of chemicals. Customer Interest Growing Dave Frehafer, turf and supply manager at the Lititz branch of Stauffers of Kissel Hill, has seen customer inter est grow in ponds in the 14 years that pond supplies have been available at the store. “Before that we just had fountains,” said Frehafer, “then we started adding aquatic plants and pumps and filters.” Besides bulk liners on the roll, the store also has a larger selection of plants and has a year-round selection of fish. Frehafer is also a member of the Lancaster Aquarium Club, where a few pond own ers are also members. The liners, said Frehafer, have become heavier duty and have grown as customers began installing larger and larger ponds. “We’ve gone from liners 15 to 25 feet wide we keep hav ing to go to bigger size rolls. Now we have the biggest pond form we can get,” he said. Filters have also had to stretch to keep up with cus tomer demand. “We’re carry ing filters for 1,000-, 2,000-, and 3,000-gallon ponds,” he said. “People started out small, decided they liked it, and added more and larger ponds,” according to Frehafer. The attraction, he said, is the soothing presence of the ponds. “People set up benches around the pond or eat break fast out beside it,” he said. Lighting may also work to create the mood of the pond. Some owners opt for under water lighting or lighting around the pond for night ob servation. There are even tropical night-blooming lilies, he said. (Turn to Page El 3)
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