I would like to start off by saying I really enjoy reading the articles on your website. They seem to be more geared to the beginner (which I am). Now, I have a question for you. I have a retention pond in my backyard. The county will be coming out and clearing it out for me because it is currently overgrown. Once this is completed, I want to bring a tropical wetland feel to the pond. My original idea was to plant a few clumps of bamboo and just let it take over. But the more I think about it, I would really like to introduce some other 'tropicalish' plants to the pond. Now, the only problem is I don't know what type, kind, or anything that would survive. Any suggestions?
This article should help you with choosing tropical looking plants for the pond: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/tropical/cold-hardy-tropical-plants.htm
Any suggestions for keeping snakes from eating my goldfish?
You will need to get rid of the snakes around the pond to accomplish this. This article will help with encouraging them to go else place:
https://extension.missouri.edu/p/G9450
I have been buying bull frog tadpoles for about 4 years and I have only seen 2 frogs out of sometimes 6 tadpoles at a time. Can someone help me as to find out what is happening to them all? I don't even hear frogs in my yard. Thanks.
There are many reasons this could be happening.
Firstly, frogs are very, very sensitive to chemicals. If you are using any kind of chemical pesticide or herbicide, you could be inadvertently killing them.
Second, frogs are a favorite snack of many animals, like raccoons and opossums. These night time raiders may be making a snack of your tadpoles.
You may also not be providing the right environment for them to be happy in your yard. This article will help with that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/attracting-frogs-to-garden.htm
How do I care for my garden pond water plants over the winter? I live in Zone 6 so it’s too cold to leave them in the pond, isn't it? I have Papyrus and some kind of elephant ear.
They need to come out of the pond and stored indoors over winter, placing them in water. You can use an aquarium with a grow or fluorescent light over it, a plastic tub under lights or a glass or plastic jar placed on a window sill. Any container where the plants are in water and get 8-12 hours of light will work. It is best to store your plants bare rooted in the water and not in growing pots. Replace the water weekly and keep the water temperature around 70 F.
In the spring, when the plants begin to sprout, replant the them in a growing pot and place out into your pond after the last frost date has passed.
I live right on the dividing line of zones 6 & 7 in East Tennessee, and we don't do much to winterize our water feature. We remove the floating plants, keep leaves out, quit feeding the fish at first cool weather and make sure the water level is almost full. We leave the pumps running 24/7. Our pond is appx 1500 gallons and is over 20 years old. We've been doing it this way from the beginning and works for us.
I have a large piece of land in Upstate NY, on the property I have a few creeks and there is a pretty large pond. Was curious how would I go about putting trout or other fresh water fish in the pond and what is the best fish to have in a pond?
If there is water in the pond year round, then it is very likely that you already have fish. In Massachusetts, we have a large (30 foot long) garden pond that we built 12 or so years ago. We try to drain it yearly to give everything a good scrub. In doing so, we remove the goldfish and Koi to holding tanks. Each year, we find some kind of fish that we never put in. Sometimes we leave them; but for the protection of our own fish, the bass and hornpout have to come out.
The following article features freshwater fish native to New York. Clicking on the image takes you to it's specific requirements and uses. Your choice of fish should reflect its use. http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/cek7/nyfish/
I have an outside fountain and it keeps growing algae. It's a big one so can't just pop it apart and clean it up. Was going to use (No more algae) to stop it but can't do that since the birds and my dog drink out of it. Can't use bleach for same reason. Can anyone tell me what I can do to clean this up and keep it that way without making the animals sick and having to sweet talk my husband into taking it apart so I can clean it to have him have a messed up back for two days afterward.
I would suggest to get it drain out and clean before you proceed any further. If you can't get the ultrviolet light system, you would have to drain pretty regularly. I am no expert :-), but I do have an outside water fountain which I bought last year. I know the feeling.
I installed an ultraviolet light system in my pond. No more algae. Not inexpensive, but has worked great for 4 years. Blue or green fool coloring would help a little.