| Hello
Wakoola Friends!
Happy Spring! It is almost Spring isn't it?
At Wakoola Water Gardens, we are ready to celebrate the beginning
of a new growing season! We are anxious to see the ponds begin
to wake up. What few fish we have left in our ponds (see article
on the Return of the Predator!) are swimming around more than
they have for the past few months. It won't be long before
it will be time to begin feeding them and watching them grow!
The water plants have not yet woken up but they will start
by the first of April. It takes longer for the water to warm
up than the air and soil so the crocuses, daffodils, and tulips
show their heads long before the aquatic plants do. You should
notice some new leaves on all of your plants soon.
Inside this newsletter we would like to announce our great
line up of Saturday seminars and workshops to help you with
your water gardening this spring. We have several great speakers
coming to talk about everything from pond building to pond
maintenance. Also, mark your calendars now for our third Annual
Garden Party on Saturday, May 1st. It will be a day of fun
and learning for the whole family!
If you would like to keep up with what's happening at Wakoola
on a more regular basis than this newsletter, check out our
new and improved website at www.wakoola.com.
We have lots of pictures, a listing of our products, including
plants and fish, and a lot of frequently asked questions with
answers. Online, we invite you to join the Dancin' Frog Club.
Members will receive email specials and be notified when something
exciting happens; such as a new shipment of fish, a cool plant
arrival, or a special sale. You can post pictures of your
own pond and talk to other pond owners on our forum. Read
about it all on the web!
We hope to see you this Spring at Wakoola Water Gardens!
Happy Ponding!
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When
should I start feeding my fish?
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soon as the water temperature reaches 50 degrees you can start
feeding your fish. It is best to start with a wheat germ based,
low protein food. Start with an every other day feeding for
the first week or so. Then gradually add feedings as the water
warms. We recommend NishiKoi wheat germ food which we have
available in many size containers. Once the water temperature
is above 55 degrees consistently you can feed a staple summer
food. At Wakoola, we sell high quality staple and color foods
in refillable containers. You pay for the container once and
then bring it back for refills at greatly reduced prices!
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At Wakoola we are still very excited about
pots. We have more pots in more colors and sizes than ever
before. Pots do more for you than grow plants. Pots can add
height, color and form to gardens and patios. Pots can be
plugged or drilled to make fountains within your pond or in
your yard or deck. Pots make safe outdoor candle holders-just
fill with sand and set your candle inside! Team pots up with
our willow rounds to make tables for you patio or sunroom.
And last but not least, plant up a pot to add flowers and
foliage to your home inside or out! We carry high temperature
fired Asian and Italian pots, most of which are frost resistant
and will last for years. Come check out our selection!
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Microbe
Lift PL and Microbe Lift Spring/Summer Cleaner
Microbe Lift PL will provide beneficial bacteria
to start combating algae as water warms. 1 qt - $23.99
Microbe Lift Spring/Summer Cleaner contains
the bacteria which will process the decomposing leaves and
other matter on the bottom of the pond. 1 lb - $27.99
Bulk Buy - Buy both for $48.99 (You save $3.00) |
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The best
way to combat algae in the pond is to add plants! Plants not
only eat the same nutrients that algae does, they also add
shade to the pond and algae needs lots of sunlight to grow.
So by covering the surface area of the pond about 60% with
lilies and other plants you can greatly reduce the sunlight
in the water and therefore have less algae. Shade producing
plants also help cool the water in the summer, which helps
keep the oxygen level higher. Plants provide hiding spaces
for fish as well.
Our aquatic plants will start arriving in late March. Come
check out the beautiful varieties! |
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Return
of the Predator!
If
you read our fall newsletter, you will remember that we
had a blue heron, which had taken up residence around our
ponds. We tried all sorts of ways to get him to return to
the wild and thought that he had. Unfortunately, he returned
this winter. Almost daily we had to chase him away from
our ponds.
He
has now been gone for over a month and we hope he has found
better hunting elsewhere. If you would like to know more
about our trials with the bird or what we suggest you do
to chase one away from your pond, stop by the shop. We'll
be glad try to help you get rid of that pest!
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It's
Spring Cleaning Time Again!
Now is
the time for you to start thinking about doing a spring-cleaning
in your pond. The leaves left over from fall should be cleaned
up off the bottom of the pond before they have a chance to
rot in the warmer water. If allowed to decompose in the water,
they will become algae food! So use a net or your hands to
get them out. If you have a huge build up of leaves and muck
you should consider a thorough cleaning. Check out last year's
spring "Wakoola Ribbit" newsletter on our website
for "How to clean your pond in 10 easy steps". If
you just can't stick your hands in that cold water, we have
long gloves called Aqua-Hands that will keep your hands and
arms from getting wet and cold.
Don’t
feel like tackling the job yourself?
Call Wakoola and one of our professionals
will clean your pond, check the pump and filters and
add bacteria for you at an hourly rate. |
Now is
also a good time to add beneficial bacteria to your pond to
seed your filter for the coming months. Your pond needs beneficial
bacteria to process the fish waste in the pond. This waste
is algae's favorite food! Adding beneficial bacteria such
as Microbe-Lift PL will starve out potential algae by getting
rid of the waste before algae has a chance. Don't wait for
nature to do it-add bacteria to your pond today!
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ATTRACT
NATURE TO YOUR GARDEN
After
many requests, we at Wakoola Water Gardens are pleased to
announce that we have added a great selection of Backyard
Birding Supplies to our store. Bluebirds, wrens, chickadees,
finches, woodpeckers, robins, bats, squirrels, screech owls,
butterflies, and more ... Everyone can enjoy a meal and build
a home in your yard! Some of the products we carry are Droll
Yankee, Songbird Select, and Cole's Wild Bird Feed - too many
items to list, so make sure you plan to stop by for a visit
soon.
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What
to look for in your pond this Spring
Mid-March:
First small reddish leaves of hardy waterlilies appear. Bog
plants start growing.
Mid-April:
Hardy waterlilies first start to bloom. Golden Club, Louisiana
Irises, and other early bog plants start to bloom.
Late
April-Early May: First leaves of tropical
lilies appear if they weren't killed by winter cold.
Mid-May:
Flowering bog plants will start their summer
bloom.
Late
May: First blooms from tropical water lilies.
First arrow shaped leaves from night blooming water lilies
come out.
Mid
to late June: First blooms from night blooming
tropical lilies.
Start fertilizing your aquatic plants when growth appears.
Shallow water plants usually need to be fertilized just once
a year with a tablet such as Highland Rim plant tablets. Lilies
should be fertilized once a month at first and then every
two weeks while blooming in the summer. It is a good idea
to re-pot your aquatic plants in the spring if they are overgrowing
their pots. Each plant can usually be divided into many plants.
You can tell if a lily has over-grown its pot just by looking
at it. The roots will push against the sides and warp the
pot. Then they will grow right out of the pot. It is best
to divide it and give it some room to grow. If you leave it
in its crowded state it will not produce large leaves and
will flower less than expected.
Don't know how to re-pot? Come to
Wakoola-we'll show you how. Or, we will do it for you for
a small fee.
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Mark your
calendars now for our Garden Party on May 1st. We will have
a full day of learning, food, music and fun. Rain or shine,
it will be a great way to spend a spring day. Watch for our
flyer about this fun day!
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