Complete guide to Winter Pond Care | Baltimore, MD

Complete guide to Winter Pond Care | Baltimore, MD

Yes, I know spring seems like a million miles away.  But rest assured, in a few weeks we will see the first few signs of warm weather on the horizon.  In the interim I thought it would be good to review some tips on taking care of your pond in the Baltimore area this winter.  

During these cold months, you can either keep your pond running for the winter, or shut it down.  For this article, we are going to assume that your pond has been running all winter.  

Step 1:

In the Baltimore Maryland area we live in a climate cold enough to cause your pond to freeze over. This means that we need to be aware of two things. First, is oxygenating the water. To do this, place an aerator on the second shelf of your pond so it bubbles right at the surface of the water. This will supplement the oxygenation that your waterfalls are creating during the MD winter pond season.

In all but extremely low temperatures, the bubbling of the aerator will also help keep a hole open in the ice to allow for gas exchange. This is the second thing that you need to do for your fish. A hole in the ice allows the escape of harmful gasses created the breakdown of organic matter that would otherwise build up under the ice.

Step 2:

Sometimes in Baltimore and Harford County we have long periods of VERY cold weather, the waterfall pump won’t be enough to keep a hole open in the ice, and you’ll want to consider adding a floating De-icer.   The good versions of these are controlled by a thermostat, the unit only runs when the water temperature is at or below freezing, heating only the surrounding water to just above freezing, and then shutting off again.

In my experience of taking care of ponds around MD through the winter,  the best thing you can do is to incorporate a combination of the aerator and floating de-icer.  It’s also best to have these plugged into separate outlets if possible. 

Additional considerations:

Leaving your pond up and running all winter in the Baltimore area is quite popular.  Not only does the waterfall and/or stream provide the beautiful sound of running water, but also the freezing water creates beautiful ice sculptures along the stream and waterfall area. 

There are also a couple things you need to watch out for. As the water in the falls or stream freezes, the possibility of water loss due to ice damming is increased. When the water freezes, a dam that pushes the flowing water over the edge of the liner can be created. This isn’t always an emergency, but it is something that you need to keep a close eye on.

Even during the winter, running water is still exposed to evaporation. Although water loss in your pond is considerably less than during summer months, you will still need to add water to make up for this loss. Simply keep an eye on your pond’s water level during the winter months and top off as needed.

If you’ve chosen to keep your Maryland pond running during the winter months, a bit of minor maintenance is all that’s needed to ensure that your pond and fish are safe until warm weather  returns.

Do you need help with your pond this winter? We maintain, repair (and renovate) fountains, and fish ponds all around Harford and Baltimore County, Maryland.

We are a Baltimore Maryland area based full services Pond contractor & Pond Maintenance landscape company specializing in naturalistic water features, and unique outdoor spaces, including Ponds, Water Gardens and Stream Design, Construction, Repair, Renovation & Maintenance Serving the greater Baltimore County Maryland MD area. Arbor Ridge was founded to fill a need for a full service company that truly cares about the details of every project and service. Please click here to see what our Baltimore area clients have to say about us!

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