2016 pond work, landscaping, My koi

Summer is over :-(

Posted by lorivertin on
It’s Fall now and I feel I have missed a great deal of the beautiful Minnesota summer this year. I certainly have been a little behind in posting, so I’m going to play catch up. Mostly photos but read the captions… First up is a video of the koi taken about a week ago.  All of the koi have grown quite nicely this year.  The upper pond koi are all 20″ or more (I think) and we’ll measure them when we put them into the pool. Yes, we decided to do the indoor pool again this year. However, we have a different pool, rectangle, 16′ x 9′ by 48″ high.  It will hold just under 3500 gallons. The video is about two minutes. (Might want to skip it if you’re not into watching koi swim around….)
We had a few inches of rain the last two days so there are a lot of leaves and sticks down. This weekend I may need to net the stream portion since many of the tree leaves will start falling as the weather turns.
We had a few inches of rain the last two days so there are a lot of leaves and sticks down. This weekend I may need to net the stream portion since many of the tree leaves will start falling as the weather turns.
I'm loving my new back shed, especially since all the pond equipment is now neatly stacked on the shelves inside and out of the garage. The pond digger has kindly built a little deck on the front side of the shed and placed sod down where the old shed stood.
I’m loving my new back shed, especially since all the pond equipment is now neatly stacked on the shelves inside and out of the garage. The pond digger has kindly built a little deck on the front side of the shed and placed sod down where the old shed stood.
Speaking of sod, we've put a lot down all over the yard. While it looks a bit lumpy right now, it will all settle down by the spring.
Speaking of sod, we’ve put a lot down all over the yard. While it looks a bit lumpy right now, it will all settle down by the spring.
The pond digger has installed fresh water drip systems in both ponds. So each pond has about 10 -15 % of a water change over the week. Of course water has to go somewhere so the pond digger created some dry stream beds that looked attractive but after two weeks, they did not smell good. We had also hooked up the RDF waste into these stream beds.
The pond digger has installed fresh water drip systems in both ponds. So each pond has about 10 -15 % of a water change over the week. Of course water has to go somewhere so the pond digger created some dry stream beds that looked attractive but after two weeks, they did not smell good. We had also hooked up the RDF waste into these stream beds.
I have somehow misplaced any photos of the stream beds, but imagine some rocks on liners where you can see the dirt. The pond digger took them out, put in some flexible pipe and buried everything.
I have somehow misplaced any photos of the stream beds, but imagine some rocks on liners where you can see the dirt. The pond digger took them out, put in some flexible pipe and buried everything.
The end result is some lumpy grass for now, but no stinky stream beds and mud swamps where the water may have overflowed.
The end result is some lumpy grass for now, but no stinky stream beds and mud swamps where the water may have overflowed.
We've added some grasses and are crossing our fingers they will come back strong this spring.
We’ve added some grasses and are crossing our fingers they will come back strong this spring.
My moss project is going well and the moss has secured itself very well to the rock in a few weeks. I have moss growing in other areas of the garden that might get transferred back to the lower pond stream. The problem with moss in the lower stream is that it appears to attract or help propagate string algae. Maybe it's our imagination...
My moss project is going well and the moss has secured itself very well to the rock in a few weeks. I have moss growing in other areas of the garden that might get transferred back to the lower pond stream. The problem with moss in the lower stream is that it appears to attract or help propagate string algae. Maybe it’s our imagination…
The grape vines are doing well and the deer/rabbits have enjoyed all of the grapes this year. Not sure if we will keep the vines here. We'll probably rethink this area over the winter.
The grape vines are doing well and the deer/rabbits have enjoyed all of the grapes this year. Not sure if we will keep the vines here. We’ll probably rethink this area over the winter.
Very nice to sit outdoors on a sunny, cool day...
Very nice to sit outdoors on a sunny, cool day…
Most of the new plants have done well - the exception is a little mugo pine and one of the dwarf globe plants.
Most of the new plants have done well – the exception is a little mugo pine and one of the dwarf globe plants.
Since we do live in Minnesota, there is a necessity to battle the hordes of mosquitos that come out in the late afternoon, actually all day long depending on conditions. The pond digger loves to play with his mosquito fogger.
Since we do live in Minnesota, there is a necessity to battle the hordes of mosquitos that come out in the late afternoon, actually all day long depending on conditions. The pond digger loves to play with his mosquito fogger.
...loves to create a thick fog over the entire yard.
…loves to create a thick fog over the entire yard.
Meanwhile, the little koi are quite happy in the lower pond. Average size is about 11-12 inches now. They eat like pigs and generally spend most of the day patrolling the surface for food.
Meanwhile, the little koi are quite happy in the lower pond. Average size is about 11-12 inches now. They eat like pigs and generally spend most of the day patrolling the surface for food.
Bert and Ernie, the karashigois appear to be at least 20 inches long and I am having difficulty telling them apart. Ernie used to have a more orange tint to his head. Now I'm pretty sure that Bert is the slightly larger karashigoi but who knows. I was unable to see the upper pond's koi up close for a few weeks and they can change so quickly!
Bert and Ernie, the karashigois appear to be at least 20 inches long and I am having difficulty telling them apart. Ernie used to have a more orange tint to his head. Now I’m pretty sure that Bert is the slightly larger karashigoi but who knows. I was unable to see the upper pond’s koi up close for a few weeks and they can change so quickly!
So the upper pond koi, mostly 20"+ seem to be doing well. They don't like to come up to the surface to eat, preferring the sinking food. Not really a friendly lot but maybe next year we can retrain them.
So the upper pond koi, mostly 20″+ seem to be doing well. They don’t like to come up to the surface to eat, preferring the sinking food. Not really a friendly lot but maybe next year we can retrain them.
Akachan, who was best in size at the 2016 UMKC Koi Show has grown at least an inch since the show. Still has her nice coloration. I'm hoping she will continue to develop without her beni (red) fading or breaking up.
Akachan, who was best in size at the 2016 UMKC Koi Show has grown at least an inch since the show. Still has her nice coloration. I’m hoping she will continue to develop without her beni (red) fading or breaking up.
Billy the Kid, Baby Champion B at the 2016 UMKC Show still looks good a month later. I'm hoping he keeps his good looks as well. In the koi world, baby champions don't always pan out into champions since they can change a great deal over two to three years. Crossing my fingers.
Billy the Kid, Baby Champion B at the 2016 UMKC Show still looks good a month later. I’m hoping he keeps his good looks as well. In the koi world, baby champions don’t always pan out into champions since they can change a great deal over two to three years. Crossing my fingers.
So a longish posting but the pond digger has stayed very busy while I have been recuperating. We think the koi have about four more weeks before coming indoors. Farmer’s Alamanac is predicting a very cold winter for us. 🙁

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