Pond Pro Shop - April 2019 Newsletter

Mikes Minutes

I probably should title this one “Late Edition” since it’s getting out to you this late in the month. Couldn’t be helped though. I fully intended getting it done last week be-fore I left on what was supposed to be an enforced long weekend for me. It turned into a l-o-o-o-nger almost a week-end than expected. But I’m back and trying my best to get got up.

It’s Spring! We’re doing our best to get our ponds and yard up to snuff but the Oklahoma weather is not cooperating. We’ll get there though and I suspect you will too.

Fish and plants should be available beginning in May. Typical-ly I wait until the confirmed last ’freeze date’ to even bring plants in then it takes a few days to get them all planted and set out for you. Some, like the floaters, may be ready a little earlier, depends on the weather between now and then. Fish won’t be available until May 18th, the date of our “Plants/Fish and Lage” class. I’ll have them sooner but they have to be quarantined after we receive them to in-sure they are safe for your ponds.

Things are starting to bloom here in the yard, mostly weeds but a few Tulips and some kind of purple ground cover. I’ll bet your yard is looking the same. As for the ponds, they are turning green faster than we can get to them. By that I mean be-fore we can do the partial water changes and begin to adjust the bac-teria. Many of you are coming in requesting algaecide. I personally think it’s too early to begin relying on chemicals; your pond needs some time to shake off the af-fects of Winter and begin the balancing act for the Spring and Summer seasons. Filtra-tion is the key. Get your media cleaned and filters backwashed and begin feeding bacteria to them as quickly as possible then be very patient. Give it a couple of weeks and Mother Nature will begin to assist you by allowing plants to grow using the nutrient rich water which will starve out the algae. Right now, that stringy stuff is your friend helping to maintain some sort of balance against over-toxicity to your fish.

Always be humble and kind

~~~Mike

TIPS and TRICKS

Not so much as a Tip or Trick but a shameless plug for the newest filter we now stock. The picture above is the GC TEK (Grand Champion Technologies) Pond Keeper 2500. It comes com-plete with pump, UV light, Blower, Filter and pad. It has been pre-assembled at the plant and all parts marked so it’s an easy install for the homeowner. Perfect for your water garden.

Classes SPRING/SUMMER 2019 SCHEDULE

Check the schedule for start times. All classes are free and open to the public. No advance registration required. More classes added each month. One Pond Dollar awarded for each class. Attendees receive a 10% discount on all purchases that day. We train rain or shine in the only indoor pond training facility in the U.S.

April 27, 2019
10:00 am

Pondless Build
For those of you who want the sound of a waterfall without the maintenance of a pond, this class is for you. Come to class to learn how.

May 18, 2019
10:00 am

Plants/Fish and Algae
These things make your pond beautiful. Learn how in this class. We’ll help you with types of plants, fertilizing (when and how) and what you need to do to help them thrive. Your fish are the jewels of your pond, help them stay healthy with these tips. All ponds have algae, Learn how to manage it.

June 08, 2019
10:00 am

Pond Build
The second build of the season. We’ll walk you through each step and discuss why and what is happening. You’ll be able to ask ques-tions and see how a pond is built during the two hour class.

There is no advanced registration required and we do not charge for our classes. We will have 12 classes each year, 4 pond builds, 4 pondless waterfall classes and 4 that are general in nature and cover everything from startup to shut down, plants fish and algae, your worst enemy, next to a blue heron.

Water Garden Club Meetings

Tulsa
2nd Tuesday @ 6:30pm
Tulsa Garden Ctr
www.gcwgs.com for more info

OKC
1st Tuesday @ 7:00pm
(New Location) Grace UMC, 6316 N. Tulsa, OKC
www.wgso.org for more info

Stillwater
Meetings on hold until further notice
www.stillwaterwatergardens.org for more info

Duncan
1st Tuesday @ 7:00pm
Red River Tech
580-595-0842 for more info

If you have a water garden club let us know so we can advertise it here for you.

Military (Active or Retired) and Water Garden Club members

receive a 10% discount

(If you remember to tell us up front! Not after you’ve already paid.)

Valid for Pond Pro Shop purchases only

If you haven't been to one of our classes, come on out. I know to many the word ‘class’ is reminiscent of school and nobody wants to go back to school. I try to make them a little different and enjoyable. We start with the hole in the ground in our indoor classroom and go step-by-step until the pond is full of water or the waterfall is running. I’ll explain each step and an-swer questions. We’ll cover some design, some equipment and some reasons for why and what we do. The best part is there are no TESTS! For your attendance at class, we’ll reward you with ten Pond Dollars. Come find out how you can redeem them.

Get the latest information on our FACEBOOK page.

Please note: Summer Hours
Tuesday thru Friday 9:00am-6:00pm
and Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm.
Closed Sunday & Monday.
Phone 405-273-8363.