Last Updated: 10/1/14

1. On 9/1/14, it was Labor Day so I did some labor. I repotted my main yellow flag iris back in to its same four gallon pot. It was overgrown as always. The pond is now nearly completely covered in water lettuce.

2. I finally had some time to link in some older pond photos from last spring so here they are:

I took a lot of photos of the big pond fish on 4/10/14. I had four koi and two orfe as well as lots of goldfish. I will not point out below which are which.
1800 gallon pond facing southwest.
Pond fish
Pond fish
Pond fish
Pond fish
Pond fish
Pond fish
Pond fish
Pond fish
Pond fish

I took these photos on 4/20/14 after I mulched up a new area between the main pond garden and the garden on the side of the house (with a pathway between). All three photos are facing northwest.
Pond Garden
Pond Garden
Pond Garden

3. On 9/7/14, I did the usual pond chores. The 1800 gallon was at 76 degrees F, and the 153 gallon was at 73 degrees F. I started removing water lettuce which covers the entire pond. I removed eight buckets worth! I repotted two two gallon pots of iris. I think it is Colorific iris. It was overgrown and had jumped the pots. I found an empty two gallon pot as well so I potted three pieces in to three two gallon pots.

4. On 9/14/14, I did pond chores. The 1800 gallon was at 67 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 65 degrees F. I changed the PondMaster filters. I squirted off the bioballs. I changed the oyster shell in the filter. I found a dead toad in the pond! A few days earlier, I had found my rooster with a toad in his mouth! This one was the same size. It showed no injury but it may have been the same one.

I had planned to repot more iris but I discovered that the pond level had gone about four inches below full! I had added water three times this week. So, I knew that the waterfall was spewing outside of its borders. The weeds were thick along the falls so I just starting hacking them out, removing more than a wheelbarrow full. A rock at the top of the falls was out of place and responsible for most of the water loss.

5. On 9/21/14, I did pond work. Both the ponds were at 65 degrees F. I squirted all the filter materials. I put some fertilizer in the living water lilies (looks like two of the four hardy waterlilies are dead) and lotus pots. The lotus didn't bloom this year, or ever despite fertilizer.

6. on 9/28/14, I did pond work. The 1800 gallon was at 64 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 68 degrees F. The air temperature was 80 degrees F so it felt hot! There were stink bugs all over the house trying to get in. I squirted out the Cyprio biothings. I removed a wheel barrow full of water lettce from the pond so I could actually see that there are a few fish in there! I put the full nets on the 1800 gallon and 153 gallon ponds in preparation for the deluge of leaves that will come down soon. I discovered that there are tadpoles in the 20 gallon tub pond so I will have to remove them in another month. I had to cut a lot of weeds around the 153 gallon pond to put that net on. The weeds have never been so bad because I have never been so busy in my life. The property looks abandoned. This displeases me to no end but work comes first which I hate and then my animals.

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