Bugs, Beasts and Hot Weather Around the Garden Pond
Its only me, Pete May with the July Chronicles. Its hotter here in the UK today than its ever been in some places, that's according to existing records. So keep them pools topped up any sign that the fish are in distress, then make sure you have some water running into the pool, either a fountain or a stream. If it is a really well established pool and a little (dare I say) sludgy on the bottom, the fish in these pools will be suffering the most, especially in the evenings.
The bacteria in the sludge will be using up the oxygen, and any oxygenators although they plug along at their sweet level during the day, come nighttime they begin take in oxygen as well. If there are Koi in there, they'll be using up the resources like nuclear subs and will be the first to be panicking on the surface. A partial water change of a third will do them the world of good, or if its an emergency blast fresh tap water in there from a height and let the pool just overflow.
The weird and wonderful world of bugs and beasties will be coming more apparent at this time of year. This month Ive had the privilege of seeing some bugs Ive never seen before in this country. It was whilst I was being shown some of the secrets of the wetlands that are near here, the North Somerset Levels, by some amateur scientists and professional conservationists. Down there amongst the wet field grasses and cannel-like rhynes are some bugs and plants that are rarely seen anywhere else in the country. Not necessarily rare but rare for me was the Water Scorpion, the Hairy Backed Dragonfly ( thats rare) and the Horse Leech. Plants that were as rare as hens teeth were the Water Dropwort and the Marsh Bedstraw. Pretty innocuous stuff, but who knows their importance in the greater scheme of things. The main concern for many naturalists and conservationists down there is to foster the return of the Field Vole and the Bank or Water Vole. These timid little beasties had all but been eradicated by the predatory Mink, escaped from captivity many years ago, and the ever more intensive farming methods of modern farmers and the water authorities trying to control water levels didn't help. The knock on effect was that the numbers of predatory birds that inhabit the levels was being affected, particularly the populations of Barn Owls and Kestrels. Thankfully the spiral downwards of these populations is back on the rise whilst efforts are being made to control the Mink.
Most of the wildlife we saw was in fact in one long ditch dug in the middle of a field just over 4 years ago and left to fill from the water table. Then it was observed what arrived, in what order and how long it took. The fascinating thing was that when you compared this ditch with others ditches, all at different stages after having been cleared and becoming totally overgrown again, you find a completely different set of species at each stage. For instance, you only get the Hairy Backed Dragonfly fairly overgrown ponds, where there is plenty of emergent vegetation coming up in the middle. This gives enough a certain amount of cover from its main predator, the Hobby, and also allows it to lay its eggs straight into fairly deep water whilst sitting on a long reed. Another example is that grizzly fish killer, the Great Diving Beetle. The conditions it prefers are similar but not quite so overgrown. Not too much open water, but emergent growth from the marginals having made its way more or less across the pond. So if your fish are being pestered by the great diving beetle, then clear out your pond.
There was also something that no-one had ever seen before an alien creature of roughly half an inch in length with a strange proboscis that it seemed to flick in and out. It was also hairy and see-through. Ive sent a very low res picture of it out. If anyone can identify it, Id love to be one step ahead of the boffins who were completely stumped by it. So if you can put a name to it or even suggest what it could possibly be, Id be very grateful. There are in fact possibly hundreds of unnamed and undiscovered insect species in just the UK alone, Im saying this is one, but its just a reminder that you don't have to wend your way to the furthest reaches of the Amazon to discover something new. Something unknown could easily be lurking under your sitting room carpet.
I've been busy taking lots of plant pictures, building up my stocks of pictures for a new book in the pipeline to come out in Spring. Yep, you've guessed it. Its on water gardens. Thisll be the sixth. Talk about Johnny-one-note. July is good for the late season marginal plants and the march of the bog brigade. And of course there are the lilies. Most of the real wet footed marginals have done their thing by now.
There is still the big Pickerel weed and Lythrum is blazing away, and the demur Flowering Rush both competing with the big grasses. In the bog there are the Ligularia, Astilbes, Hemerocallis or Day Lilies. Hostas are flowering and the Bistorts are looking good. There are spectacular displays of Primula florindiae and P viallii and yellow loosestrife and soon there will be the Schizostylis to wind things up.
Meanwhile variegated and yellow grasses keep up the brightness and Gunnera and Rheum palmatum provide the big green backdrop. I was at the Hampton Court Palace Flower show to catch that lot and more. What a day! What a venue!
Now back to your ponds what should be happening at this time of year?
I mentioned leeches. They are getting pretty big and pretty sassy at this time of year. So try to get a good look to see there arent any hanging off your fish. A very dilute salt bath will see them of if you can bear to screw them of.
If you've got a bog garden make sure there none of those big weeds getting a foothold into it. And make sure its well watered. You ought to have a tube going right down into it thats perforated with holes. This helps watering in the hot and dry, getting the water down to the roots where its needed.
NOW is the time to thin those oxygenators if they are getting out of hand. Not in Autumn and not in Spring.
Plants that need a good long growing season to get going can be sown from now on. Some experts recommend that it is time to sow the seed of Tetragona waterlilies. It would also a be good time to sow the likes of Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) or Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi).
If there looks as though there are small fish that may get eaten rescue them. Keep them in a tank and feed up til theyre bigger.
And if you are going on holiday and you were going to get the neighbours to feed the fish while you were away. don't. Let them starve for a week or two. It will do them good. Unless your neighbours are experienced and successful fishkeepers they will always overfeed for fear of underfeeding. The result will be disease and algae and God knows what. Leave it to God. He organises nice fat flies and things for this time of year.
Speak to you soon
Pete