Annual Koi Sale
| Meeting Date | Thu, Jul 10, 2003 7:00 PM - Thu, Jul 10, 2003 9:00 PM |
is the fourth meeting of the year. Koi are very special fish that can live for 100+ of years. Each pattern and color shade has a name and special interest. Some shimmer like gold while others have bold patterns. Plan in attending to here Bob Pollock talk about Koi and fish care. Bidding will be done fish by fish. Bring your check book and pick out your favorite fish. Fish are sold to the highest bidder on the night of the sale.
The
Pikes Peak Water Garden Society meetings are held every 2nd Thursday from April
to September. Most meetings start at 7:00 PM and wrap up around 9:00 to
9:30 PM.
This
year our meetings will once again be held at the Mountain View Church of Christ
located at 1080 East La Salle Street. This is at the west end of
Constitution Avenue on the southwest corner.
Enter
through the east door on the north side of the church.
To see a
map for the meeting location, click on the Link Below
Mountain
View Church of Christ
Meeting Minutes
Pikes Peak Water Garden Society
General Meeting
May 8, 2003
The meeting was called to order by Bob Pollock, President at 7:35 P.M. There were 115 people in attendance for the meeting.
Dick Williams gave the treasurers report, checking balance was $393.89 and the savings balance was $3506.43 for a total of $3900.32. What did we spend our money on this month was asked. $38.00 on labels and postage, $53.00 on meeting snacks.
Bob Pollock announced that the Plant Sale would be moved up to May 31st, 2003.
Ron talked about the deep surface nets that arrived. Most all were broken and the company verified that most of there’s were also broken. If you purchased one of these nets and it is broken return it to be refunded.
Betty Bissonnette introduced Ruby Watt as one of the founding members of the PPWGS. Ruby currently lives in Okalahoma City and is back to Colorado Springs for a visit.
The AquaMats to be raffled is 22 inches tall by 11 feet, 6 inches long. Tickets can be purchased for a $2.00 donation for one ticket or 3 tickets for a $5.00 donation. If you put your name and phone number on the ticket you do not have to be present to win.
Ron Bissonnette announced that if you are a current member you should have received your membership card, unless you paid in the last week or so. You will need to have your membership card with you to enter the Plant Sale at 9:30 AM, if you don’t have your card you will have to wait until 10:00 AM and enter with the general public.
Suzy Oligmueller was then introduced for the evening meeting. Suzy is a local aquatic wholesaler in the area. Suzy then proceeded with the evening program.
Some plants like shade while others like running water or sun. Use magazines to get ideas on what plants like and how they will look in your pond. Look at your area and see if you need a shelf or if you have a shelf what plants will look go in a particular area.
Plant all plants in pots or other containers. Some plants if allowed to spread can and do take over areas where other plants are located. Suzy puts marginals in netting and not pots. This allows the roots access to the water where they can filter more nutrients from the water. Panty hose or netting fabric or weed barrier will do. Make sure if you use weed barrier that it is not treated with chemicals.
When planting be sure to take into account the wind. Do not locate tall plants in areas that are susceptible to a lot of wind. Locate a viewing area and then think about the size of the plants. Tall ones in back, located as to not shade others or block the view. Use Parrots Feather Sensitive Fern, Penny Wart or other shorter plants around the base of your cannas and other tall plants. Umbrella Palms are another good tall plant to locate towards the back. To make a good back drop you will need two or three pots of these tall plants.
Shade plants or those plants that will tolerate 2 to 3 hours of sun only. This is considered shade, less than 2 hours in considered no sun. Most water plants prefer 5 to 6 hours of sun.
Water Gardens need 50 to 75% of the water surface covered for algae control. Need lily like plants to cover the surface. Plants like lilies, water clover, floating heart, snowflake will extend their leaves over the surface. The leaves will provide cover fro the fish while they block the sun.
Submerged Oxygenators get their nutrients from the water. Anacharis, hornwort are two common varieties. Lower these plants to the bottom, at least two feet below the water surface. Do not pot these plants but do anchor them down so they do not float.
Floating plants are also very useful to the pond. These plants float, dangling their roots under them. Water Hyachisins and Water Lettuce are the two most popular varieties of floating plants. These are both tropical and should be treated like annuals. These plants are great for filters and prefer to have running water through their roots. They like to be after the pump and before the waterfall.
A floating island can be made to add shade and water surface coverage while at the same time giving additional plants room to grow. They can be made from Styrofoam circles that you can purchase from a craft store. Suzy recommends that you take your pot with you to verify the sizes. The rings need to be coated with some type of material to protect. Weed mat can be used for this also when cut into strips. The pot can then just float in the ring and can be anchored with fishing line to keep it in one place.
A second float island idea is to use a ring but to cover the bottom with screen like that used for a window or door. Tie this securely using nylon string that will not rot using secure knots to keep the plants in the net and not in the pond. When using netting you will need to keep an eye on the roots to make sure a fish does not get into and then get trapped.
Insects will attack water plants just like they attack land plants. Use a safer brand of insecticidal soap that will have less impact on your fish. You can also submerge the plant for a couple of days to get the insects to release from the plant. Spider mites may make your plant look like it is sunburned.
Marginals need to be fertilized in the spring to get them started. Later in the late summer they may need another fertilizer boost to get ready for winter. You will need to see how they are growing as the summer days get shorter.
Over crowed water lilies will not bloom as often. When the tuber is projecting over the pot or through the side of the pot, it is time to repot. You can repot during the spring and should be finished by June. Repotting later in the summer can affect the growth of the tuber.
All water plants will need to have the brown leaves and old blooms pinched off. They will put more energy into repair of the leaf and bloom and will benefit from the loss. This pruning will need to be done every couple of weeks to get full growth and the most blossoms possible.
Door prizes awarded at the May Meeting:
- Pond Tabs to June Gray
- Skimmer nets to Bonnie Gibson and Jay Goggin
- Floating island to David Martin
- $25.00 gift certificate to Spencer’s Lawn and Garden Centers to Tim Evans
- $25.00 gift certificate to Hill Side Gardens to Ron Bissonnette
- $25.00 gift certificate to Phelan Gardens to Tom Rose
- WindBirdzz from Wild Birds Unlimited to Helen Lechney
- Dwarf papyrus, Dwarf umbrella palm and or Monkey Flower to all
The meeting adjourned at 9:30 P.M.
Respectfully submitted
Steve Carson,
Secretary