skip to main content

Ponds in the UK

Worried about cold snap

19 years ago

Hello all.

I am a first time pond owner having only filled it in November and only got my first plants in last week!

But anyway, I am the very proud guardian of quite a bit of frogspawn which has got to the 6mm wriggling stage. I am v worried about the cold snap which is supposed to strike tomorrow. Temperatures in London are predicted to hit zero. Will the tadpoles survive? Should I take action? I don't really agree with interfering with nature but I don't want to lose all the tadpoles :(

Help!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

Sean_McKinney
19 years ago
I dont know but I doubt those that freeze will survive but those below the freeze should, if they havent hatched then you could put the spawn in a bucket of pond water and bring it in out of the cold. Put it some where well 'day lit' but not warm. Even if it hatches the tadpoles live above and I assume off the jelly for 2 or 3 days so you have a good cushion.
Beenz
19 years ago
After the hot weather last weekend I took OUT the pond heater expecting all this to be over!. I would not be worried at all for your little tadpoles, maybe so if they were unhatched eggs on the surface then I would be concerned, they will be below the surface well wrapped up in the blanketweed.

I doubt even if the weather does drop below zero that the surface of ponds shall freeze this weekend, the volume of of a pond needs to be subjected to icey conditions for a considerable length of time to start to freeze over and it is going to be into the higher teens by monday. If you have a fountain pump, keep that running to keep the water moving, it would take antartic conditions to freeze over running water.
Related Discussions
Seeded a new lawn, and then a cold snap hit...
Q
Comments (4)
You're not going to rot, with all that moisture, but you're going to complain a bit. Your grass seed isn't going to rot, but it's going to complain a bit, too. Both of you are correct: Life is a Betch. But everything one can find, up there in the Northwest, is tough. The rivers are tough, the trees are tough, the natives are tough, and so is that seed. It's going to be fine, if you leave it alone. Before it's done, you're going to respect it. Or else. Drop me a note, about July 4th, and let me know how your lawn is doing.
...See More
The Cold Snap Has Put Cold Water On My Plans
Q
Comments (13)
Jan, I did not plant the pecan, it must be 30 feet tall? don't know how to estimate, but as you see my street from the closest intersection, the tree is the tallest thing in that street. I know the back cabin was built in 1895, so some of the trees could be 100 years old for all I know. The figs look like they might be that old. I would say avocado but mine died. Actually 3 avocado trees have died on us already, we are experts in killing avocados by now.... :-( There is a nursery in the San Fernando valley called papayatreenursery.com They have several types of dwarf fruit trees, so maybe something you would like? We have a plum tree that we love, plums might do well where you are. Why not apples or pears? Whatever you get, look into getting a dwarf variety.
...See More
Cold Snap & My Tomatoes!!!
Q
Comments (2)
Could be from water droplets that were on the leaves and then got really chilled overnight. Don't fret about it unless you see rot on the stems -- that's an indication of serious issues. It's not just air temperatures (above 75 F) that are appreciated and needed by tomatoes, it's also warm SOIL temperatures (ideally never plant tomatoes outdoors until your garden soil is no less than 65F at the 4-inch depth. Your 'maters will recover just fine as we head into the more tropical warmth of May!
...See More
Finally found a place to plant tropicals and not worry about cold
Q
Comments (5)
Lots of room for Jade plants and Washys. You probably have somethings else in mind. Actually-and no kidding-I'm impressed by the size of the Apple Banana's. Paradise is what you got.
...See More
chippewacat
19 years ago
I agree with the above, as long as they are below the surface they should be fine. During the previous cold snap I also melted the pond water around the spawn to get it to thaw more quickly. It made me feel better, and I hardly lost any spawn (unlike the neighbours), so the length of time frozen could be a factor too.

Don't bash the ice as they don't like the shock waves. I've been told it's best to fill a container of very hot water and hold it on the ice and just keep moving it around so the ice melts but the hot water is not going directly into the pond. As the ice breaks up, that helps the oxygen levels and the pond can be left to thaw naturally.

Having said all that, your pond probably won't freeze anyway which would be great!
dampflippers
19 years ago
I don't know whether you will have a problem. You could try floating a clean well rinsed washup bowl inverted over the clump of spawn as a little greenhouse. But this will depend on whether there is enough vegetation to stop it floating off.
Christabella
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for all your advice. My tadpoles are still in the spawn so I may try to rig up some kind of acquatic cloche for them! I did discover a big lump of spawn lying on teh bottom of the pond too so I'm sure some of it will survive.
Have a good weekend
C
Sean_McKinney
19 years ago
Mummy, she's usin big words again "cloche" .....oooo uuuuummmmmm what's that, ( thick male here)
alison_froglady
19 years ago
I can't believe that you don't know what that is Sean. It is a bit like a small poly tunnel that you can put directly over the plants and also what some people call a cold frame. Does that help you.?? Obviously anything over five letters must be big words for you .lol. as you haven't anything over five letters in your above post except uuuummmmmm which lets face it is only 2 letters.
Alison
Christabella
Original Author
19 years ago
Yep I didn't have anything fancy in mind Sean - I meant dampflippers' idea of an upturned washing up bowl!
Beenz
19 years ago
Alison, keeping the pride of thick males going...I never knew a cold frame was called that either ;-)

Related Stories

BATHROOM DESIGN Upload of the Day: Worry-Free Wood for the Bathroom

By Mitchell Parker

We love this breezy white and wood bathroom from the latest photo uploads. Here’s why it works

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Double Take: This Outdoor Screen Makes Game Day a Snap

By Becky Harris

A Michigan family goes long and wide on their backyard party central with a supersize screen, fire pits and lounging for a crowd

ARCHITECTURE 4 Things a Hurricane Teaches You About Good Design

When the power goes out, a home's design can be as important as packaged food and a hand-crank radio. See how from a firsthand account

LIFE Houzz Call: How Are You Handling the Record-Breaking Cold?

By Mary Jo Bowling

Share your tales, strategies and photos for everything polar vortex

DECORATING GUIDES Rooms We Love: A Mountain Retreat Made for Cold Winter Nights

Ample linen and Ushak carpets put a contemporary twist on cozy Appalachian style in a North Carolina show house

FEEL-GOOD HOME Simple Pleasures: Get Cozy on a Cold Day

By Laura Gaskill

Some things are best when the weather is bad. Heat up some cocoa and join the discussion

DECORATING GUIDES Cold-Weather Sports Gear Heats Up Interiors

By Lisa Frederick

Skis, snowshoes and other wintertime sports equipment pieces are sliding off the slopes and into the home

KITCHEN DESIGN Stay Cool About Picking the Right Refrigerator

By KitchenLab Interiors

If all the options for refrigeration leave you hot under the collar, this guide to choosing a fridge and freezer will help you chill out

FUN HOUZZ Guessing Game: What Might Our Living Rooms Say About Us?

By Samantha Schoech

Take a shot on your own or go straight to just-for-fun speculations about whose homes these could be

KITCHEN DESIGN Houzz Call: Tell Us About Your First Kitchen

By Becky Harris

Great or godforsaken? Ragtag or refined? We want to hear about your younger self’s cooking space

Sponsored