Unique Koi Garden Care

In my mind when I think of a garden I think of plants.  But when I think of my fish in conjunction with the garden I can see the aesthetics improving already.  There are several different kinds of gardens but I will be talking about the Koi variety in this article.  As you may well know, from my past articles, I enjoy my Koi and the garden that surrounds the pond.  The yard is improved by a little garden shed that's in close proximity to the pond.  In the shed, I can easily store all the supplies needed to keep my Koi healthy.  You should consider three things when thinking of a Koi Garden, the pond, the fish and the plant life.

I'm a big advocate of plastic plants in my pond.  My Koi don't tear them up all the time.  Koi look at plants as the salad bar of the fish world.  For that reason, they just don't coexist well.  I've seen some of them actually dig in the soil and knock the plants over.  This usually leads to a murky pond, which is not a very pretty sight.  If you really want live plants in the Koi pond wrap them with netting and cover the tops of the plant pots.  This will usually keep the fish from digging into them.  Pea gravel can help shield the plants roots.  Unless you have a Herculean Koi in the pond they won't be able to get into the pots.  If you leave the tops of the plants exposed remember that the Koi considers them salad to munch on.

One variety of plant that seems to do well in a Koi Garden is water lilies.  You can choose varieties that do will in shallow ponds and others that will adapt better to deep water.  Water lilies don't oxygenate the water, but they will provide shelter and shade and a hiding place from predators. 

In previous articles, I mention the fact that you should keep your Koi pond Deep enough so that a heron can't stand in it.  That means the depth should be at least 4 feet deep, and that it also provides enough room for the fish to thrive and survive in case of predator attacks.  Another reason why you need some depth and size to the pond is that the Koi are going to grow to large lengths and will need the space.  A roomier pond also gives you the possibility of going out and buying more Koi, because you'll be so happy to be caring about such great fish you'll want more.  Now you're going to have to plan just how big you're going to build and plan where you're going to situate it in the Koi Garden.  Remember that placing the pond under a tree will simultaneously provide the garden with shade and camouflage it will keep it from being seen by birds of prey but it will allow foreign matter like leaves to make a mess in the pond.  Please keep in mind to  locate your Koi Garden it in an area that's not going to have any pesticides or dangerous chemicals come in contact with.  It doesn't take much weed killer to make a Koi fish go belly up.

 So when you consider a Koi Garden remember the three major parts; the pond, Koi fish, and last but not least, the plants.  Careful consideration and planning will add to the serenity of your yard.