Growing hybrid grapes is becoming more popular for wine and eating. This popularity comes from the fact that hybrid grapes can be grown in areas where the traditional European grapes cannot survive. It also comes about because more and more people are growing grapes in their backyard to produce their own vintage wine.

What are hybrid grapes? To answer this question, we must look back in history about 100 years to when the European vineyards were being decimated by the phylloxera louse that had been brought from North America. The European grape species, Vitis vinifera, is extremely susceptible to this louse. Vineyard after vineyard was succumbing to this imported pest as well as to grape diseases that had also come from America.

But Native American species of grapes had evolved with the pest and were resistant to its attacks on the vine’s roots. In an effort to save the wine industry in France, some individuals began to cross breed the European and American species to obtain new varieties that had the wine characteristics of the European grapes and the resistance to the phylloxera louse and other diseases that the American grape species possessed.

It is from these breeding programs that the original hybrid grapes were grown. At first, the grape varieties produced were no better than their American parents. But as time has gone on, more complex hybrids have been made and the quality of the grapes has increased. Today, wines made from some hybrid grape varieties even rival the wines made in California and other traditional wine producing areas.

The way you grow hybrid grapes depends upon the varieties you choose. Some varieties’ growth habit resemble their American parents while others grow like their European parents. And then there are those that are in-between in their growth habit. The growth habit of the variety will dictate what type of trellising system you will use to grow them. It also will dictate how the vines are pruned.

European varieties and hybrids that take after them tend to grow upright. These varieties will need a vertical shoot positioning trellis system that allows you to tie up the shoots as they grow upward. American varieties and hybrids that resemble them have a growth habit that droops. These vines are usually trained to a high wire about six feet off the ground and the shoots are allowed to grow downward over the growing season.

You can find a hybrid variety that will grow in almost anywhere in the United States. Alaska is about the only state you won’t find one adapted to. The right hybrid grape variety for your location is dependent upon the percentage of native species found in the cross. Varieties adapted to northern locations tend to have a high percentage of the native Vitis riparia that lives in areas where the winters can go as low as -35F. Southern varieties generally have Vitis aestivalis in their background if from the southeast or other native species if found in areas like Texas.

Grape hybrids often are known by only the breeder’s number. They may be called S.V 5-276 or S. 7053. Only the best of hybrids have a true name, such as Foch or Seyval. These named varieties have shown their worth over many years and are usually being used to make wines commercially where a name is important on the label.

Growing hybrid grapes may mean having to deviate from the traditional grape growing methods. Some grape hybrids produce way too much fruit because of hybrid vigor. You will have to remove some of the fruit early in the growing season to prevent them from over-bearing and succumbing to premature death. Each variety will behave slightly different. You will have to get to know the grape varieties you grow and adjust accordingly.

The big question is which varieties to grow? The answer to this depends on where you live. You must buy varieties that are adapted to your region. Some hybrid grape varieties mature their fruit in 135-140 days while others need 170 days or more to get ripe. The goal is to have ripe fruit so be sure that you’re not growing a long season variety in a short season.

Hybrid grapes also vary in how winter hardy they are. Make sure that you get a very hardy variety if you live where the winters are cold. Or a southern adapted variety if you live where there’s hot humid summers and long growing seasons. Winter hardiness is not the concern under those conditions.

What you are going to use the fruit for is also a concern when picking the right variety. Most hybrids have been developed to make wine. But there are varieties for eating too. Most of the grape varieties that you buy locally at a greenhouse or nursery are eating varieties. You will need to go online to find wine varieties for sale.

If you’re passion is to grow grape vines in your backyard either for wine or eating, I suggest that you look into hybrid grapes. These have been bred to get the best of the tastes of the European grapes combined with the resistances and winter hardiness of the native grape species. Whatever your growing conditions are, you’ll find a hybrid grape variety that is adapted to your area and needs.

Jim Bruce has been growing grapes since 1974. He is currently conducting grape research at his Rist Canyon Vineyards. Jim has just written a Tips for Growing Grapes eBook that can be found at: http://www.grapegrowingbook.com

Unfortunately, sunlight is not enough.

Your water lilies will grow, thrive, and bloom much better if you get in the habit of fertilizing them regularly.

The good news is — It’s Easy!

you can either remove your water lily from the pond to fertilize them, your sometimes you can even do it with the plants still in the pond…

I prefer to remove them so I can inspect to see if they are becoming overgrown, and possibly need dividing. This is really the best way, and a good time to kill two birds with one stone.

So, first - remove the pot from the pond. Then drain out any excess water, so you can see the surface of the soil and Rhiozome..

Next, here’s a trick I use to fertilize my lilies quickly and easily…

Have a fairly wide tipped flathead screwdriver nearby, and then use it to punch a clear path into the soil and through the existing roots. Then give it a good twisting to hollow our your hole.

You’d be surprised how hard it can be to push a fertilizer tab down into a dense root pack - so try this next time and tell me if it isn’t 100% easier.

Now that you have your ‘holes’ dug - take 3-4 water lily fertilizer tabs out (we like the Tetra Pond fertilizer tabs), and push them down into the holes with your index finger..

That’s it — you’re done!

Then just cover up the holes and top off the plant with some fresh dirt, as we discussed in our last article - and you’re ready to move onto the next one.

Once you’ve fertilized all your lilies, just slowly lower them back into the pond..

Here’s another trick I use - Don’t just drop the pot back into the pond, as trapped air bubbles can sometimes uproot the lily or some soil..

This is espcecially true new pottings, as the soil has not been properly ’set’. Here’s what I do:

Lower the pot into the water, just enough to fill it with water, then raise back up out of the water until you see all the air bubbles disappear.

Do this a few more times, until you think you’re removed all the air bubbles from the pot - then slowly lower it down into the pond.

There’s nothing more frustrating than having a newly potted lily (or any plant) suddenly lift up out of the pot, dumping dirt all over the pond, and having to be repotted.. I’ts happened to me more than once..

So that’s it for now, in our next article, we’ll talk about trimming and pruning water lilies…

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Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************

Most now-old-fashioned composting methods are actually labor intensive and often a little too slow for my taste and purposes. The pile must be turned to re-introduce air into colonies of oxygen-starved bacteria, fungi and other organisms. Now there’s an easier way which incorporates very nearly all basic composting principles but which vastly improves two crucial factors: aeration and time.

Here’s my system for producing finished "black gold"—fully decomposed, rich, dark, nutrient-saturated, almost totally weed- and pathogen-free organic matter ready to be worked into garden soil…in 21 to 28 days, with no turning—REALLY!

The Enclosure. A diversity of materials may be used for the enclosure—concrete blocks, timbers, wire mesh or boards, for example—but for economy’s sake, I have constructed my "no-turn, self-aerating, 21-day" compost bin from salvaged pallets commonly used by truckers in the transport of equipment or supplies. Other sources of these used—oftentimes perfectly usable—pallets are large hardware stores, plumbing and heating suppliers, lumber yards…and don’t overlook your local landfill or waste transfer station. A friend or neighbor who works at large discount stores or on construction sites may be of some help, as well. As interest in using recycled or salvageable pallets increases, it is likely that you may have to pay for them. $5 would not be an unreasonable amount for sound, fully-intact pallets. Most medium-to-full-size automobiles are wide enough in the trunk to accommodate one or two pallets.

Recall that biological composting does not rely on bright light and sunshine, so you can secrete your bin in a dark corner of the yard, behind shrubbery or "back in the woods" where it won’t be seen. Place the least attractive pallet on level ground where you want your compost pile to reside. This base or "foundation" allows air circulation (remember that free air movement is key to the composting process) and prevents tree roots from creeping in and feasting on your compost. You might consider nailing additional narrow strips on this "foundation" pallet between each top-surface board, leaving just enough space for air to pass without difficulty, while preventing your shredded garden wastes from falling through. Half-inch gaps work for me. You could also use saplings instead of sawn strips.

Next, stand the remaining four pallets on edge with the closely-spaced boards facing inward and vertical (perpendicular to the ground) to form a box just outside of the foundation pallet. Lash them together using wire or synthetic cord (so it won’t decay in a few weeks). I’ve used the same two-foot lengths of plastic clothesline cord for years. Later, you’ll want to untie the pallet which constitutes the "front" in order to access finished compost—so select your knots carefully.

Allowing For Maximum Air Circulation. Important to the function and success in this new system are appropriate length sections of salvaged 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" black plastic water or PVC drain pipe. Most discount salvage stores (here in Maine we call them "Mardens") sell such pipe for a fraction of what the same material would cost at a builder’s supply.

You’ll need ten or twelve lengths about 4-1/2 feet long. Use a half-inch "spade" drill bit and an electric drill to create random perforations about every four or five inches all around the pipe. Precise spacing is not important. All right - ready?

Let’s assume you’ve gathered all your shredded "greens" and "browns" and are ready for some serious composting action. I like to mix these two main ingredients together before tossing them into the pile. Place a layer of mixed material 4" to 6" deep on the foundation pallet of your new, high-efficiency, low-cost, no-turn composting bin. Make certain that the material’s moisture level is adequate (it should feel like a wrung-out kitchen sponge) and do not press the layer down. Place two of your perforated aeration pipes on top of this layer so the cut ends protrude through the side pallets. Space a pipe about 16" in from each side so, when you look down at the layer’s surface, it looks as if it’s been divided into thirds. Recall that I suggested making the boards in your pallet walls stand vertical. Perforated aeration pipes can now slide down freely as the pile settles during the accelerated composting process. Had those boards been placed horizontal, your pipes would have hung up, bent—and possibly "kinked"—in a short time. You can guess what that’ll do to the flow of air into the pile.

Now it’s time for a second six-inch layer of shredded material followed by a second set of perforated pipe at right angles to the ones in layer #1, below. Continue, layer by layer, adding another set of pipes to each layer as you go, until you’ve reached the top (and the end of your supply of pipes). Remember to alternate the direction of each layer of perforated pipes. It is not necessary to install aeration pipes above the top layer. But it is recommended that you lay on an additional 4" or 5" layer of some coarse, insulating organic material like pine needles or whole leaves. This insulating layer allows generated heat to penetrate all the way to the top of your mixed material, thereby destroying most—if not all—weed seeds, undesirable insects, and plant pathogens.

What happens next is pure simplicity and efficiency! Mass temperature immediately begins to rise until, between 48 and 96 hours later, it has topped out at between 140° and 160° (F). As bacterial decomposition consumes oxygen in the process, air passes through the aeration pipes to replenish supplies. As material quickly decomposes, the pile begins settling. In about seven to ten days, temperatures will have begun to fall until, by the end of about 3 weeks, it should have reached ambient outside air temperature and the pile’s mass will have shrunk to a little over half its original size.

There is one small problem, however, which must be dealt with during the high-heat stage. Because fresh, cool outside air is flowing through the perforated pipes—and therefore into the pile—a small area of the mix near each perforation will remain cool enough to prevent the destruction of seeds and pathogens by heat. To overcome this small handicap, it is recommended that, for one 24-hour day (only) about 3 days into the high heat stage, the open ends of each aeration pipe be plugged, thereby allowing high heat to thoroughly penetrate throughout the mix. At the end of this 24-hour period, remove the plugs, and the process continues essentially unaffected by the missing days’ worth of air. Wadded-up newspaper makes a good temporary plug.

It’s done! Actually, I like to allow the finished product to just sit there for another week or two to stabilize. At this rate, given a large enough supply of greens and browns, you should be able to produce nearly a square yard of finished compost every five weeks. You guess what that’ll do to the health of your garden—and your success rate!

The information contained in this article was taken from the free downloadable book by the author, Fred Davis, "Keys To The Garden Gate," at http://www.HillGardens.com/

Fred Davis is a Master Gardener, Master Composter, lecturer, and long-time nurseryman. He and his wife, Linda, own and operate a popular perennial nursery in Palermo, Maine, and maintain a no-frills, no cookies, no-login gardening information website at: http://www.HillGardens.com/

Notice any fish disappearing lately? While herons are present year-round, water gardeners notice the challenges they bring to the pond in spring and early summer when herons feed their young.

An adult heron needs about 13 ounces of food daily, which is equivalent to three 6" koi. If herons find an easy source of food (i.e. colorful fish in a shallow pond), they’ll return on several consecutive days. They can quickly decimate your fish population.

They’re generally shy birds who typically visit early in the morning or in the evening, when everything is quiet.

Prevent herons from attacking your fish with these simple precautions. If you do lose some fish, don’t resort to harming or killing the herons; they are a protected species.

• Netting: The most effective deterrent for herons is to suspend a net 6"-12" above the pond surface. Make sure the net is taut and cannot fall into the pond if the heron tried to land on it and spear the fish through it.

• Heron Scarers: Some work on a "trip-wire" basis, producing a loud noise while others use a sound inaudible to the human ear. Others sense the presence of heron using infrared detection, and scare them away by spraying a high-pressure jet of water.

• Plastic Herons: Based on the principle that herons are territorial and don’t feed close to one another, artificial plastic herons are popular. Unfortunately, they aren’t effective year-round. In late winter and early spring, herons’ search for a mate may actually attract more herons to your pond.

• Pond Design: Dense growths of tall marginal plants or shrubs around the pond will limit the herons’ access to the water. Ensuring the pond side is steep and the water is 8"-12" below the edge of the pond also helps since the heron will not be able to reach the fish.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************

Some of us would live in our gardens if we could. To be surrounded by the lush beauty of nature and growing things, the soothing sounds of the wind rustling leaves, the buzzing of bees and the sweet trill of the birds is the ultimate in luxury - but it’s impractical for most of us. What’s not impractical, though, is using a garden shed as a garden office to leave at least some of the stresses of every day work behind.

If you work from home, you know how important having your own space for an office is. It may mean taking over a spare bedroom for your desk and computer, or refinishing a basement room to take you out of the hustle and bustle of the family. Even if you live alone, being ‘in the office’ adds a psychological nudge that makes you feel like you’re at ‘work’ rather than lounging around the house and subject to distraction. More and more, those who work at home are opting to outfit a garden shed and using it as a garden office.

So popular an option is using a shed as a garden office, that the BBC has reported on it in their online Magazine. According to correspondent Giles Wilson, using a shed as a garden office is a high-priced luxury conversion - but we have our doubts. For the average work-at-home business mom or pop, managing a web site, or selling out of their homes, high end items like 36 power outlets and a full security system aren’t necessary. Instead, one could turn a shed into a garden office for far less money - and still enjoy all the benefits of using a shed as a garden office.

First, consider your needs. Do you already have a garden shed? In the house where I grew up, the garden shed was a magical little haven that exactly matched our house in color and style - a tiny little room just the right size to fit a desk and chair and a few office cabinets. For someone like me, a professional writer working at home, converting the garden shed to a garden office would be a simple matter of adding a few outlets - there’s electricity there already - and insulating the walls for the winter.

Consider your needs before you start dreaming though. Will you need to run wiring from the house to the shed? Add in the cost of the electricians, then. If you’re in an area with cold winters or hot summers, will you need insulation, heat and air conditioning? Remember, it’s more than just your comfort you need consider. When you’re using a shed as a garden office, you also need to consider the ‘comfort’ of your equipment. Most electrical equipment - computers and the like - are happiest if the temperature is kept at around 68 F. What about phones? Will you need a land line with multiple extensions - or will your cell phone do just fine? For that matter - with a good wireless connection, can you make do with a laptop and docking station for your computing needs?

Using a shed as a garden office can be a wonderful option - and depending on your needs, it can be extremely affordable - or pure luxury. Think it through, make your plans, and then decide if it’s worth it to have a beautiful, comfortable office that makes your workday a pleasure.

Garry John has contributed to many home improvement sites such as garden offices and sun rooms.

Many people have asked us over the years "Should I add goldfish or KOI (or both) to my pond? The answer is "it depends."

Goldfish are better suited to smaller water gardens and ponds, in the 50 - 500 gallon range. Goldfish are extremely hardy and easy to care for, which makes them the perfect choice for the new pond owner or water gardener.

KOI Feeding

KOI, on the other hand, require a little more knowledge and better water quality in most cases, than goldfish and are better suited to the more experienced pond keeper. KOI generally thrive best in ponds over 500 gallons (the bigger - the better.)

This is becuase KOI can grow quite large and therefore require more water in the pond for proper biological breakdown of waste. KOI are also more expensive (and harder to replace) than goldfish, so this should also be taken into account before filling your new pond full of KOI fish. More considerations…

Goldfish are an excellent choice for the average water garden that is usually also full of a variety of potted plants. Lilies, Lotus, Iris, and submerged annuals - these all do well in a water garden pond with goldfish. Goldfish will not disturb the plants, and will enjoy playing around under the lily pads without disturbing the plants.

Pond Goldfish

Japanese KOI on the other hand, and especially the larger ones, will often create a huge mess out of submerged potted plants. They seem to enjoy ‘digging’ in the soil of the plants and sometimes even knocking them over. This all leads to added mess in the pond, and can create a real problem for the pond owner.

Generally, it’s best to not have submerged plants in large pots, when also keeping KOI. The ideal KOI pond is much deeper than the average water garden, so the necessity for plants to help with water quality and shade is reduced.

However, if you still do want to keep potted plants in your KOI pond, we recommend wrapping netting over the tops of the pots, to keep the fish from digging in the pots. Another thing you can do is to top the pots with 1" of pea gravel, and then larger river stones or similar over that. The KOI will not be able to get past the larger rocks.

As far as mixing Goldfish with KOI, this is fine and very common, we’ve just tried to highlight the most important differences between the two and between the average water garden and KOI pond. Feel free to experiment with both, and then decide which fish is more to your liking.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************

Accessorizing your greenhouse isn’t quite the same as accessorizing any other ‘room’ in your home. Greenhouse accessories aren’t a fashion statement - they’re functional things like shelves, misters, irrigation systems, covers and heaters that increase the functionality of your greenhouse. What greenhouse accessories should you consider if you’re building a new (or refurbishing an old) greenhouse? It depends a great deal on how you use your greenhouse and where it is.

Among the greenhouse accessories you might consider are thermometers and humidity gauges, automatic plant misting systems, plant lighting options, soil sterilization and treatment kits, potting benches, specialty shelving systems that can create mini-greenhouses within the greenhouse, shades and shelters and venting and roof openers.

Potting benches

Potting benches are one of the most useful greenhouse accessories you’ll invest in. Generally, a potting bench has one or two shelves to hold potting supplies like pots, dirt and fertilizer, and a slatted top with a tray to make it easy for you to clean. By keeping all your potting supplies on one easy to move potting bench, you save yourself all sorts of steps and labor and keep everything you need close at hand.

Greenhouse shelving

There are a number of different styles of specialty shelving for greenhouses that can be counted as greenhouse accessories. Grow shelves are aluminum frames into which you can fit seedling trays. Grow shelves often come with UV stabilized plastic covers to create greenhouse conditions within the greenhouse for starting new plants or isolating specialty plants that need different conditions than standard.

Misting Propagation Systems

One of the most important factors for healthy growth and propagation of plants is the moisture in the air. Automatic misters can maintain the high humidity needed by rooting plants. They’re available with timers that you can set to mist the entire greenhouse at specified intervals, or with moisture sensors that will send out a cooling mist whenever the moisture content of the air falls below a specific density. A misting propagation system can be one of the important greenhouse accessories in a greenhouse that grows tropical plants, or in which you intend to often start plants from leaf cuttings. There are many choices that can be both affordable and useful.

Rainwater Systems

For the eco-conscious gardener with a greenhouse, rainwater systems allow you to collect rainwater via gutters and downspouts and reuse it for irrigation and watering of your plants. Remember the old-fashioned rain barrel? Welcome to the modern version, which will automatically recycle rainwater for use in your greenhouse.

Lighting Greenhouse Accessories

Grow lights are one way to increase the amount of available full-spectrum light for your plants, particularly during northern winters when days are short. They come in full kits that include wiring, or as individual lights that can be set up for specific purposes.

Whatever the needs for your greenhouse, you’ll find greenhouse accessories that are specially designed to fit the needs and help you grow lush, beautiful plants with a minimum of effort.

Garry John contributes to many http://www.home-improvement.web.com home improvement and garden sites such as http://www.greenhouses.gb.com greenhouses and http://www.uk-conservatories-online.co.uk conservatories.

Summer is over, but for many of us - the heat remains. Here a couple of things to do to keep your fish healthy and your pond clear going into winter. First, remember to keep your pond well aerated. This is very important to your fish because the pond water actually holds less oxygen at higher pond temperatures. So if it’s still hot in your part of the country, keep those waterfalls and fountains running! This will keep your pond water full of oxygen, and reduce stress on your fish.

If you see your goldfish or KOI gasping at the surface, it’s a good sign that you don’t have enough dissolved oxygen in the water, and this can be dangerous. Especially if you have a lot of green water algae in the pond. This algae can absorb much of the oxygen in the pond water at night and cause very low dissolved oxygen levels during the day - which can be deadly to fish!

One thing we recommend this time of year, is to do a partial water change. Drain off 10 - 25% of your total pond volume, and replace it with fresh, new dechlorinated water. If possible, vacuum or drain decaying organic matter and debris off the bottom to reduce the ponds bio-load.

Your fish will usually be vibrant and playful after a water change. It’s like giving them a ‘breath of fresh air’ and invigorates them. Again, we only recommend a 10 - 25% water change right now - but feel free to experiment with whatever works best for your pond.

Remember to re-add your pond salt whenever you drain and add new water. Having a salt water test kit is also helpful, or a digital salinity meter, to determine optimum salt levels.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************

A gazebo is like a time machine, transporting us back to days of long ago, when brass bands played bright marches in bandstand gazebos in courthouse squares of small towns on Sunday afternoons. When gentlemen tipped their hats to ladies walking with colorful parasols, and life was so much less stressful.

What can be more pleasant than a sunny day spent relaxing in the shade of a gazebo, with the cool breeze flowing through? And, for unmatched elegance, what bride could be more proud than one saying her wedding vows within the pristine protection of a gazebo?

Homeowners would be hard pressed to find a construction project that adds more extra value to their property than a backyard gazebo.

Whether it’s an aromatic cedar wood gazebo, a practical gazebo clad in easy-to-clean vinyl, a durable metal gazebo, or an exotic Asian style gazebo, there is nothing else like it to make visitors smile with delight and homeowners glow with pride. Children find gazebos especially fascinating stimulants for their young imaginations.

For all these reasons and more, gazebos attract us like powerful magnets. So, whether you build a gazebo from plans or blueprints, assemble a gazebo kit, or arrange for a contractor to build your gazebo, you’ll be making more than a good investment to increase your property value. You’ll be creating a tangible link with the past, back to a simpler, happier time, when life was more quiet and serene. You’ll be building an oasis where your stress and cares will melt away, your nerves will calm down, and a smile will return to your heart.

Marlie Parsons is a consultant for the First Gazebo Info website. Visit 1st-gazebo.info.

For many people, it’s never been a question of whether to use a submersible pump vs. an external pump because most people have smaller ponds and are used to just using a submersible pump. They’re easy to install, and are pretty reliable - so why even consider an external pump?

There are a couple of reasons…

But before we go into that, let’s briefly talk about the benefits of submersible pumps first. For obvious reasons, a submersible pump is named as such because it is designed to be placed in the pond, and submerged under the water.

These are the easiest of all pumps to install, just drop them in the water and plug them in - and you’re ready to do. Of course, you might have some quick plumbing to do, attaching a hose to the waterfall or to a submersible filter (another article entirely), but other than that - that’s pretty much all there is to it.

Submersible pumps range in size or gallons per hour, from 50 GPH all the way up to 50,000 gallons per hour, but for most ponds - pumps anywhere from 350 GPH to 4000 GPH will do just fine…

So why might you also consider an external pump instead?

Here are a couple reasons. First, external pumps can much more energy efficient. Now, a typical swimming pool or spa pump won’t usually fall into this category - so be careful not to compare apples to oranges! Pool pumps can also be huge energy hogs, so always check the amps to compare different pumps together. Anything over 10 amps will draw a significant amount of $$ out of your pocket every month in electrical costs.

The external pumps that we are talking about are designed specifically for ponds and water gardens, and are engineered for energy efficiency. I’m not sure why those folks in the swimming pool and spa industry haven’t figured out how to this yet, but I’m sure they’ll catch on sooner or later.

I’m inclined to think the average pond owner is a bit more intelligent than the average pool owner. Why else would someone choose a pool over a pond? Unless of course you have both, but at any rate - let’s just assume that we’re talking about external pond pumps here.

For comparison, a typical 4000 GPH (gallons per hour) submersible pond pump will typically draw anywhere from 10 amps all the way up to 15 amps, depending on the brand. This can really burn a hole in your wallet (or pocketbook) on a monthly basis, and in some parts of the country will run you $50 - $70 in energy costs.

In contrast, a comparatively rated external pond pump like the William Lim Wave I External Pump (https://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Pumps/wave_pump_for_ponds.htm) is rated at 4380 GPH at 3.47 feet of head, and only draws 2.3 amps - that’s 3/4 less energy consumption than the submersible pumps.

When you start getting into larger ponds, 1000 gallons up to 20,000 and above - it’s usually a good idea to look into these more energy efficient pumps. For example, the 3/4 HP Dragon pump (https://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Pumps/dragon_pumps.html) will move 7,770 GPH at almost 5 feet of head (and under pressure) and only burn 6.2 amps.

External pumps are almost always better for using with pressurized external filters as well, as submersible pumps are not designed to handle all the back pressure. Other benefits of using an external pump include:

-> Easy to clean without getting your hands messy

-> Come with a removable leaf trap which clog less often

-> Easy to hook up to bottom drains or surface skimmers

-> Generally last longer, and easier to repair / replace parts

So that’s it, more than enough information for you to make an educated choice.

Just to recap:

For smaller ponds, and for simple installation and daily use, submersible pumps are probably your best option. For larger ponds, 1000 gallons and above, it may be worth looking into an external pump for your needs. Although they cost a little more on the front end, the energy savings alone can often more than offset this increase in cost during the first year of use alone.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
‘New Pond Owners Guide’ visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************