Our Autumn Winter Prep is a two-part product containing a liquid and dry component. Think of them as two different products for the same season (Autumn-Winter), the end of the season! The liquid (in the bottle) is your interim beneficial bacteria to inoculate the pond, especially for those of you who have not found the excellence of Microbe-Lift/PL for your pond. Fifty Fahrenheit is the mark that determines “active” versus “dormant” in the pond. Plants will go dormant and all vegetation will die back; fish will become ready to enter dormancy (torpor) where they no longer require food; and UV lights are removed from the pond, stored safely until spring. Live beneficial bacteria will now be limited to that in Autumn Winter Prep. It is your job to bring the UV light in and to remove dead vegetation. Any dead vegetation left in the pond will only contribute to the organic waste.
- START USING THE LIQUID: when the leaves begin to change color in your area. Follow the directions on the bottle (or box).
- START USING THE PACKETS: when the leaves begin to fall in your neighborhood.
- Choose the size of AWP according to the volume of your pond. If your pond is over 2,501-gallons, you will need to use 2 of the water-soluble dry packets per month. You also need to use 16 oz. of the liquid as your first application, so the small box of AWP is not big enough for you. For your pond, you need the gallon size AWP.
- If your pond 2,500-gallons or smaller, you will buy the small size with 32 oz. bottle in it. These ponds only need to use 1 of the water-soluble dry packets per month.
AWP packets contain strong psychrotrophic* bacteria to work in the cooling waters of fall and winter. They also contain cellulase enzymes in a bran base. The only thing visible will be the bran base because bacteria and enzymes are microscopic. Both will work together to provide a cleaner pond going into the active (spring) season when fish come out of torpor and plants again begin to sprout new growth.
*It is not true psychrophilic (cold water) since the bacteria in Autumn Winter Prep does not have optimal growth at low temperatures like psychrophilic do… the bacteria will still grow, but not as quickly as it will when the temperature increases.
The REASON TO USE THE PACKETS:
During the winter, winds penetrate and carry leaves and particles through almost any leaf barrier that has been erected to keep them out of the pond. The cellulase enzymes are specifically added to digest and break down cellulose organics, such as leaves, leaf particles and dead vegetation in the pond. The enzymes produced by the bacteria are not limited to cellulose reduction. They can also do sludge reduction and some odor control.
The outer casing is water-soluble, so the packets can be tossed into the pond and allowed to dissolve by themselves. Or, they can be pre-dissolved by allowing them to be placed in a bucket of warm water. When they dissolve into the bucket, it should be stirred and then walked around the pond for specifically targeting problem areas, such as under overhanging trees in ponds without winter netting.
