A pond is a beautiful, relaxing feature to have in your garden. They have countless benefits for both the rest of your garden and for the wider environment. But they do require a bit of maintenance to keep them this way. Thankfully, taking care of your pond is simple when you know what to do. So, let’s take a look at how to care for your pond:
Clean it regularly
If left to its own devices, your garden pond will quickly accumulate harmful dirt and debris. Leaves, for example, are one of the biggest threats to your pond’s ecological balance, thanks to the sheer amount of toxic gases they give off as they decay. You can keep on top of floating debris like this by using a skimmer net regularly.
Another thing you’ll need to keep an eye on is the sludge at the bottom of your pond. A pond vacuum is the best tool for the job. Scoop up just the excess mud but leave enough to support the growth of good algae.
Protect your pond from nearby plants
One of the biggest problems for a pond is falling leaves from nearby trees. If you have a tree directly over your pond, it’s impossible to constantly skim the leaves out of your pond. So, why not install a trap net? Once installed and secured with bricks, rocks, or garden ornaments, a trap net will protect your pond from even the smallest garden debris. Then, when the net is full, simply empty it onto your compost heap.
A trap net will also help protect any aquatic animals you may have from predators.
Grow appropriate plants
If you want to introduce new water plants, the best time is during the early summer, as this is when your pond is warmest and most capable of supporting a plant’s growth.
Oxygenating plants like lilies, marginals, marshes and floaters will not only look stunning but will in turn support your pond’s health. To promote the plants’ growth, use a fertilizer every five weeks. If the plants are healthy and organic enough, they can even support some aquatic animals!
When the plants are fully grown, be sure to keep on top of deadheading them and removing their debris from the pond.
Be careful about ice
Up and down Britain, ice is often a problem. In your pond, ice can limit the oxygen to your pond’s ecosystem. So, it’s important to deal with ice in your pond.
If temperatures aren’t too low, float a tennis ball or de-icer on the surface of your pond. This will break up small chunks of ice. Or, if you come out in the morning and see that ice has already formed, melt it with a hot pan. Floating wood on your pond’s surface is another good idea since the wood will absorb the ice pressure. However, never break up the ice with force, to prevent harm to your aquatic life.
Installing a pond heater is another good option, especially if you have fish. You could even fit a cover to insulate your pond against the extreme cold while still allowing light in.
Control algae
The right kind of algae have loads of benefits for your garden pond. They make good food for aquatic animals, for example. However, the wrong algae can be a big problem if they overgrow.
To encourage the right type of algae to grow, introduce other plants that need lots of nutrients. Hyacinth and lettuce are good options for this. Cover plants like lilies also help reduce algae growth by reducing how much light can reach it.
Other options include using dye or algaecides.
Maintain pumps and water features
Maintain pumps and water features
Water features and pumps can be stunning and useful. But, since they run day and night, they can also easily get clogged or damaged.
If your pump or filter gets clogged, it’s important to flush out the debris promptly. With a filter, however, you should only give it a partial clean to avoid killing off the beneficial bacteria.
If your water feature has lines and plumbing, algae bloom and limescale are potential hazards, even in hard water regions. A chemical cleaner is the best way to remove limescale, while algaecides are the best method to blast algae out of those narrow pipes.
We recommend this natural pond treatment to keep your water features and pumps in prime condition.
