It's your new hobby
Maintenance of Garden Ponds
Pond Maintenance: The Owner’s Hobby
A pond is more than just a backyard water feature, more than a decorative element. It is its own little biosphere, fully equipped with aquatic life, both plant and animal and a certain amount of environment in its own space. That doesn’t mean that absolutely nothing can go wrong with the biosphere of a pond or that it doesn’t need a small nudge every now and then to stay on track. Life in the pond environment must exist on a delicate balance. As such it is necessary for the pond owner to pay close attention to the pond and the life it contains. Normally this isn’t too hard, after all ponds are easy to look at and admire on a regular basis. The owner just needs to make a hobby of it. Pay attention to the color of the water. If the fish or frogs haven’t made an entrance in a long time try and remember when the last time was they were spotted in the water. Noticed a pile up of dead leaves on the surface of the water, lately? This can be an indicator that the pond needs some gentle attention.
Throughout the year the backyard pond will need consistent attention in certain areas. In the spring the water is warming back up and the plants are sending out new growth. This is an excellent time to,
- Add new plants or split and replant older plants
- Remove the heater from the water, if you had one in to keep the pond from freezing in the winter
- Drain and clean out the bottom of your pond
When planting new aquatic features in your pond you may find that you have to put on those waders and slosh into the water. Don’t be squeamish after all you know everything that’s in the pond. Owners who have fish in their ponds should attempt to keep the pond from freezing in the winter with a water heater and remember to remove it once spring rolls around. Try to avoid draining the pond of its water. Only do so if there are major repairs needed or a major build up of sludge on the bottom as the process is involved and can harm the aquatic life. If you must do so, late spring is the best time for this.
As summer rolls around you should only need to continue with basic pond chores. Rake the surface of the pond to remove fallen leaves or other floaters. Check the filter and remove any clogged up debris about once a week year round. Make sure to check the PH level about once a month starting in spring. During the spring your pond may develop an algae bloom causing the water to turn green. There nothing to be ashamed about. It happens to almost every pond this time of year.
Do make sure to increase the rate at which you check the PH level when this happens as the algae tends to raise the pH. Fish like water to be about 7.0 to 8.0 pH level, though they can live in ranges up to 10.0 its best not to risk harming them. Make sure you have a good filtration system to encourage the right pH balance and put in a lot of floating plants, such as lily pads which will shade the water and help keep algae blooms under control.
As fall comes you will need to place a net over the water to catch the larger number of leaves that will begin falling. Also make preparations for winter by cutting back the old foliage of your pond plants. If you don’t plan on using a heater to keep the water warm remove the pump, filter and any fountains. In the winter you may need to break the occasional hole in the ice to help noxious gases that have built up to escape.