Pond Maintenance Tips

A small pond at your backyard is surely an attractive and beautiful addition to the surroundings of your home. Having some aquatic plants and animals around is like owning a small biosphere, more than being just plain decorative garlands. However, a pond needs a lot of care and skillful maintenance, for sustaining the life it contains. Dead plants, weeds, insects, natural decomposed matter and many such things are capable of striking an imbalance in the ecosystem of your pond. Therefore, it is very crucial to take effective and right measures to keep the pond clean and healthy for the life within it to flourish. This article provides you with essential tips on maintaining your pond. Follow these simple steps and keep your pond fresh and healthy all year round.

 

After the harsh weather conditions of fall and winter, it is time to make your pond in sync with the changing weather. The first step would be to remove the water heater from the pond and reinstall the pump and filter. Make sure to clean and repair the filter, before installing it back into the pond. Cleaning of the pond is a quintessential way to maintain its hygiene. In case the water has turned black or there are dead leaves, weeds and decomposed organic matter present, it is advisable to refill the pond with fresh water. Fix and clean the border surrounding the pond. Prune and cut out the plants and shrubs from the surrounding area of the pond, to keep the water fresh, clean and healthy. Check the water level and temperature of the pond, and pour in extra water at regular intervals for the fishes to get used to the new temperature. Start feeding your fishes once the pond temperature reaches to its normal state. Also, check the quality of algae in the water.

Ponds in summer season require a lot of cleaning and refilling. Add water to the pond at regular intervals to avoid evaporation. However, avoid adding plenty of water at a time, as it would disturb the chemical levels and temperature balance in the pond. Make sure to clean the pond’s pump and filters regularly, at least once in a week. Summer is a great time to add in few floating aquatic plants into the pond, to make it look greener. Prune the existing plant, so that the pool looks neat and tidy. Remove the weed and algae and use an aerator to add oxygen into the pond’s water, since algae can suck oxygen out of the water during nightfall.

 

Fall is a season which calls in for some extra effort and attention on your part as a pond owner. Make sure to remove all the filters and pumps, in case the pond does not have any fish. Also, remove all the decorative features, such as misters or waterfalls, which can otherwise get damaged through freezing. Use pond heaters to melt down the layers of ice that get accumulated on your pond during this season. Also, make sure to sift away the falling leaves from your pond. The plants near the pond should be cut back and mulch should be added to border the plants. Fallible plants can be shifted indoors to save you the pain of cleaning the pond.

 

Having a heater or de-icer during winter season, especially if you have fishes in your pond, is the best way to deal with the winter blues. In case you don’t de-ice your pool during winter, methane gets accumulated in the pond water, proving life to be fatal for your lovely piscine friends. Make sure that you even remove the pump and filter from the pond. Eliminate the dead plants, debris or any dry leaves from the pond’s surface. Check the pond’s water level regularly to locate any leaks or evaporation. Remove snow from the surface of the pond and allow the sunlight to enter the pond, so that the water can remain fresh. Throwing a few tennis balls into the pond during snowfall can help alleviate pressure on the pond’s structure.