Beginners Guide to Maintaining a Pond

A pond is a beautiful addition to any garden, be it a decorative pond for flowers and insects or a water habitat for fish or frogs; the gentle lapping of the water can add a real soothing atmosphere to any garden.

In order to keep your pond healthy and ensure that your investment in a water habitat lasts, there are a few basic maintenance procedures that you need to carry out each season to help keep your pond looking its best and function efficiently.

Your Pond in Spring

Remove any leaves that have fallen into the pond. Their natural breakdown can lead to a chemical imbalance in your pond.

Depending on the size of your pond, remove 10 – 20% of the water using a bucket or a small pump. Replace the water taken with fresh clean water from your garden hose.

If this is the first Spring with your new pond, the it's possible that some of your pond plants may have grown to be a little over bearing. Repot, trim back and split any of your large water plants.

Consider adding friendly bacteria to help maintain a good pond chemistry/environment.

Your Pond in Summer

Refertilise your plants to ensure they have enough food for the coming seasons. Remove any dead or dying plants to ensure that your pond water stays clean.

If you have fish in your pond ensure they are fed will. This is an active time for them! Now is also a good time to clean your pond filter.

Your Pond in the Autumn

Place a net over your pond to catch any falling leaves from nearby trees or bushes. This may sound extreme but it's much easier than fishing the leaves out of the pond.

Your Pond in Winter

If you have tropical plants in or around you pond, now is the time to take them indoors or put them into a green house. Failure to do so will mean that these plants will die during the colder months and begin to decay; altering the chemical balance of your pond.

Finally add a floating deicer to prevent your pond from freezing over. This can be removed in the new year.

For advice about pond maintenance call 08456 589 599