Garden Pond Maintenance

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Important Garden Pond Maintenance over the Year

Natural waters like rivers and lakes have an ecosystem that organizes the self regulation of aquatic flora, fauna and water system. An artificial garden pond needs various maintenances during the different seasons of the year. Special attention should be given to water quality, to avoid excessive algae growth, to cure fish diseases and to control the biological balance in the artificial water garden.
 

How to maintain a Garden Pond

Let the garden pond rest in January
This is the month, when your water garden is hibernating. Don't start any (noisy) work at your garden pond, what may disturb the rest of your pond fish. Just make sure, that the ice on your pond always keeps an open hole for gas exchange and that Koi Pond Heater | Fishpond Heater | Pond De Icer are working without malfunction. If you want to make changes at your garden pond in spring, now is the perfect time, to plan and design new installations in or around your water garden. Start your research for better pond pumps, fountains or an additional pond stream in January.

Pond liner inspection in February
After the ice is gone all plants and pond fish still hibernate and need rest. Pay attention to your pond liner shell and see, if ice and frost have caused damages. You also may check your aquatic plants for frostbites and your fish for diseases by bacteria, fungus, or infections.

Pond cleaning in March
Now, water garden plants and all other pond life awakes from hibernation day by day. As soon as water temperatures stay constantly above 10°C (50°F) your fish will come more often to the surface of the water. Start feeding more often and cut out pond plants that have become to dense, so they can grow better in the upcoming season. Now it's time for a general garden pond maintenance. Clean the pond before summer. Remove dead foliage and mud from the ground with a pond net or a Pond Vacuum Cleaner.

Install water filters and pumps in April
Bring back and install again your Garden Pond Pump & Fishpond Filter, which you had removed and stored at a dry place before winter. All technical pond equipment will not change water quality immediately, but after several days or week you will see an increase. April is the perfect month to add new aquatic pond plants and underwater flora that will help to clear the water and increase water quality as well as your pond technique.

Continuously control of water quality in May
Maintain periodical water quality control and check acidity (pH-factor) as well as hardness of your water and write down all values together with all changes you do in your garden landscape. Guarantee a balanced water quality in your artificial ecosystem. If you own just a small garden pond with only little natural fish food, you should continue feeding at least once a day.

 
Pest control at floating garden pond plants in June
This month, everything is growing great, - all plants are developing and spread and grow blossoms. But the warmer climate also brings worms and other insects to your aqua garden. pest control is necessary now. Check your water lilies, especially their floating leaves for little caterpillars that love to hide under small pieces of the leaf and are capable to eat all foliage. This is even more important, if you are maintaining fish in small garden pond.

Avoid lack of oxygen in warming up waters in July
As soon as air temperatures rise in July, the pond's water is warming up what reduces oxygen increases algae growth. Pond Algae Control is the important fishpond maintenance now! You can get algae out of the water with a pond net or with biological clarifiers. Make sure that your Decorative Water Garden Fountain or your Garden Pond Stream are bubbling constantly, in very hot summer days even day and night to guarantee water circulation and no lack of oxygen.

Check water quality and remove withering Pond plants in August
Keep checking water measurements during the hottest days of the garden pond season. If necessary, help with biological, technical, or chemical pond products to make corrections of pH-factors and water quality. Most water garden plants have grown many flowers and foliage till August. Periodically remove dead foliage and avoid to support the spreading of green algae in the warm fishpond.

Start garden pond cleaning in September
We suggest to make a thorough job of your water garden maintenance in autumn. Clean the pond's ground from mud and all dead vegetation and protect your pond afterwards with a special Garden Pond Netting cover against autumn leaf-fall. The less dead foliage stays in the water the less gases is produced during the process of decay. Pond cleaning in autumn is an essential precaution to help your pond fish to hibernate during the icy months. Be careful when you take out the mud that you do not remove the small buds that your water lilies have grown. These will sprout new leaves and blossoms in spring.

Remove and store pond pumps in October
After water temperatures drop below 10°C (50°F) you should stop feeding your fish or at least reduce feeding and change to more easily digestible fish food. Take pond filters and pumps out of the water, clean carefully and your pond equipment for damages. At last store all pond techniques in a dry, frost-free room. Keep your pond pump in a bucket filled with water. This prevents the pump from drying out and the seals from getting porous.

Prepare the pond for ice and snow in November
Before the cold weather sets in you should cut your reed plant so short that stay still stand above the water surface. This is an important part of pond maintenance that provides even in a frozen backyard pond a minimum exchange of gases. Install Koi Pond Heater | Fishpond Heater | Pond De Icer and test functionality while you winterise your fishpond.

Avoid the pond from freezing through in December
Your aquatic garden has its winter break. Fish and plants hibernate. After Winterizing a Garden Pond you simply have an eye on your Garden Pond Equipment. It should work continuously, prevent the pond from icing through and provide a hole in the ice over your pond that is open all winter to provide the gas exchange. There is no need for further water garden care in December.