Seasonal Pond Mainenance

Seasonal Pond Maintenance

Spring Cleanout
*Every pond needs a spring cleanout. This eliminates any old mucky leaves and sludge left over from the previous season, and helps keep the water clear. If this is too hard or too mucky for you to do yourself, we can do it for you. Give us a call, and we'll put you on the schedule.
The pond is drained, hosed down, and pumped out until clean. Also, rinse out the gravel filter if you have one. When everything is rinsed clean, everything that has been removed can be put back. Generally, the rocks are not removed from the pond, although some rebuilding of the pond may be needed due to rocks being dislodged during the winter, and during the cleanout. After the pond is clean and in good physical shape, you can fill it up with water. If your fish have spent the winter outside in the pond, they can go back in the pond when the water is ready--free of any chlorine if present. New fish or fish that wintered indoors must wait until the water is consistently warm enough (55-60degrees recommended).
**Bacteria are added, and you can start up the system again (waterfalls etc.) Your pond water needs to be 60°F before adding new greenhouse-grown hardy plants, and 70°F before introducing new tropicals.
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*We recommend a spring cleanout on every pond, however very large ponds (10000gal+) may not require a spring cleanout every year, since the system may remain a balanced ecosystem, and may not acquire significant sludge accumulations.
**To keep a pond naturally balanced, we add start-up doses of (good) bacteria to the water. These bacteria colonize on the rocks and gravel and break down sludge and keep the water clear. A brief algae bloom is normal in the early spring while the system is reestablishing itself. If the problem persists, stop by the nursery and ask us about it. For additional bacteria information, please refer to this link: Pond Facts and Maintenance .................................................................

Fall Closeup
In our climate, in the fall, you need to close down your water feature for winter. Any pumps/fountains etc are removed and the pumps are stored out of the frost in a plastic bag or in water to keep the seals moist. (If the seals dry out, the pump will not work) If you have an automatic fill device with a float, this should be removed and stored out of the frost. The automatic fill line should be disconnected and blown out with an air compressor. Dead and leafy vegetation is cut off and removed, and excess fallen leaves are removed if desired. (It speeds up the spring cleanout, and is a must if you are wintering fish in the pond) To catch the fish the pond must be partially drained, but then the pond should be refilled to protect the hardy plants. Wintering fish in the pond is treated separately.

Again, if you would like us to do this, give us a call, and we can put you on the schedule.
Usually, this is done in late October, but it does depend on the weather!!