Spring Pond Maintenance - Top 5 Tips
With spring around the corner, you will soon be thinking about your Spring pond maintenance. Whether you hire an expert from Epiphany Ponds and Landscaping to clean your pond or decide to take on this project yourself, you will want to be prepared. Let's take a look at the top 5 tips for your Spring pond maintenance.
Start your Spring Pond Maintenance in Early Spring
Clean
Take some time to clean out your pond. There will likely be leaves and other debris in your pond which will need to be removed. You will also want to remove excess algae from the pond from the previous year. If you wish to drain out your pond, you can use a clean-out pump to remove dirty water from the pond once you've removed your fish and other critters! Afterwards, you can use a pressure washer to remove debris and scum from rocks and gravel. Don't worry if some algae remains, but do keep in mind that decaying debris and algae will increase algae growth in your pond in the future. What you want is a balanced ecosystem.
2. Check your Tech!
Do an inspection of the following devices:
Filters and filter baskets
Pond pump
Other water features
You’ll want to make sure that your devices are doing their job and are not clogged up by debris like twigs, leaves, sand, etc. Clear the filters easily by running water over them with the garden hose. If you hear your pump making a gurgling sound, it is likely not getting enough water because of debris keeping the water from reaching it. Also, make sure that you don’t have any leaks causing water levels to be too low. Check out the video below from Aquascape for a really helpful guide to pond pump maintenance.
3. Add Nutrients
Spring is a good time to use water treatments to add beneficial bacteria to your pond. These treatments can be added throughout the spring and summer to prevent an overgrowth of algae. You can also fertilize any aquatic plants you have as plants also help control algae growth. Note that if you have fish in your pond, you need to be careful not to overfeed the fish as this will leave extra nutrients in your pond for algae to feed on!
Consider trying Aquascape’s Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria Treatment
4. Add Aquatic Plants
If you haven’t added aquatic plants to your pond before, consider doing so while you are doing your Spring pond maintenance. Some good choices are water lilies or lotus flowers. These plants increase oxygen production in your pond and compete with algae for sunlight which controls the growth of algae.
Plants help control algae and also add interest to your pond.
5. Tidy Up
Once you have finished your Spring pond maintenance, don’t forget about your pond’s surroundings. Trim surrounding plants and grasses, spruce up your rock designs (or add new ones), clean up any decorative garden items, and think about what you might like to add for the enjoyment of your pond during the new season. Consider adding some lighting for those summer evenings or a fountainscape, a small decorative water feature that can stand alone, apart from your pond because of it’s own water reservoir.
Here is one example of a fountainscape.
And be sure to relax and enjoy your pond after you have completed your Spring pond maintenance!
If you feel like Spring pond maintenance is just too much for you to do yourself, Epiphany Ponds can offer you some help. They’ve been in the business since 2011! Clearwater offers a Baseline Spring Cleanout Service for ponds that are 100 sq. ft. or less and a Deluxe Spring Cleanout Service for ponds that are 100 - 200 sq. ft. Both services provide you with the following:
Clean biological and mechanical filter
Check lights for proper functionality
Clean and reconnect pump for the season
Detoxify pond water, making it safe for the fish and plants
Acclimate pond fish back into their environment
If you need expert advice or professional assistance , contact Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping today.
Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping
Serving Eastern Ontario since 2011
905-242-4521
epiphanyponds@outlook.com