Expert Pond Tips
Here are a few general pond tips we recommend to help you with your own pond. These tips are to be used more as a guide, as we still recommend a professional opinion to ensure you are getting the most from your garden!
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Pond Maintenance
Having a pond brings many benefits, not only for your health and well being, but the many amazing wildlife that it brings to your garden. Ponds provide a great refuge and an abundance of food. However, once things start going downhill, that pond becomes an everlasting headache. So here we have put together a “General pond tips” guide that ensures you the best start to enjoying your pond.
Maintenance is a critical component in keeping your pond clean and healthy. As a general rule we like to recommend at least 4 maintenance visits each year to mirror the seasonal changes. With these 4 visits, it allows us to assess the health and condition of your pond throughout the year, being able to fix any problems that may occur.
Maintaining your pond or water feature can be a daunting task, especially to a new pond owner, but don’t worry. While we always recommend a professional pond contractor to ensure maintenance is carried out appropriately, there are a few things that you can do to help alleviate any problems and allow you to enjoy your pond.
Here at Ecoscape Water Gardens we are always trying to help, so here’s a list of hints, in no particular order of importance, that will help you in maintaining your pond.
For further guidance, The Royal Horticultural Society have guides on all aspects of pond care and maintenance.
Pond Fish
Fish are one of the most important aspects of your pond, the enchanting sight of seeing bright oranges, reds, yellows or whites. So why would you not want to see them?
One of the biggest problems we see with fish care is over feeding. Over feeding can cause a number of problems particularly to the health of your fish. Uneaten food breaks down in your pond releasing proteins and waste products that algae thrive on. A general rule we go by is if the pond water temperature drops below 8°C, your fish won't need feeding. If you are still unsure and choose to feed your fish, we then recommend feeding a small handful, if after 5 minutes they have eaten the food, you can feed them another small amount, however if not then stop feeding.
Another problem is overcrowding. Ponds that have a high fish load are always more prone to problems, due to the waste produced. This can become a major if the pond does not have an adequate filtration system.
A general rule we use it to allow 25 cm of fish per square metre of surface area or 55 cm per 1000 litres volume. However, this rule can get technical and may vary depending on types of fish.
Pond Plants
Plants are not only aesthetically pleasing, they provide critical care to your pond. It is plants that will help compete against the algae for those excess nutrients, and prevent your pond from turning green. It is nature's healthier alternative to a UV system, which not only kills the algae but all the healthy bacteria that benefits your pond.
When is the best time to plant?
The best time to plant your pond is the spring due being able to establish itself faster, but you can plant a pond anytime of the year.
How many pond plants?
There is no right or wrong answer, it all depends on the design. If your current pond has adequate filtration you won’t need masses, however, if your pond has no filtration we recommend 50% to 70% of the pond's surface area covered by plants.
Note: plants that thrive can become a problem if left unchecked, to prevent this we recommend thinning, splitting and deadheading throughout the year. When cutting back plants we follow the rule of the 4 D’s (dead, dying, diseased or detail).