How to Maintain a Landscape Pond?

Landscape ponds of every type require regular maintenance. The routine of a landscape pond’s seasonal maintenance depends on the size, construction, location, and content of the pond. It is important to keep in mind these factors to maintain a landscape pond.

So, it is significant to know how to maintain a landscape pond whether it is small or large, aboveground, or in-ground. Apart from the plants, other materials from which a landscape pond is built influence the pond’s maintenance requirements. Here are several basic elements that a landscape pond needs:

A sand bed: This offers the resting spot for a liner. For a bed, materials like concrete and clay are not used often.

A liner: This is constructed with flexible synthetic rubber, fiberglass, rigid plastic, or PVC sheeting. The liner comprises the water and averts leaks.

Edging materials: Usually, concrete pavers or stones can be added. Also, edging stops surface water from going into the landscape pond. Thus, it prevents contamination.

Here, we will talk about how to maintain a landscape pond and different efficient ways to keep the water feature look lively round the year.

 

Why Is It Mandatory to Maintain a Landscape Pond?

It is more challenging to maintain a landscape pond than building it. After installing a pond, most people think that they can sit back and reap its advantages without spending more money and time on it. However, it marks just the beginning of the overwhelming maintenance work.

The maintenance of a pond is supposed to begin immediately after its construction. This is something that most people learn later. There are various factors that can affect your landscape pond negatively. You need to take care of these factors if you genuinely want a healthy garden. If you do not maintain the pond accordingly, it could turn into an unhealthy and ugly structure. This is not apt at all to nurture aquatic life.

 

Regular Pond Maintenance Benefits Aquatic Life

Regular landscape pond maintenance is great for aquatic life. People can enjoy an incredible ecosystem by taking care of the water structure and other aquatics. So, people who are raising goldfish, koi, or aquatic plants, they can definitely enjoy nice fish and amazing plants with regular maintenance and proper care of their water features.

 

Maintenance Routines for a Landscape Pond

It seems to be an overwhelming task. However, there are fewer steps to maintain large ponds than the smaller ones. A small pond is more vulnerable to fluctuations in chemistry and ecology. However, every pond requires weekly maintenance, with strenuous work at the growing season’s starting and ending in cold weather. Here are tips to maintain a pond in different seasons.

 

Tips for Maintaining Landscape Ponds in Spring

• Deep clean the bottom of your pond. If needed, drain the pond and then, hose down the liner. It is harmful if dirt accumulates over an inch.
• Discover and fix leaks with a repair kit. All maintenance routine should include this step, which helps in preventing water loss.
• You can reinstall your water filter and pump. If requires, you can replace them too.
• To prevent the build-up of minerals and salts, trickle water at the pond’s bottom for topping off the water level.
• It is significant to skim debris and leaves for preventing toxic gases.
• Put in oxygenating aquatic plants for increasing the oxygen level of the water.
• Divide canned plants for keeping them vigorously grow.
• Start feeding fishes with high-carbohydrate foods for helping them with enhanced activity.
• Shift frost-sensitive plants from the winter storage. In the spring season, move them to the pond after cold weather passes away.
• Sort and plant marsh plants, lotus, and water lilies.
• Put in new submerged and floating plants after the water level reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no risk of frost. This ensures algae stay away!
• Fertilizing potted plants is significant.

 

Tips for Maintaining Landscape Ponds in Summer

• If required, top off the water level. This is significant to prevent mineral and salt buildup. Also, it ensures an apt water balance. If the pond requires water, add small amounts frequently and large amounts occasionally.
• With a kit, examine the water chemistry once a week for chlorine, chloramines, and ammonia. Excessive amounts of such chemicals can kill fishes.
• Trim the overgrown plants and remove dead flowers and leaves. This prevents plant debris and fast growers from overwhelming your landscape pond. Also, remove dead submerged plants if any.
• Check pump intakes and filters for clogs weekly. Clean them if needed.
• Place a bubbler or fountain for increasing aeration for aquatics. Hot water could be oxygen-exhausted.
• Check fishes for unusual behaviors or sores routinely.
• Control the plant pests for maintaining healthy plants if needed. Also, control algae using a bristle brush, pole, or rake.
• Fertilize your potted plants with some fertilizer tablets for aquatic plants monthly.

 

Tips for Maintaining Landscape Ponds in Fall

• Net or skim falling leaves. In case, several trees surround your pond, netting helps to catch the fallen leaves. Fasten the netting using rocks or bricks.
• Lessen fish feeding and completely stop when the temperature of the water moves down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because digestion in aquatic beings slows down in the water. Also, undigested food can kill them.
• Get rid of fish and nonhardy plants indoors for ensuring winter survival. In case, your landscape pond doesn’t freeze solid, shift submerged hardy plants like lotus and water lilies to the pond’s deepest part once you have trimmed off the foliage.
• You need to disconnect the pumps and filter. Drain well and store them inside.
• Also, drain fountains and water lines. If needed, use siphons.

 

Tips for Maintaining Landscape Ponds in Winter

• Floating woods or balls on the surface of your pond can absorb pressure from mounting ice. This helps in protecting the pond.
• Using an air stone or bubbler, save an air hole for fishes and for keeping the water slowly moving. This releases toxic gases and does not let the water freeze.

So, this is how you can maintain a landscape pond in different seasons. It is very important to maintain your pond to enjoy a healthy, beautiful garden. Follow the instructions mentioned above and maintain your landscape pond hassle-free!