5 Fall Pond Maintenance Tips
Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping has 5 fall pond maintenance tips for your pond care as well as some advice on DIY (Do it Yourself) vs. Hiring the Professionals. Plus, find out why you’ll want to hire Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping for help with your pond.
Falling leaves are your cue to check your pond and do fall pond maintenance.
Image Source: Pixabay
Fall Pond Maintenance
1. Clear Out Debris
Tips
As the weather gets cooler and leaves start dropping, it is important to keep an eye on your pond and clear out the leaves and debris before they start decaying so that this doesn’t impact your pond’s water quality. You can simply use a long, handheld pond net and scoop out leaves, fallen branches, and other items that don’t belong in your pond.
If your pond’s water is brown, you have too much decaying material. You can also try Aqauscape’s Clear for Ponds product.
Also, make sure to skim the bottom of the pond where leaves and other debris have already sunk and begun to decay.
If you decide you need to get into your pond to do a better job of clearing the bottom, put on a pair of hip waders and beware of slipping and falling on rocks below the surface.
DIY vs Hiring the Pros
Fall pond maintenance is a job you can do on your own, but if your pond has been neglected for a few seasons, you might consider hiring professionals to do a thorough clean out of your pond.
Clearing surface debris is easy with a handheld pond net.
Image Source: Aquascape Pond and Fish Nets
2. Check Equipment
Tips
If you have a pond skimmer like the one from Aquascape below, it is likely doing a great job of clearing your pond of debris. However, with an accumulation of leaves in the fall and frequent fall winds, chances are that some leaves or other muck will get into your pond skimmer’s basket and could potentially clog it up. All you need to do is go in and remove the debris by hand or with a small shovel. You can also check around the basket. Do this more frequently during the fall, at least weekly until the trees near your pond have shed all their leaves.
DIY vs Hiring the Pros
As with clearing debris with a handheld net, you can do this job as well; however, hiring the pros may ensure that your equipment is in good working condition. You also may want to hire the pros to check equipment if you have a larger pond with more extensive features or multiple pieces of equipment.
Watch the video to understand how a pond skimmer, your mechanical filtration system, works.
3. Trim Plants
Tips
Even though most pond owners have perennial pond plants that will survive the winter, you will still want to ensure that your pond is not full of decaying material by trimming back plants and removing any dead plants in your pond. You’ll also want to go around your pond and trim any plants that may hang over your pond and eventually drop into your pond. Don’t worry though - things will grow back in the spring!
DIY vs Hiring the Pros
If you don’t want to get into your pond with a pair of hip waders and rubber gloves on, then hiring the pros for your fall pond maintenance may be the thing to do. They have all the essential gear and professionals like Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping can also advise you on what plants work best for your pond.
4. Check Water Quality
Tips
As temperatures drop and plant life starts to decay, you’ll want to make sure the quality of water is in good shape before winter settles in and things collect in your pond during those long, cold months when your pond is less visited. One way to keep your water in good shape is to add Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria. This concentrated bacteria is designed to keep your pond water clean and healthy in cooler temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius.
This product is safe for fish and other wildlife, too. In fact, if you do have fish in your pond that will be staying through the winter, adding this bacteria is really helpful to reduce the harmful effects of waste in your pond. If you have fish in your pond, you can read more about how to keep your pond fish healthy in our other post, Backyard Pond Fish Care - Keep Your Fish Healthy.
DIY vs Hiring the Pros
If you don’t have the equipment to check the quality of your pond water, or you don’t know what to be checking for, calling for expert help is advisable - especially if you have fish. Professionals can give you wise advice.
Use Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria to keep your pond water clear and healthy.
Image Source: Aquascape Inc.
5. Add a Net
Tips
You can make your fall pond maintenance easier by installing pond netting above the surface of your pond during the autumn months. These nets can be placed over your pond at the end of the summer and removed after the majority of leaves have fallen. You simply remove the net and complete your other maintenance tasks as normal. This will save you from having to remove a lot of debris with your handheld net.
DIY vs Hiring the Pros
This task is pretty straightforward, so you can do this one on your own; however, you might want to purchase netting from the pros. You can get Aquascape products from Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping.
Using pond netting to collect leaves and debris can save you a lot of work!
Image Source: Aquascape Inc.
6. Hire Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping
If you want complete fall pond maintenance done but you don’t feel up to the work, you can hire Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping to do it for you! They offer customers throughout Eastern Ontario a Fall Maintenance and Winterization Package and can also help you decide if you want to keep your pond pump running throughout the winter. They will check your equipment and make sure your pond is in its best shape and ready for the winter months and the following spring when life springs back!
With over 10 years of experience in the pond industry, you can have confidence in contacting Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping.
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