There is no doubting that a water feature of any form is a wonderful focal point in any garden. But, for many of us it is perhaps the thought of all the maintenance that is potentially required to keep it healthy and looking good, which puts us off having one in our own gardens.
Garden pond maintenance spring checklist
I guess I speak for most of us in the UK, that we are longing for the warmer, sunny days which Spring brings. So, while we still have a few weeks to go, it’s important to schedule in spring pond care for when the days do start to get warmer. Spring will also become evident when fish start swimming around more energetically and plants are poking green shoots above the water. Continue reading
Prevent fish pond icing over in winter
Pond heaters or pond de-icers are a necessary pond accessory for all Koi or other fish keepers as it is important that the pond water is kept at a stable temperature to ensure a healthy environment for fish during the cold winter months. Continue reading
Ground preparation before laying pond liner and protective underlay
It is important to prepare the ground properly before laying down the protective pond underlay and pond liner. Thorough preparation will reduce pond maintenance in the long-term and prevent damage to your pond liner. As you prepare the ground for the pond, save any turf removed to fill bare spots in the lawn once your pond is constructed: Continue reading
Garden Ponds Made Easy: Pre-Made Pond Liners
Did you ever wonder how folk got some of the great shapes for their yard ponds? You will see them in many different shapes and sizes, and they look like some professional pond builder spent hours digging and shaping them. Seeing one of these can make you leery about trying to build a pond on your own. After all, you know you can’t design anything virtually as nice, and you wouldn’t understand how to construct it if you did. So how about if I told you that you can have one of these intricately-designed pools without hiring a professional landscape artist? All you need is a powerful back to dig a hole and a preformed pond liner. Continue reading
Spring Pond and Pond Liner Maintenance
As a garden pond owner there are seasonal procedures you should do to your pond in addition to maintaining it regularly. Regular pond maintenance will ensure the life of your pond liner and pond. By giving the fish and plants, which inhabit your pond the best ongoing care and attention will give you a much better chance of a clear, well balanced pond.
Garden Ponds Made Easy: Flexible Pond Liners
Did you ever wonder how folks got some of the great shapes for their garden ponds? You will see them in numerous different sizes and styles, and they look like a professional pond builder spent hours digging and shaping them. Seeing one of these can make you really consider making an attempt to build a water feature on your own. Continue reading
Ponds, pond liners, wildlife – how to protect them during a hot, dry summer?
Pond liners, whether of the flexible type or prefabricated are used to provide a water containment solution and a barrier between water and soil to keep the pond water clean. Protecting the pond liner as well as your pond inhabitants such as plants, fish or wildlife is important to ensure their longevity. The top concern of pond owners during warm summer months is the growth of green algae, which is a symptom of high nutrient levels in ponds.
The warm weather during the summer months increases levels of evaporation. level starts getting low, don’t panic, it’s natural during summer. Topping up a low pond with tap water adds nutrients just at the time it’s ripe for an algae bloom. Before you know it you’ve got a pool of green sludge that takes the oxygen from the water and blocks out the light to the plants below.
The best advise is to try collecting as much rainwater as possible. It is free from pollution. Not only is this water great for wildlife in your garden, but by diverting it from our drains you could save yourself money on your water bill.
What to do to protect your pond:
- Remove any existing blanket weed from the surface of your pond. This takes nutrients out of the system. Use a rake (a leaf rake is ideal) to gently drag the surface layer of algae to the pond edge, and scoop it out. Be careful not to uproot other floating plants. There will be insects and maybe tadpoles caught up in it so its important to leave it on the bank to allow them to wriggle back into the pond. After a few hours, put it on the compost heap.
- Allow the pond level to fluctuate naturally as much as possible, and if digging a new pond make a deep area so it will never completely dry out. If you do need to top it up, use rainwater collected in water butts, not tap water. Avoid directing rainwater straight into a pond from your roof, as it will carry sediments that will build up in your pond. Allowing it to collect in a water butt first will let these sediments settle out.
- Check that the material you have used for the edging of your pond is covering the pond liner sufficiently enough to be protected from UV rays.
- The best advice is to install a pond liner, which is UV resistant. Should the water level of your pond drop and the pond liner exposed, you will be grateful you installed a premium quality, UV resistant liner which won’t go brittles and crack in summer.
How to prevent algae growing on pond liner of fish pond
Almost all pond keepers will speak of how rewarding it is to have a pond in their back garden but that their number one annoyance is algae. Common in warmer climates, algae can give the sides of pond liners Continue reading
Algae and affinity for growing on pond liners and plants
Blanket weed (Spirogyra adnate) is one of the most prolific aquatic weeds known to pond-keepers in the U.K. Blanket weed is an algae, which is very successful at colonising an environment under favourable conditions such as sunlight. If left unchecked this algae can cause serious oxygen depletion in ponds and possible stress to larger fish that find it an obstruction. Continue reading
Pond Liners, Frogs and Tadpoles
A garden pond constructed using a pond liner with at least one sloping edge to the pond will make an ideal wildlife haven in your garden attracting creatures such as frogs or toads. Please refer to an earlier Pond Liners Blog, Continue reading
Tips on choosing and maintaining a fountain pump for your pond
A fountain pump is the most crucial part of a pond water feature, as it is responsible for circulating water, creating sound, and preventing the growth of algae by adding oxygen to the water. The pump you choose is ultimately responsible for the performance and overall life of your fountain.