How to Do Weekly Pond Maintenance?
Checking a few things in your pond each week will keep your pond and waterfall running well and the fish and plants happy and healthy. Doing a weekly check will keep disasters from happening at the very worst time, such as when you are planning an outdoor party for 16 on the weekend.You do not necessarily need to perform the following tasks weekly, just check to see if your pond needs any routine work. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- • A pH test kit
- Water lily fertilizer
- Dechlorinator
- pH Down
- pH Up
- Clippers
- Aqua gloves (if you wish to keep your hands dry)
- Net for removing debris from the pond bottom
Instructions
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Check the water level. If it has dropped due to evaporation, top it off. If you add more than 10 percent of the total volume of water, add a dechlorinator . If the water level has remained the same and you have some time, pump about 10 percent of the water into your vegetable or flower garden and top off the pond with tap water. Pond water is a fine fertilizer and free, as well. The water change deters chemical buildup that can eventually corrode the pump or foul the water. This does not have to be done weekly, but your pond and your garden appreciate it. If you remove more than 10 percent of the water, add more dechlorinator to remove chlorine.
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Test your pond water with a pH test kit. If the pH is high, use some pH down to bring it near 7.0. If it is low, (acidic), add some pH up to bring it up to 7.0. Test again after about 15 minutes of running the pump. Your fish and plants will thrive if the pH balance is near neutral.
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Look for decaying vegetation in the pond. Clip off dead plants, leaves and remove other organic matter. Dead and decaying plant material can foul the water and kill the fish. Net any organic debris and throw it in your compost pile or in a trash bag. Cut the spent water lily blooms at the level of the pot. Remove all other debris at the same time.
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Tips & Warnings
Fertilize water at least every 2 weeks for constant blooms. A water lily needs at least 5 hours of sun daily and will bloom continuously throughout the summer. A bloom lasts about 3 days and then dies to be replaced by another.
Always be careful when working in water around electricity. Unplug your pump if you get in the pond.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Jan Goldfield
