What To Do in Your Pond This Summer Summer Pond Maintenance Summer has just arrived and the diligent water gardener is finally ready to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. The weather is heating up a bit, and what better way to relax than by sipping a cool drink next to a beautifully maintained garden pond! This is the time of year that pond owners eagerly await, regardless of their location. With the hard work of the previous season behind them, the water gardener can now anticipate all of the activity that the following few months will bring. With the onset of summer, the pond owner can expect gorgeous tropical plant blooms to flourish amid the soothing sounds of tranquil waterfalls. The fish will be active once again as well. They will most likely emerge healthy and strong from their brief slumber by spring and on into summer. The garden pond is simply bursting with activity in the summer. Small birds are frequent visitors now, as they stop for a quick splash or sip of water. You may even notice an egret or two spying out your healthy and robust fish. When your beautifully maintained, garden pond draws other wildlife, you can surely count it as a compliment! There are, however, a few tips and tasks to keep in mind as you enjoy your summertime water garden. The following tips will ensure that your pond remains in it's best form all summer long. Keep Your Pond Topped Off: Remember, the weather is considerably warmer and your pond's water level will dip more frequently due to evaporation. By keeping your water level "topped off", you will ensure that your pump and skimmer are operating under ideal conditions. Maintaining proper water level in your pond is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your garden pond equipment works at optimal levels. By keeping an eye on this, you will avoid costly replacements to any of your garden pond accessories or equipment in the future. Remembering to keep your pond topped off will also benefit the level of oxygenation in your pond water, thus, guaranteeing the overall health of your fish. Add To Your Plants: The addition of more water plants is another simple step that will go a long way in helping your water garden through the hot months of summer. This gives the fish and other aquatic life, additional shelter from the harsh sun during the hottest portions of the day. You will want to cover at least one third ot the pond's surface area with aquatic plants such as water lilies and other Free-floating Plants. You will find your fish, happily, seeking shelter underneath these blooming beauties during the day. It also aides in keeping unwanted algae blooms at bay. Trim Your Plants: Once you have put additional plants in place, you will want to be sure and manicure the existing ones. "Deadheading" is the practice of removing spent leaves and flowers from healthy plants. This not only keeps your water garden plants looking great, but also improves the overall health and well being of the entire plant structure. It also reduces the excess nutrients necessary for algae to bloom. Deadhead or trim your plants by removing all spent flowers and yellowing greenery. This task need not become overwhelming if you take the time to do just a little each and every day. Feed The Fish: Your fish will have regained their hearty appetites by summertime, and so you can begin to feed them accordingly. Place only the amount of food they can reasonably eat within a few minutes-in the water. Stand by and watch how much they actually eat. This will give you an idea of how much koi fish food to add at each feeding. Remember, overfeeding, leads to decomposition in the water and this will directly harm your fish. It also depletes the pond's water of oxygen and encourages algae blooms. Don't let the urge to overfeed your fish, spoil all of the hard work in your water garden this way. Don't Clean Your Filter Pads: If you have a biological filtration system in place, do not clean the filter pads more than two times a year under any circumstances! Doing so, will destroy the beneficial algae fighting bacteria that have accumulated over time. Cleaning your filter pads will only result in a direct proliferation of annoying, algae growth. Fertilize Lotus and Lily Plants: Your lily and lotus plants will begin displaying gorgeous blooms during the summertime. Now is the perfect time to fortify their efforts by applying fertilizer tabs near the base of the plants, during the growing season. Marginal plants, on the other hand, need not be fertilized if they are planted right into the pond gravel. Why? This is because they will gain sufficient nutrients from the pond's water. Avoid Algae Blooms: Adding Bacteria to your pond's water, will cause the algae to compete for excess nutrients in the garden pond's water. This is a very effective technique because it basically creates a "fight to the finish" for the extra nutrients in the water. The added bacteria will usually prove victorious, causing the algae to be starved out of existence. At the very least, it creates an environment where the algae are kept under control and at bay. You will also want to make sure you have some kind of plants in your pond. These will absorb the extra nutrients and discourage an algae feeding frenzy. Also, you will want to control runoff. Using fertilizer in areas that are in danger of draining into your pond, will cause a proliferation of excess nutrients in the pond water. This will encourage algae by providing extra nutrients for them to feed on. Putting It All Together Make Time To Enjoy It All: It is a fact that the conscientious water gardener is always looking for ways to improve his pond's health and beauty. So, if you have already installed a pond filtration system that encourages a healthy ecological system, and have taken into consideration all of the above tips, then you are ready to sit back and relax. Take time to appreciate all that your achievement has to offer. Take in the fragrance of the lilies, listen to the soothing sounds of the falls, and as you take a sip of your ice cold drink- remember that you have mother nature and all of your hard work to thank for your wonderful and refreshing garden pond experience. |
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