A backyard pond can add interest and beauty to your lawn as long as you keep it properly maintained. Once your pond is set up and you have introduced the fish and plants, regular maintenance should begin. In the spring and summer, the wind may blow trash and other debris into the pond. Usually, a long handled net will work nicely to remove these from the water.
Remove any damaged or dying foliage as soon as you notice them and inspect your fish to make sure they’re healthy and have room to multiply. In the fall, you’ll need to cover the pond with a net to keep the leaves from falling into the water. Remove the leaves from the net regularly to prevent it from collapsing into the pond.
Yearly Cleaning
Once every year, you’ll need to give the pond a good cleaning. The best time to do this is usually late spring. Begin by siphoning the water out of the pond. Once the water is low enough, use a net to catch the fish and place them in a holding tank. If you have a small pond, you can remove most all of the water to make it easier to clean after transferring the fish.
Pay close attention to your footsteps when walking in the pond to avoid damaging the liner. Remove and dispose of any plants that have become invasive and any damaged or dying plants you find. Remove all floating and basket plants to make it easier to clean the pond.
Use a brush and water hose or a pressure washer to clean the bottom and sides of the pond. Scrub down water fountains and any other structures in the pond at this time. Make any repairs that are necessary and begin refilling the pond. When the pond is about half-full, return the plants and transfer the fish back into the pond. Finish filling the pond and your yearly cleaning is complete.
Winter Maintenance
Taking care of a pond is a little different in the winter especially if you live in the cold regions. You don’t want the pond freezing over because this causes methane to build up that can kill your fish and plants. One option is to cover the pond with a tarp or plastic and use a heater to keep the water above freezing.
If using a pump is not an option for you, then cover the pond with plastic and keep a close eye on it when the temperatures drop below freezing. If the water begins to freeze, add hot water to bring up the temperature. If the weather is extremely cold and the pond does freeze over, use hot water to make holes in the ice that will allow the methane to escape.
