Your Autumn Pond

Your Autumn Pond

Garden Water Features | Garden Lighting & Ponds - AQUAPRO

Even in our warmer regions autumn is one of the most beautiful and relaxing times to be outdoors. It’s a time where the landscape is going through a slow wind-down after the splendour of spring and the trials of summer. Your garden will be responding to the shorter days and cooler evenings by slowing its growth and, in some cases, colouring up to put on a gorgeous display of autumn colour. Your pond is a small self-contained ecosystem and it will be winding down too. To make sure your pond over-winters well and bounces back to life in spring there are a few simple tasks to be doing now.

Keep it clean

Many trees will be shedding leaves at this time of year with the fully deciduous trees dropping everything. A surplus of leaves can be hard for your pond to handle at the best of times but at this time of year, when biological activity in your pond is slowing down, it can quickly lead to water problems. Remove fallen leaves from the pond to avoid issues. If you expect a lot of leaf fall then consider temporarily installing an AQUAPRO Pond Cover Net to capture larger leaves and make their removal virtually effortless.

Adding some extra beneficial bacteria can be very useful at this time too. The simplest way is to drop in a dose of AQUAPRO Booster Balls.

Prune and tidy

Have a close look at your pond plants, yes, even the ones underwater. Many will have leaves or stems that are looking a little tired. Trim these off with sharp pruners or garden scissors and remove them from the pond. Otherwise, they’ll contribute to organic matter build-up as they die back over winter.

You may also want to look at plants around your pond and give them a tidy-up too.

De-sludging

Sludge naturally builds up on the pond bed and is a normal and useful part of your pond’s ecosystem. Too much, however, can cause problems – especially in cooler months. There are two easy ways to reduce sludge levels.

  • The AQUAPRO Little Pond Sucker fits on your garden hose and uses a venturi action to suck up sludge like a water-powered vacuum cleaner. Use it to reduce sludge levels.
  • The other easy option is to add some AQUAPRO Sludge Away. It uses all-natural ingredients and a special blend of bacteria to consume and breakdown sludge. Just add the right dose for your pond and you’re done.

Water care

If you wish you can replace some water in your pond at this time, don’t remove any more than around 25% and ensure you add a suitable dose of AQUAPRO Pond Water Treatment & Conditioner as you add in new water.

Most importantly, you need to make sure your pump and filter are running efficiently. Pull your pump out and open it up to check the impellor and housing are clean and clear, cleaning as needed, and give your filter sponge a clean. Make sure you do this gently in a bucket of pond water. Don’t flush it with tap water as this will kill beneficial bacteria. Drop the lot back in your pond and you’ll know your water is staying clean and well-oxygenated over the cooler months.

If you have fish then cut back on the amount of food you add. Only put in as much as they’ll consume in a few minutes. Otherwise, you’ll have nutrient build-up which can contribute to water going cloudy.