Maintaining a Healthy Pond - Seasonal Tasks Summer

This article explains the yearly tasks required to maintain a healthy water garden or fish pond. Continuing with :-

Summer

Summer is the time of year when you can really enjoy your water garden or fish pond. The pond life will have gained enough energy to be fully mobile and the aquatics are flowering. Watching the movement of the fish and savouring the fragrance of the flowers and listening to the sounds of

trickling water is truly magnificent

    The growth of some plants this time of year can be rampant and some may need to be thinned to prevent them becoming to large for their allocated space. This task is simple for plants that are planted in a basket, just lift the basket out and cut back side shoots or divide them. When replanting the water will become muddy but should return to normal in a couple of days. If you have a pump / filter the water should clear much quicker. New plants can be added this time of year and the old ones tidies up and fed with aquatic fertilizer pellets to boost their growth, especially water lilies.

    Another visitor to your water garden or fish pond will be filamentous algae ( Blanket Weed ). I refer to this as a visitor as it will just appear even if you have not had it all year. It is suggested that this is due to amphibians arriving at the pond with tiny strands of the weed caught around their legs or bodies from another pond. This dislodges in your pond and then begins to spread at an alarming rate. The best way to remove is get a piece of wood or garden fork and twist the weed around it similar to eating spaghetti and remove it. It is very difficult to all of the blanket weed but you must ensure that you keep on top of this task as it can completely take over a pond.

    The fishes have become more active and may need a supplement to their food if the insect life is not established, never over feed fish. The food that remains in the pond will pollute your water leading to problems. If the fish have spawned and the tiny fry can be seen swimming about and you have another pond it's a good idea to remove them as they may be eaten. Remove them with a fine net and return them when they become large enough. Any new fish should be kept in quarantine if possible in another pond to check that they are healthy and vigorous. This time of year the water can evaporate quite quickly so ensure you top up the water level regularly.

    In very hot spells there is a danger in small ponds that the water temperature will get to hot and the oxygen level will get too low. To increase the level of oxygen pump the water through a waterfall or fountain as the droplets of water will contain oxygen when returned to the pond.

The next seasonal tasks due are in Autumn

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