Aquatic plants are biologically quite capable of clearing up their garden pond habitat. This takes patience, often even up to a year. Anyone who still plans to clean a garden pond will require a lot of physical effort and perfect organization of the work.
How do I clean my garden pond properly?
To effectively clean the garden pond, choose a favorable day in autumn, remove 70-90% of the water, place fish and plants in suitable containers, remove mud manually or with pond vacuums and treat the water if necessary with dissolved chemicals.
The larger and more natural it is, the less effort it will take to clean the garden pond in the following years. It is a common misconception that changing the water is enough to permanently eliminate the noticeable cloudiness. If the construction of the new ornamental pond was carried out correctly and cleanly and the plants were optimally laid out, the water will not be clearer a few days after cleaning than before. Until a garden pond is back in its biological balance, it willregulate itself, like most things in nature - and that takes time!
When cleaning the garden pond is important
For older or incorrectly built ponds with less suitable plants, occasional general cleaning may be necessary, but this needs to be well prepared. If there are fish in the pond, you first need to find alternative accommodation, because buckets filled with tap water won't do the job! If garden pond cleaning is absolutely necessary, it is best to choose a favorableday in September or October, otherwise the plants will suffer too much. Depending on the size, between 10 and 30 percent of the water should remain in the pond. During the procedure, the aquatic plants must also be properly housed. This will work better with a prefabricated pond with smooth, steep walls than with an ornamental pond that was built with liners.
Thinning out the pond plants
The shallow water and swamp plants are freed from excessively developed roots that spread almost like a carpet on the walls and floor. A particularly large amount of suspended matter accumulates here, which contributes to the weaker young plants being restricted in their growth. The only thing that helps here is rigorous and strenuous thinning. Nevertheless, you should work carefully when cleaning the garden pond so that the pond seals or the weld seams of the foil sheets are not damaged.
Technology that helps clean the garden pond
Once the pond has become empty and clear, it is now time to remove the layer of mud on the ground that has formed from rotting aquatic plants and falling autumn leaves. It is responsible for the formation of foul gas and causes damage to pond creatures and the entire planting, especially when there is a closed ice cover in winter. The most thorough way to remove pond sludge is manually, but there are also technical aids available, such as:
- Pond vacuum cleaner and
- Pond Skimmer
available, which we will discuss in separate posts. Unfortunately, such devices also have their disadvantages, as they capturebeetles, amphibians and small fish remaining in the garden pond, so the use of suitable shovels and sturdy brooms is definitely more animal-friendly.
Tip
If chemical agents are used to clean the garden pond, never use these concentrates pure. They must first be dissolved in a larger amount of water before cleaning the pond surface. You should also pay attention to the additional warnings on the sales packaging before using these products.
