A well-maintained pond is not only a visual adornment for the garden, but also a real benefit for the flora and fauna. Over the winter months, however, pond owners don't have much more to do than hope for the effectiveness of the protective measures taken.
What care measures should be carried out on the garden pond in spring?
In spring, pond owners should remove dead plant parts from the garden pond, check the water quality, cut back plants and repair pond pumps and filters. New planting can be done from May or June to maintain a he althy biotope.
The big clean-up after winter
Now that the awakening of spring is no longer just a faint premonition, but is really noticeable in nature, there is a lot more work to do - because the garden pond and its plants require the right care in order to reveal their splendor can.
Dealing with fish
No matter how great the anticipation of the work around the pond is, a little patience is required despite all the enthusiasm. As long as the water temperature is permanently not at least above 10 degrees Celsius (a constant 12 degrees Celsius is better), you have to wait and see. If you get back into operation too quickly and start cleaning or even switching on the pond pumps, you may risk damaging the pond inhabitants: the movement of the still cold pond water would only ensure that the different temperature layers are mixed. This causes the water to cool down even more, which in turn can seriously disrupt the fish. After the hardships of winter, they have to get used to the warmer season again, but slowly.
The situation is similar with feeding. If the water temperature is too low, the fish's metabolism is reduced to such an extent that the food they eat is not digested at all. As a result, the fish die. That's why, even when temperatures are constantly in the double-digit range, it's important to eat easily digestible food so as not to overtax your metabolism.
Initial care measures
Caring for the pond begins in spring where it ended in autumn. After checking the border - which could well have suffered due to heavy ice formation over the course of the winter - the first step is to remove the autumn remnants. The first thing to do is to remove dead plant parts and leaves with a landing net (€10.00 at Amazon). This is not primarily for beautification, but rather for prevention.
Otherwise, the large proportion of plant nutrients threatens strong algae growth as soon as temperatures rise permanently. This is known to have a negative impact on the water and oxygen quality, which affects the entire pond landscape. It may also be necessary to use a mud vacuum to clear the bottom of the pond of fallen autumn leaves.
The fish can safely be left in the pond during this work. However, if more extensive design measures are required, a temporary relocation may still make sense. This can be far less stressful than having to attend to planting or remodeling. The move can also be made a little more bearable by also filling the alternative pools with pond water. In this way, the change is less difficult for the fish.
Technology check and commissioning
Apart from the regular checking of the water quality (this primarily concerns the pH value and the nitrite-nitrate content), the next step is to put technical helpers back into operation. However, pond pumps and filters should be thoroughly checked beforehand to ensure they are clean and functional. Only then can they be installed again in the pond. Pond pumps in particular contribute to water circulation in a timely manner and thus to the enrichment of the water with oxygen.
Once filter systems have been put back into operation, they should run around the clock. Otherwise, the microorganisms that settle in the filter and ensure the purification of the water die.
The great “reforestation”
Of course, no pond is complete without appropriate planting. This is not just an ornament, but also contributes to the preservation of the entire biotope. Proper care is even more important because of this dual function.
Cut back and divide
The risk of algae growth can also be counteracted by caring for pond plants. Plants that have grown too much and dead plant parts must therefore be cut off and removed. At the same time, this creates a good foundation for the growth of aquatic plants and creates space for weaker plants.
Dividing the roots is of course much easier if plant baskets were used when creating the garden pond. They can be pulled out of the water relatively easily and all you need is a targeted sod-breaking to divide the root area. For plants that are firmly rooted in the earth in a natural pond, for example, the process is much more complex. In such cases, there are two approaches: Either water is drained from the pond until the plants are easily accessible or the whole thing is approached with appropriate legwear that does not require drainage.
New planting
In May and June you can start installing the new pond plants, but this is still possible even at later dates. Underwater plants, for example, continue to grow throughout the winter and are only really damaged by prolonged icing. However, not all plant species are available at the same time or consistently - and even if specimens grown in the warm water basin are sometimes available from February onwards, that says nothing about their suitability under the much less favorable external conditions at that time.
The latest date for planting always depends on the period of time that the respective plant needs to prepare for its winter rest. However, the weather also plays a significant role, but from September onwards the new plants are over until the new season. If you don't want to buy new additions but still have a need despite the shared stock, you may be able to swap with other pond owners.
What should it be?
There is an abundance of pond and aquatic plants, but this should under no circumstances lead to a selection process based on visual criteria. Appearance is certainly not everything here, because the function for the pond is often much more important. Of course, the conditions of the pond must also be taken into account: steep slopes and gravel banks, for example, are not suitable for all species. Some, such as water hyacinths, need sufficiently high temperatures and a pond with direct sunlight to really thrive.
A classic among pond plants: the water lily
Even if they are generally widespread - not least because of the beautiful flowers, which are now available in a wide variety of colors - water lilies have certain demands on their environment. Like water hyacinths, they need a minimum amount of heat and sunlight, it should be five hours a day. In addition, the depth of the pond is not insignificant, because the different types of water lilies are better or worse suited to different water depths.
In addition, planting in baskets is recommended, as water lilies sometimes tend to grow vigorously. With plant baskets this can be contained better and the overall impression of the pond can be better controlled. When placing them in the pond, weighing them down with stones helps prevent the baskets from floating away. In this way, for example, you can prevent the plants from slipping into an area that is too deep - in the worst case scenario, this can lead to them dying. On the other hand, planting at too shallow a depth can also have a negative impact on growth.
Not just for natural ponds: the cattail
In the wild they can be found almost everywhere and, due to the diversity of species, they are also suitable for a wide variety of garden ponds. Cattails are attractive because of their typical appearance and because they are comparatively easy to care for. The effort can be reduced even further if plant baskets are used right from the start. This curbs the otherwise quite pronounced growth, which could quickly displace the other existing plant species.
When it comes to height expansion, two factors play a role: on the one hand, some species become significantly larger than others, but on the other hand, this can be regulated somewhat by the water depth. If cattails two meters high are too much for you, you can always use the Typha minima variety. 15 centimeters of water depth is enough, but in return it is smaller in growth. A sunny to semi-shady location helps all species, but additional fertilization is not necessary. In addition to its visual appeal for the pond landscape, the broad-leaved cattail Typha latifolia is also popular as a medicinal plant: both leaves, flowers and roots can be used for medicinal purposes; the effects range from hemostatic to diuretic to generally strengthening.
When it comes to design, there are also numerous options with underwater plants or swamp plants for the bank zone. If they are newly planted, the swamp forget-me-not or lady's mantle runners after the main flowering ensure that the "construction work" is no longer visible within a short time. By summer at the latest, the garden pond will be in all its glory.