Preparing your ponds for winter

As the nights draw in and the temperatures begin to drop, its time to start thinking about preparing your garden ponds for winter.

Making the right preparations throughout the later autumn months will help to ensure that your fish and pond plants are effectively protected and ready for the colder months ahead.

In this guide, we take a look at some of the jobs you should be looking at over the next few weeks.

Clear it out

The first job on your checklist should be to give your pond a thorough clean.

Falling leaves and rotting foliage tend to build up during autumn, and if left, will produce harmful gases that will deoxygenate the water, causing harm to all your plants, fish and wildlife.

Use a pond net to help you to get to the bottom of your pond and scoop out all the rotting foliage, algae and leaves. Finish the job by using a pond vacuum to remove finer waste, silt and debris.

Checking your plants

Dead and rotting plants are bad news for water quality, so nows the time to put your winter plan in place. Get rid of any plants that are dead or past their best, and move your hardy water plants from the edge of your pond to deeper water to protect them from frost damage.

To protect your tender plants from damage, you can remove them from the water for the winter. As long as you keep them well watered, potted lilies can be stored inside the garage, and you can store your other tenders wrapped in damp newspaper, and placed inside plastic rubbish bags. Obviously, you need to be very diligent with your watering to ensure that they dont dry out, without over watering!

Pond pumps and filters

Now is a good time to check that your pond pumps and filters are in good condition. Unclog and clean them thoroughly, and check the sponges to see if they need changing.

Over the years, any fish inside your pond will grow in number and size, so now is also a good time to check that your filtration system is big enough and up to the task.

Managing your fish

Throughout the Autumn months, slowly reduce the amount you feed your fish. As the water temperature drops below 10°C, you can consider switching to a lower protein wheat-germ food, and when water temperature gets to 4°C or lower, stop feeding entirely.

Covering up

To prevent any further leaves, twigs and foliage entering your pond during the winter, its best to cover your pond with a pond cover net, which you can remove in the spring.

A net will also act as a useful deterrent for hungry Herons during the leaner months!

Fighting the freeze

If your pond freezes over for a prolonged period of time, the oxygen levels in the water will drop, which can be lethal to your fish.

One simple trick is to move your pond filter closer to the surface of the water for winter - because the air bubbles will keep the water moving, which will prevent it from freezing.

If your pond is particularly prone to freezing, you might want to consider investing in a floating pond heater, which will keep an area of your pond completely frost free. Another solution is to add an anti-freezing treatment to the water, like this one from Bermuda.

How we can help

At Keen Gardener, we stock a full range of top quality pond equipment designed to help you to prepare for winter, including filters, pumps, nets, heaters, covers and treatments “ all at unbeatably low prices.

For further information on any of our products, call one of our friendly experts today on 01789 763 336.