Fall and Winter are most people’s favorite time of the year, the decorations, the crisp cooler air and the family and friend gatherings. With the shorter days and cooler nights, you can really feel the seasons changing and so can your ponds and water-gardens. It’s a time to enjoy the weather, but also time to perform necessary Fall Pond Care!
As a pond owner (or future pond owner) it’s important to stay informed and on top of the seasonal maintenance your oasis requires. We’ve supplied a few tips you can follow to keep your pond in good shape during the holidays. While also ensuring a healthy environment come next spring!
August to September is a great time to feed your plants supplements with micro-nutrients. Doing so will build up energy reserves for the winter!
However, we recommend you stop feeding when the water temperature cools below 60°F and leaves begin to die back. At this point you want to allow your plants to go dormant naturally.
While your plants are going dormant in the fall, you may notice them turn yellow and brown. Make your life easier and trim these leaves to reduce the amount of falling debris in your pond. These fallen leaves are brewing up next springs algae!
Be vigilant about removing fallen leaves, this will be beneficial to your fish and will reduce their demand for oxygen in the pond during the spring.
A pond skimmer is a vital part of every pond. This fall, they should be kept in good working order as they are usually the first line of filtration! Your skimmer net or basket could be naturally worn out at this time of year and may be cracked or damaged. These should be replaced as well as any filter media or filter mats that may be located inside the skimmer!
Monitor fish food consumption carefully. The lower temperatures slow your fish’s metabolism down to the point where they are unable to digest food.
If you notice your fish showing reduced interest while feeding them, cut back on the food rations. They may come up to the surface and “tell” you they want to be fed, but they’re only doing what they do out of habit.
In addition, overfeeding the pond food will only cause water quality problems later on. As weather cools, we recommend feeding your fish twice a week.
For more information on Cold Weather and Hungry Fish.
Performing a filter cleaning before this season hits will prove very beneficial to your pond. Keeping the filter in top performance this time of year will save headaches come spring.
It’s important to make sure your filters are clean and pristine before winter. Even if you are in a climate that doesn’t freeze, you are probably not as likely to spend as much time tinkering with your pond as summertime months allow.
All the debris that the filter has so diligently captured, will harden into your media over fall and winter. This will begin to decay next spring when the filter is running and it gets wet again.
That freshly released decaying debris will cause excessive ammonia and nitrite in your pond this fall. Causing a ton of undesirable algae to pop up next spring!
Schedule a Filter Cleaning Now! It is especially important if you must shut your pond down for winter, to clean the filter out thoroughly first.If your filter has not been cleaned, serviced, or inspected recently or if your pond has a heavy fish or debris load, scheduling a filter service will be money well spent!
Long day performing fall care on your pond? Unwind by trying out one of our favorite fall cocktail or desert recipes!
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