Once established, a well planned and constructed pond will largely look after itself.
There are, however, a number of seasonal tasks worth carrying out that will help maintain the equilibrium.
Once the coldest weather is over, you can remove the netting keeping out wind blown leaves and exchanges the pond heather for a pump.
The pond will come to life in mid spring, when marginal plants put on new growth, the first lily pads appear and on a mild day fish can be seen at the surface.
This is the first time to start feeding the fish and to carry out a pond spring clean.
Scoop any dead or rotting leaves from the pond to prevent them from fouling the water.
Mid to late spring is an ideal time to add new plants to your pond.
It is worth adding special fertilizer tablets to the compost of established plants.
Make sure they are pushed well into the compost so that nutrients do not leach out into the water and encourage the growth of algae.
If the pond tends to go green with algae at this time of year, place a barley straw pad available from garden retailers in the pond.
Fill a basket sold for water plants with special aquatic compost.
The Hessian burlap liner will help prevent the soil from falling through the mesh sides of the basket.
Remove the plant from its container and plant it in the basket at its original depth, using a trowel to add or remove aquatic compost as necessary.
Firm it in well.
Cover the aquatic compost with gravel to help keep it in place when you put the container in the pond and to minimize disturbance by fish.
Soak the plant in a bucket of water to remove air bubbles.
Once thoroughly soaked, carefully places the plant on the shelf at the edge of the pool so that the container is covered by 2 inches of water.
Submerged aquatic plants are called oxygenators and are essential for the health of the pond.
To plant an oxygenator such as curly water theme, tie it to a stone, and then drop it in the water.
The plant will root in the sediment at the bottom of the pool.
Never place fish directly in the pond.
First acclimatize them by floating the plastic bag that you transported them in on the surface of the water for an hour.
This will allow the water temperatures to equalize gradually, after which the fish can be allowed to swim out of the bag.
There are, however, a number of seasonal tasks worth carrying out that will help maintain the equilibrium.
Once the coldest weather is over, you can remove the netting keeping out wind blown leaves and exchanges the pond heather for a pump.
The pond will come to life in mid spring, when marginal plants put on new growth, the first lily pads appear and on a mild day fish can be seen at the surface.
This is the first time to start feeding the fish and to carry out a pond spring clean.
Scoop any dead or rotting leaves from the pond to prevent them from fouling the water.
Mid to late spring is an ideal time to add new plants to your pond.
It is worth adding special fertilizer tablets to the compost of established plants.
Make sure they are pushed well into the compost so that nutrients do not leach out into the water and encourage the growth of algae.
If the pond tends to go green with algae at this time of year, place a barley straw pad available from garden retailers in the pond.
Fill a basket sold for water plants with special aquatic compost.
The Hessian burlap liner will help prevent the soil from falling through the mesh sides of the basket.
Remove the plant from its container and plant it in the basket at its original depth, using a trowel to add or remove aquatic compost as necessary.
Firm it in well.
Cover the aquatic compost with gravel to help keep it in place when you put the container in the pond and to minimize disturbance by fish.
Soak the plant in a bucket of water to remove air bubbles.
Once thoroughly soaked, carefully places the plant on the shelf at the edge of the pool so that the container is covered by 2 inches of water.
Submerged aquatic plants are called oxygenators and are essential for the health of the pond.
To plant an oxygenator such as curly water theme, tie it to a stone, and then drop it in the water.
The plant will root in the sediment at the bottom of the pool.
Never place fish directly in the pond.
First acclimatize them by floating the plastic bag that you transported them in on the surface of the water for an hour.
This will allow the water temperatures to equalize gradually, after which the fish can be allowed to swim out of the bag.