What’s the best shape for a garden pond?
There are a number of key things to consider including: the views and enjoyment, shade vrs sunlight, overhanging trees, wildlife, drainage, and safety.
Should I cut back my water lilies in winter?
Water lilies and other submerged plants die back in winter. If you have fish, it is a good idea to cut them right back to just above the rhizomes. This reduces the amount of decaying matter in your pond and improves water quality.
If you have a wildlife pond, you may decide to leave the plant matter to decay naturally and wait until spring for a proper tidy up. Dead and dying plant material is part of a natural freshwater ecosystem.
As with all pond plants, there is a dilemma whether to cut lilies back as winter begins and they start to die off.
If you have fish, then removing dead and dying foliage from your pond is a good thing. As it rots down, plants are broken down into organic waste. This impairs the water quality that fish need for their health and well-being.
Dying foliage tends to go yellow or brown. You can remove this and leave the healthier pads until they too die back. This helps you retain at least some plant cover which may be useful for avoiding predators such as herons. Alternatively you can just cut back all the foliage from just above the rhizomes and deal with it all in one go.
In nature of course, aquatic plants are never trimmed back and their annual decay is part of a natural ecosystem. The problem we have as pond owners is that garden ponds are only ever really ‘semi-natural’. That is, we must tend them just as we tend our flower beds. Otherwise they get overgrown and we quickly lose control.
Bearing this in mind, and unless your aim is for a stagnant bog (which is perfectly acceptable!) we must remove waste annually.
Our advice with wildlife ponds is therefore to leave your plants until just after winter and before spring. Drain down your pond then, cut back plants and selectively remove waste in one go. Always net the pond first to save amphibians, insect larvae and other invertebrates, and retain them in a tub. Having cleaned and tidied your pond, refill it and return the wildlife. Plants quickly regrown in spring and the extra air and light from a tidy up will help them kick on. After the annual pond clean, try to leave it alone for the rest of the year.
Pond plants are generally very hardy indeed. However it is a good idea to slide submerged planting baskets into the deeper areas of the pond during winter. This gives them the best chance of survival and will keep them clear of ice. You can move them back in the spring.
Should I trim back water lilies in winter?
If you have fish, cut back water lilies and other pond plants before winter. This helps minimize organic waste and helps preserve good water quality.
If you have a wildlife pond, you can leave your plants to die back naturally. The decaying plants provide important habitat for wildlife in winter and are part of the natural ecosystem. You can tidy them up just before spring.
More winter pond tips and advice...
Should I use a pond net cover in autumn and winter?
Pond covers are square or rectangular nets that you secure about the edges of your pond. Used during the year they are a good way to protect small to medium sized fish from herons.
Should I turn my water feature off in winter?
Provided your waterfall or feature is not part of your filtration recirculation system you can turn your water fall or water feature off in winter.
Should I turn my UV clarifier off in winter?
If you have fish, don’t turn off your UV clarifiers in winter. They don’t just kill algae that cause ‘green water’. They also kill bacteria and viruses that can cause disease in your fish.
Should I turn my pond pumps off in winter?
All pond pumps except those feeding pond filters can be turned off in winter to save electricity. Pond filters should be online all year including winter.
Should I turn my pond filters off in winter?
If you have fish you should keep your filters online all day, all night – every day of the year!
Should I lower the water level of my pond in winter?
Reducing water levels in winter is sometimes suggested to stop ponds overflowing, but this may put fish and wildlife at risk.
Should I feed my fish during winter?
You should not feed your fish during winter when the water is cold. Unlike us, fish are generally just fine going without food.
Should I cut back my marginal pond plants in winter?
Dead and dying pond plants provide vital habitat for the survival of wildlife during winter. But if your focus is on the well-being of your fish you may want to cut them back.
Should I clean my pond before winter?
Late winter or early spring is the best time to completely drain down your pond for a thorough clean.
However before winter arrives it is handy to have a pond skimmer to harvest falling leaves, and a pond vac to remove excess waste from the bottom of your pond.
How to prevent my pond freezing over?
It is important for fish and wildlife that you prevent a complete sheet of ice from forming over your pond during winter.
How to prepare your pond for winter
How you prepare your pond for winter depends on the type of pond you have; a natural pond with a focus on wildlife, or fish ponds.