THE FALL POND

The Fall Pond

One of the coolest things about having a pond is watching the changes that occur in and around it as the seasons change. In fall the colorful leaves enhance the beauty of the pond. It also signals that we need to start thinking about preparing our pond for the coming colder months. Just like preparing other outdoor landscaping for the winter, a pond takes a little maintenance in the fall. Whether you are planning on keeping your pond open all winter or closing it down, some special attention is required if you want your pond to be clean and clear next Spring.

Those beautifully colored leaves can be a big problem for pond owners. Leaves and debris need to be kept from getting into the pond and sinking to the bottom where they decay and upset the balance of the pond’s ecosystem. The harmful gasses that are released by decaying leaves can be trapped in the water by surface ice and result in fish kill. Decaying leaves can also release tannins into the water, turning it a tea color. And cleaning out piles of wet, decaying leaves is not something you want to be doing when spring arrives. So our main goal in the fall is to keep the leaves from getting into the pond in the first place.

It’s almost impossible to keep all leaves out of a pond, but here are a couple of suggestions and hints to help with this impossible task.

1. Empty your skimmer often – at least once a day. A skimmer is your first line of defense against the falling and blowing leaves. As the leaves land on the pond surface, they are quickly drawn into the debris net or basket of the skimmer. HINT – don’t empty your skimmer net/basket near the pond or you’ll find yourself removing the same leaves over and over again.

2. Install protective netting over the pond. Stretch netting across the surface of the pond and fasten the edges to the ground with long ground staples. BE CAREFUL NOT TO PUNCTURE THE LINER! This protective layer of netting will keep the majority of leaves out of the pond and make it easier to gather up and dispose of the leaves. Keep the netting in place until the bulk of the leaves have fallen. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CLEAN THE LEAVES OFF OF THE NETTING ON A REGULAR BASIS.  This can be done by using a leaf blower or removing the net from one side of the pond and collecting the leaves from the net and disposing of them.  Re-attach the netting until you need to clean the leaves off again.  HINT – be sure to remove the netting before the pond freezes over for the winter.

3. After the netting has been removed, use a long-handled net to scoop out and remove any remaining leaves or debris that may get into the pond or sink to the bottom. Don’t worry about leaving a few leaves behind…they will give frogs and insects a place to hibernate over the winter.

You will still end up with some leaves on the pond floor, but if you follow these guidelines, leaf removal in the spring won’t be as big of a chore.

If anyone has been successful at keeping leaves and debris out of a pond using a different method that others might benefit from, we’d love to hear about it!