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Pond tidy up

HAS YOUR pond become an eyesore over the winter, with weeds, debris and overgrown plants? If so, now is a good time to give it a spring clean. Lift out the blanket – and duckweed, as well as any leaves that have sunk to the bottom since the autumn. Fallen leaves and other debris, such as uneaten fish food, can rot down in the water causing it to become nutrient-rich. This will result in blanket-, duckweed and algae growing like topsy in the water, eventually spreading throughout the whole pond, if it is left unattended.

Your pond can also look neglected at this time of year if last year’s growth of marginal and bog plants have died down and left a clump of brown mess. These clumps can now be trimmed back with secateurs, ready for this year’s growth. Old water lily leaves will have also died back, leaving a floating mess, so trim these back too. If you want to reduce any of the plant’s sizes, see how to divide them below.

REMOVING DUCKWEED
Duckweed has tiny, rounded leaves that float on the water’s surface. This plant multiplies rapidly, quickly filling up the surface of the pond, unless it is regularly cleared away


DRAINING AND CLEANING YOUR POND
IF YOU have a pond that needs a drastic spring clean then do it now:

1. The easiest way to drain a pond is to hire a pump from a machinery hire shop
2. As the water level drops remove aquatic plants and fish, and place into a large holding tank, such as a paddling pool
3. Place sludge, silt and old plant material by the side of the pond to allow small creatures caught up in it to return to their home
4. Clean the liner with a scrubbing brush and hose, bailing the dirty water out with a bucket. Repair any splits in the liner
5. Return a spade-full of silt back into the pond to re-establish tiny but very useful organisms