Pond cleaning and timing etc

I usually clean out my pond around the end of March though this year was at the end of January.
The pond weed is Cambomba and Eloldea. To clean the pond I generally take out all the weed and then 'dredge' the bottom with a net to get out most of the gunk, leaves etc. leaving the goldfish in situ. I then sort the weed (there is SO much!) and make bunches of the best stuff, weight with lead strips and put back in. I was wondering if I did this relatively soon (November?) it would be OK and one less thing to do in the spring.
The pond plants I can do in the spring as they sit on a ledge and can be done anytime. Just wondering what others do?

 

Dug my pond in 1989, not cleaned it out yet, maybe I'm missing something but everything seems ok, I lose about 2 fish a year on average and just remove weed if it becomes congested.

 

I was admiring your pond @madpenguin , and wondered how you found the solar fountain? I have one that looks identical but it has barely worked. Do you find it is ok in autumn or winter or when the sun is weak?

My pond is so small and shallow that I don't do anything to it because the plants die off in winter anyway and I start again with new plants in the next season usually.

 

I don't 'clean' my pond either, other than just removing blanket weed, or to divide any plants. Th eonly time I've ever had a proper clear out was when I moved the one in this garden to make it bigger, but I did it in early autumn, and collected everything I could in large trugs so that I could put it all back in the new pond.
The problem with cleaning it is that you remove lots of creatures which are at the nymph stage, and are in the debris at the bottom. Removing that 'debris' is also not ideal because it supports all sorts of life.
If you get lots of leaf litter each year, it's far better to net the pond at this time of year [or slightly earlier] and prevent them getting in.
Elodea can become very invasive - I think it's now not available due to that, but it does depend on the conditions/location you have as to how big a problem it is. I've never found it difficult.

I had never heard of Cabomba, but a quick google revealed that it's an aquarium plant. Not sure how good that is for an outdoor pond?

 

It is not a good idea to sort out a pond in Spring because that is when invertebrates are laying eggs and hatching etc.
My pond is small, 6ft in diameter and 3/4 ft deep. I built it 10 years ago and for the first time last year had a sort out because over time some boulders had rolled into it. I thinned the weed out and removed a small amount of the silt as that is what keeps the pond healthy. I was surprised at how little silt there was. I need to thin out the weed again but it does give the fish etc. some protection during icy spells.

 

I never, ever have cleaned my pond and the water is crystal clear. I think it would disturb its natural balance.

 

Location of the pond will make a big difference to whether or not it needs to be cleaned. When we moved in to our house there was a pond. It had been constructed right beside a hedge and a couple of large trees. The leaf fall from those in autumn created a lot of debris in the pond and did need to be attended to. We had only been in a couple of years when I discovered there was at least 6 to 8 inches of crud in the pond. I doubt the previous owners had ever done anything.

 

Hence my comment re netting early on @KT53. It saves a fair bit of mess, and it's easy enough to leave little gaps at ground level for wildlife to still get access. I had a similar site in a previous garden, and it was an easy job in early autumn to help with the inevitable leaf fall.

In another garden, we had a smaller pond which was linked to the main one. It hadn't been made deep enough, and the silt/debris from the main pond had built up to an extent that there was barely any water showing. The main pond was spring fed, so there was always water flowing through. I spent a couple of hours clearing it and re jigging the planting, and it made a huge difference, but it could have done with being slightly deeper. It mainly served as a means to keep the overflow from flooding the rest of the site boundary, and meant the edges of the plot didn't get as soggy as they would have done.

 

I need to clean my pond every year ,otherwise all of the Water Lilly foliage of which two thirds of the pond is covered would rot and create a very unhealthy mess.
So I dredge the pond with a net removing lots of thick rotted poo and grunge ,cut back and reduce the lilies and roots as they could take over.
I do this in February and with oxygenators and U/V light the balance has time to return.
As we know every pond is a different size and depth so no size fits all.
It’s also time to stocktake plants and fish .

 

I pull off the dead foliage on lilies before they get to that stage. It helps enormously

Having fish in a pond is also a different situation from a general wildlife pond. I've had both, and the one with fish was huge - the one mentioned in my previous post, so it really wasn't possible to do maintenance in any part other than the edges. It was around 3 to 4 feet at the deepest points, but being spring fed, that made a difference in terms of the general health. It wouldn't have been possible to do the lilies in it without a boat!

 

I get my solar fountains from Amazon.They can last for a couple of years but I sometimes get a new one each year!
As I have no filter or pump I have found the fountain pretty good at circulating the water.Seems to work OK in weak sun but obviously better the brighter it is.
The quality of the fountains can be a bit hit and miss so I always have a spare one.
Cost around £20 but I just see the cost as part of the pond maintenance!

 

Sorry I got the name wrong,it is Rigid Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) and is a British native. Grows very well and sometimes has small white flowers.

 

Ah - I have some of that in my pond, but it hasn't done very well at all. No idea why. I haven't used it before, as I'd always found the elodea to be sufficient, but thought I'd try it for this newer pond.

I don't use any of the solar fountains, as it's hard to site them without being near water lilies, which don't like moving water. Anything that needs a pump or similar is also a no no for me as they need removing before frosts/ice set in, and I'd forget! Not necessary for a wildlife pond anyway.

 

I have now cleaned my pond without removing any fish or water!
First I took out all the pond weed, sorted into about 15 good sized bunches and weighted with lead strips.
I have also discarded the water lily as it never really did well and was a pain to get in and out of the pond to re-pot etc.
Then I dragged my pond net across the bottom to dredge up any sludge.
In previous years I had lots of leaves as the pond was sited underneath a cherry tree. This was cut down this year and has made a BIG difference to muck at the pond bottom!
Next I divided and re-potted the marginal plants.
Put everything back in the pond.
Looks a bit murky but is clearing already.
So fish were only slightly disturbed, water is the same but may need a top up.
Still plenty of good gunk on the bottom!
Will see how it responds next year.

 

Got the waders on yesterday for the autumn clean. Cut out the water lillies and remaining iris too.

Managed to rip twist and pull two Gunnera offsets off the main plant that were growing on the water surface.

Waters looking clear but i have a uv and small filter running as theres about 120 golden orfe swimming about atm.

been a manageable year regarding the amount of weed so all good.