Having a clean pond is key to keeping your landscape beautiful. Unfortunately, when debris accumulates in and around the pond, the results can create a dirty environment. The overall layout will become polluted with pond muck, bad bacteria, and other components that can harm the pond’s ecosystem. In addition, the collective formation of pond muck can attract pests, such as mosquitoes, snakes, and more. What can you do? Let’s go over some valuable tips.
A Collection of Debris
One of the biggest eyesores for any pond is floating debris. Of course, this can include tree branches, algae bloom, and leaves, just to mention a few. What happens when these begin to decay and waste away deep in the waters? Well, this is what contributes to pond muck. In time, the waste will come together to form a thick sludge that can suffocate your fish and other pond life. The ideal pond needs to have clean water with plenty of infused oxygen. Aeration is the first step to having a clean pond. Moreover, you will need to take other steps if your pond is already dirty.
Using Chemicals for Preparation
Although you may be inclined to first fish out weeds by raking them out, you may do more harm than good. Raking any dead vegetation or weeds out of the pond will likely cause them to break apart, making it harder to clean. In this case, we recommend using contact chemicals before rakes or skimmers. Both contact and systemic chemicals need to touch the plants to work correctly. The kind of chemical you use is determined by the kind of weeds you have. You can find a comprehensive chart of weeds and their proper chemicals here! When it comes to systemic chemicals, the application will be absorbed into the growth system reaching into the roots.
Removing the Debris
Once you’ve treated the problem plants in the pond, you can start to use rakes or skimmers to pull any dead debris from the waters. Remember the importance of this step because any decaying organisms that sink to the bottom will act as a fertilizer for future weeds. You also want to clear out any obstructions that can block your aeration system and diffusers.
Hindering the Growth of Pond Muck
Once you’ve cleared all the dead vegetation, weeds, and algae from your pond, make sure that you take steps to stop any potential growth in the future. A combination of herbicides, algaecides, and aeration will help keep your pond clean and healthy. Finally, because weeds and algae thrive with the sun, pond dyes are the perfect alternative to block the sun’s rays. More information about the use of pond dye can be found in our blog “Should I Use Pond Dye.“