Clearing out garden pond

Ladywell · #1 (**permalink**) 27-10-2010, 01:20 PM

We have a very small garden pond which is now overgrown with, mainly, arrowhead and encroaching mimulus. Last year and the year before we had in the teens of dragonflies emerge and have had frogspawn every year - this year we have had no dragonflies and no frogspawn.

I think we need to clear the pond and start again - advice welcome please.

Thanks in anticipation.

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 27-10-2010, 02:43 PM

Have you altered the pond or surrounding garden in any way? added fish plants etc?

If you are clearing it out now is the best time of year before and serious cold weather and frosts. I would probably clear a bit of weed out and open it up a bit as it sounds well established. A weedy pond is not always a bad pond.

Ladywell · #3 (**permalink**) 27-10-2010, 02:47 PM

Thanks Dogghound - no nothing added but the arrowhead had really gone bananas! There is no suface water visible at all. I know the arrowhead will die off now but with amount of 'bulblets' there must be in there I will have a bigger explosion of it next spring.

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 27-10-2010, 02:52 PM

Damselfly actually like well vegetated water, however this does sound excessive, large numbers of plants can change the balance of a pond which could be why your seeing less wildlife. I would probably remove upto half of these plants. They should be fairly easy to pull/dig out, its probably best keeping on top of them, you dont want any more the 3/4 of your pond covered in vegetation.

Ladywell · #5 (**permalink**) 28-10-2010, 08:30 PM

I would like more advice from you knowledgeable people out there please!

Red Robin · #6 (**permalink**) 29-10-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladywell

I would like more advice from you knowledgeable people out there please!

....Well, I think the hound-dog's advice given so far is good.

Why be so draconian and clear the whole pond? Why not just carefully tidy it up and improve the balance. There'll be loads of tiny critters in there which make a very valuable contribution to a pond's healthy balance. Otherwise it's a bit like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, or changing your car when its ashtrays are full or the tyres need some air.

How many years has your pond been established? How big is it? Photos?

Ladywell · #7 (**permalink**) 29-10-2010, 04:12 PM

Sorry - I didn't mean to imply that I was discounting Dogghound's advice - which I much appreciate - just wondered if anyone had anything else to add. I will take some measurements and photos (though if I will be able to upload them is another matter entirely!!). We have had the pond about 8 years and it has been so disappointing this year in terms of dragonflies and frogs and also that all the pond snails seem to have gone, that I felt we need to do something to try to restore it. I have cleared the mimulus (the root mat of which was about 6 inches thick and had grown across the pond reducing the width by half) and rolled it back so anything in there has a chance to return to the water. Have also pulled out a lot of the arrowhead (again with very dense root systems) and left those over hanging the pond. I didn't intend to just clear out and throw everything away - I am sorry if I gave that impression. Thanks for your continued help folks.

Red Robin · #8 (**permalink**) 29-10-2010, 05:21 PM

This forum ain't the fastest for responses but hopefully someone else will be along to add info for you to consider too

Please don't take this as waving a :no-no: finger at you but if you've had this pond 8 years and it's become so overgrown etc, it suggests you might benefit from a bit more maintenance next time. It's a good excuse to lie alongside the pool and enjoy another world.

Kayleigh · #9 (**permalink**) 29-10-2010, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Robin

This forum ain't the fastest for responses but hopefully someone else will be along to add info for you to consider too

Please don't take this as waving a :no-no: finger at you but if you've had this pond 8 years and it's become so overgrown etc, it suggests you might benefit from a bit more maintenance next time. It's a good excuse to lie alongside the pool and enjoy another world.

Something to consider is as we look at ponds and see overgrown vegetation, green water ect we see a mess, but look at from a wildlife point of view if the wildlife looks happy the insects are thriving the newts/toads breeding then maybe we should leave it alone with the exception of invasive plants.

~T~ · #10 (**permalink**) 29-10-2010, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Something to consider is as we look at ponds and see overgrown vegetation, green water ect we see a mess, but look at from a wildlife point of view if the wildlife looks happy the insects are thriving the newts/toads breeding then maybe we should leave it alone with the exception of invasive plants.

Yeh but there comes a point when the pond is so choked with weed that it will hold very little oxygen and becomes stagnant making it difficult for anything but the hardiest inhabitants to survive.