Leave leaves in the pond?

[Billabong Karen]

Right - it's autumn, and that can mean only one thing - leaves are for sure going to fall into the pond.

The question is - should I fish (haha) them out, or leave them in?

On other threads I have gleaned differing information, but would be interested nonetheless to hear your opinions and gain from your experience! This is my first proper autumn with a pond (it was finished last year in November, after all the leaves had fallen). My pond is too large for a net, and is situated near, but not underneath, a large cherry tree, with other large deciduous trees nearby. I am inclined to take a middle road stance and remove some, but not all, of the leaves...

Pond in the summer:


Karen

[artdemole]

Best netted out I say....


Leaf fall Prevents oxygen reaching bottom of pond.Toxic gas under leaves can build up.

See Pond Maintenance ..at luresext.edu

[King Edward]

I don't think you can too far wrong removing a lot of the autumn leaves, especially if you have a large numbers falling in (which looks likely in your situation). A certain amount of sediment buildup isn't a bad thing though, and many pond creatures do appreciate fallen leaves, so your moderate approach sounds sensible.

[Madcaravanner]

What type of pond do you have ???

I go fishing to many types of still water and even on the smallest the owners never remove leaves as they add to the food supplies at the base layer for insects and molluscs resident there.

in Ornamental ponds then they can be a problem but if you need to do leave (pun intended) some in for whatever wildlife live at the bottom.
unless your pond is tiny and is surrounded by huge trees and disappears under a carpet of leaf mould then I wouldn't worry too much about toxicity.

[Billabong Karen]

I have a wildlife pond, about 5 metres by 3 metres. No fish, but lots of newts, frogs, toads, dragonflies, etc.

I have read comments from pond owners who do not take the leaves out at all, as this provides sediment, food, protection, etc. On the other hand, there have been threads regarding sludge buildup with toxic anaerobic bacteria resulting in a dead pond...

So now I am confused.com

[Kayleigh]

Like others have said unless there are a large amount of leaves falling in then I see no problem in leaving them in there.
I have a smallish pond and only remove the odd leaf saying that a few leaves fall in but not masses so it really does depend on the amount of leaf matter.

[jaelen]

I'm doing about the same- netting out what I can reach while letting a few sink to the bottom, because my pond is directly under three (very small) fruit trees.

I got a 'fishing net' from Poundland (fish- hah! a small koi would snap the handle) but it's just right for leaves, and it's a decent length.

That is a lovely pond- what a nice setting! You must be pleased with it.

[tom00_uk]

for me depends what way the wind was blowing when they dropped, if the surface is covered with floating leaves then I will take them out, if a few sink then I leave them be

The type of leaf can be more important than the volume of leaves that enter, as some plants can affect water chemistry must more than others

i don't bother with netting, as it should be frequently checked to ensure no accidental snaring events occur of visiting wildlife, a lot of critters will drown or be maimed by bean/pond netting and since i can some times spend a long time away I'd rather have a few extra leaves then dead hedgehogs etc

[JohanJ]

My first one was about the size of yours and I didn't bother for years. But after about 10 years it became a big toxic mess. I guess what I've learned is to give it a thorough cleanout every so often, every few years. Then watch the cycle repeat itself bigger and better.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by King Edward

I don't think you can too far wrong removing a lot of the autumn leaves, especially if you have a large numbers falling in (which looks likely in your situation). A certain amount of sediment buildup isn't a bad thing though, and many pond creatures do appreciate fallen leaves, so your moderate approach sounds sensible.

I agree with King Edward's comments. I try to remove most of the (many) leaves that fall into our ponds but some escape me and contribute to the sediment buildup at the bottom.

In early Spring this year I cleaned out our ponds for the first time in 5 - 6 years and although the water was clear there was at least 8" of sediment in some parts. Obviously I left some sediment in and spent many hours sifting through the removed sediment "rescuing" larvae, etc and putting them back in the pond

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)