The Stream


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Fall Maintenance

As the days become shorter and the temps lower we’re reminded that Autumn is just around the corner. While you will notice that your water is usually quite clear at this time, this doesn’t mean that your water feature will necessarily be maintenance free. Here are a few things to think about for fall maintenance.

With regards to your water plants, you can prune off any dead or yellow leaves. Your lilies will go strong until the first heavy frost, as will your hyacinths. Remember that hyacinths are essentially an annual so they will need to be tossed into the compost when they start to die off. The same goes for other floaters and oxygenators. You can also stop fertilizing now as your plants transition into their winter cycle.

If you have fish you should stop feeding them once the water temperature is 10C or lower. If you don’t have a pond thermometer I highly recommend one, they’re cheap and invaluable for knowing not only when to feed certain foods but also when to effectively administer treatments. If you must feed your fish through the Fall/Winter then make sure to use a low temp fish food that they can easily digest. Failing to do so can result in health issues and even death once their digestive systems slow down.

Lastly try to remove any leaves and debris that may have fallen into the pond. If you have a skimmer, you’ll have to empty the basket more frequently. If you have a pondless waterfall or bubbling rock type feature then manually remove any leaves and debris that you can see. If you have too much organic matter decomposing in your pond, particularly leaves, it can cause your water to turn brown. If this happens you can add activated carbon to clear the water.

Bonus Tip: If you don’t have lighting in your water feature this is a great time to add it! The days are getting shorter and soon your feature will be dark when you leave for work and when you return home! There’s nothing more magical then a well-lit water feature at night!

Contact Streamworks Designs for all of your water feature maintenance needs.