So, whilst the world is going crazy and we’re all sat at home we thought we would give you and your pond a helping hand.
- Give your filters and pump a clean. Before the weather gets really warm and everything properly wakes up it’s a good idea to clean your filters. If you have any beneficial pond bacteria this is a good time to add this.
- Prune any dead foliage. If you haven’t already done so remove any dead foliage from pond plants, this will give them a clean start ready to produce those beautiful displays throughout the summer. Remember to let those beasts and bugs crawl out before discarding your waste though.
- Divide your plants. Spring is the ideal time to divide most of your aquatic plants. Dividing is very simple and a great way of creating more plants, also this gives them more room to flourish.
- Remove dead leaves and algae. If you have any leaves in the bottom of your pond grab your net and pull as many out as possible. Remember to leave them on the side of your pond for a while so the beasts and bugs can crawl back to their home. As for algae remove as much as possible either by hand or net, algae always starts growing before your plants so the more you can remove now, the better. Once your plants start growing, the algae should have less nutrients to feed on.
- Start to feed your fish. Now the sun has arrived all our wet pets are starting to wake up from their winter nap. We know that you’re bored at home but make sure not to feed them too much at this time. Water temperatures are still low and the more you feed now the more likely you are to suffer with algae. Keep feeds to once or twice a week and make sure to remove any uneaten food.
Three things before we sign off:
- There are loads of ways to stay connected with nature especially if you’re at home with the little ones. Check out the Wildlife trust, RSPB and Woodland trust to name but a few as these are full of activities from pond dipping to pledging a patch of your garden to butterflies or even a nature watch and reporting what you have seen.
- We’re all in this together, we are still open and Dan and Matt are still manning the phones and social media accounts. So if you have a pond emergency or just need some info on something in your pond, just drop us a message. Our calendar is filling up faster than ever before what with this silly virus putting a halt on current projects and new ones still coming in. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact and start your journey on the road to an aquatic paradise.
- If you hadn't already realised, we have a new website: it’s awesome! (Even if we do say so ourselves.) But seriously, we would love to hear your feedback on it and anything you think we could make even better.