Renovating a Pond

Pond

The extent of your pond renovation will depend on many factors, not least of which being the current state of your pond. Whether your renovation extends to repairing a leak, or starting your pond all over again, our guide will offer you some basic tips for making successful changes to your pond.

Starting Over

Relocation or revamping of an existing pond gives you a great opportunity to improve on your current set up. Most important for the health of wildlife and plants is the size of your pond, as this will affect water quality and therefore oxygen transfer.

At the very least your pond should measure 40sqft in area and 2ft in depth. This will give you a great basis for healthy, happy pond life.

Set a Date

The best time to overhaul your pond is during the autumn, when nature naturally begins its decline towards winter. Your fish will not be breeding at this time and flowering plants will have passed their showy best. You’ll also be in a good position to attack the glut of autumn leaves that may have made their way across the garden into the pond.

Any animal life will be getting ready to hibernate, but not just yet, so getting to work now will give your pond and its inhabitants a good head start on the harsh winter months.

Clean and Clear

If you’ve ever explored the bottom of your pond you might have been horrified by the amount of silt that lies beneath the attractive surface. Before you get to work reducing this debris, transfer your fish and any other pond life into a holding tank so they aren’t caught up in a cloud of silt.

Bear in mind that there may well be a range of little creatures dwelling in amongst the dirt, so keep an eye out. It’s also important to remember that this silt is part of the ecosystem of your pond, so keep a small amount back and reintroduce it once your clean up is complete.

Make and Mend

Any non-critical leaks or aged water pumps can also be investigated during this period of autumn maintenance, and if you need to replace pond lining, now’s the time. Changing the lining creates a good chance to make more dramatic changes to the shape and scale of your pond.

If you’ve currently got a pre-formed pond, why not think about getting creative with a sheet liner which will allow you to determine size and shape yourself. Ensure you install your pond lining properly and don’t cut corners, or you’ll find yourself having to start all over again before long.

Even a successful, well-established pond will benefit from some regular housekeeping to remove leaves and other debris that find their way into the water. If these aren’t removed they’ll rot in the pond and affect water quality, as well as smothering plants and restricting light.

If you keep on top of pond maintenance you won’t find yourself contemplating a full renovation project until you think the time is right for a change.

See Also
outside swimming pool
Creating an Outdoor Swimming Pool
Traditional wooden conservatory
Adding a Conservatory