All You Need to Know about Creating a Pond

Adding a water feature to any garden provides an attractive focal point and a habitat for wildlife creatures. It does take time and effort to properly build and maintain a successful pond. Below you can find advice on where to locate your pond, how to build it, and how to efficiently maintain it. People often overlook the need for ongoing maintenance to a pond, however, this is vital if you want to keep your water feature free from problems such as blanket weeds and algae.

Location

1. A sunny position is best in order to attract wildlife to your pond. However, this should be balanced by allowing for a bit of shade to reduce the chances of the formation of blanket weed.
2. Do not build the pond directly underneath a tree. This will lead to unwanted debris such as leaves and twigs falling into your pond, and this will need cleaning up regularly.
3. Position your pond within long grass in order to create a nice sheltered environment at the edge for small wildlife dwellers

Construction

1. Ensure that the hole you dig for your pond slopes down gradually from the edge so that animals can easily get in and out. Shelved sections are also useful, in order to cater to many varying forms of plants and wildlife.
2. Create a deeper section (about 60cm) in the center of the pond. This will ensure that the pond should never fully freeze over in the winter.
3. Line the hole using butyl or polythene, this is a much quicker method than the traditional one of using clay
4. If at all possible, fill your pond with rainwater. If you have to use tap water then leave this to stand for a few days before introducing fish to the pond. This will leave time for any additives to evaporate.
5. Remember that not all types of wildlife co-habit well. Goldfish often eat tadpoles and water snails, so keep them apart! It is best to do research before you populate your pond.
6. Do not introduce wildlife to your pond yourself; let the wildlife find the pond naturally! This will reduce the risk of invasive or diseased species setting up homes.

Maintenance

1. Clear vegetation from the water regularly. The best time to do this is in the autumn to minimize the effect on the wildlife
2. Clear out fallen leaves regularly to ensure they don’t rot on the bottom of the pond
3. Prevent your pond from totally freezing over in the winter by allowing a tennis ball to float on the surface. Once the ice has formed, remove the ball to leave a small breathing hole
4. If your pond becomes covered in the blanket weed you must act quickly to remove these algae

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure! The very best way to control the conditions of your pond and ensure they are the best for the inhabitants of the water is to use an electronic blanket weed controller.