How do I renovate this neglected pond

meercatsunited

We moved into this house that has a pond 12 months ago and do not know how to sort it out.
It has been neglected for a number of years.
It has a liner some irises and another plant that I dont know the name of, leaves a bit like water lilly but the flowers are poker shaped with tiny blue/purple flowers, reminds me of buddleia, both of these are overgrown and most of the roots are floating rather than in baskets.
its got that weed, tiny green leaves that multiplies like crazy and theres lots of rubbish, leaves etc.
At the moment it has lots of newts and we do sometimes have frogs.
We do not intend having fish but want to keep the pond.
any advice gratefully received.
thanks

stumpycat

Afraid I really don't know much about ponds, but I would be very careful about not disturbing things during the breeding season.

wallbash

Frogs and newts are fairly indestructible . You have made the choice about the pond , good.
I would empty the pond , clear away most of the plants , pick a few healthy looking ones and replant.
I like the fabric 'baskets' . Use the proper aquatic soil. Top up with a layer of stones then back in refilled pond. It would have been nice if you could save some of the water from the currant pond.

This action sounds drastic but if you try to save what you already have , it will be a very hard . long job.
A 'new' pond will be ready for the summer without any long lasting problems.

meercatsunited

I was thinking about the newts and breeding and could delay any work, just not sure how long to wait.

Would I be able to remove the plants and rubbish without emptying the pond of water.
or
If I empty it completely would it be better to put a new liner on top of the original one and put in clean water to get rid of the weed. I spent a lot of time fishing it out last year.
maybe I should just replace the plants completely because the weed clings to them.

RAS

Hi I would leave this until well after the breeding season for frogs and newts.

Try barley straw pads to keep the water clear.

Did you get anY dragon flies last year?

wallbash

It all depends on how much work you want to do ?
Empty pond . new liner . wash plants , be a nice w/e job , but you would have a fresh start.

Would I be able to remove the plants and rubbish without emptying the pond of water.
or

Depends on how deep your pond is , but you would never get ALL the rubbish out with water in place.
Where if you emptied. hosed off old liner , you would be guaranteed a fresh pond.

I think many would go with RAS on this , I am suggesting a very drastic step .

What part of the country are you in ? can you see frog spawn?Have other gardens near you have ponds?

meercatsunited

yes dragon flies last year, we get lots of wildlife so the pond is important.
The water is pretty clear its just this weed thats the problem.
We are in shropshire, no frogs or spawn in the garden but plenty on the golf course.
Next door neighbour has a pond with carp, dont know if anyone else has one.

I'll look up the breeding season then get my sleeves rolled up.

emiff6

meercatsunited wrote: »

We moved into this house that has a pond 12 months ago and do not know how to sort it out.
It has been neglected for a number of years.
It has a liner some irises and another plant that I dont know the name of, leaves a bit like water lilly but the flowers are poker shaped with tiny blue/purple flowers, reminds me of buddleia, both of these are overgrown and most of the roots are floating rather than in baskets.
its got that weed, tiny green leaves that multiplies like crazy and theres lots of rubbish, leaves etc.
At the moment it has lots of newts and we do sometimes have frogs.
We do not intend having fish but want to keep the pond.
any advice gratefully received.
thanks

If the water is clear apart from the duckweed on the surface, and you've newts and other pond life in it, the pond must be fairly well in balance.
There will be lots of pondlife, including dragonfly larvae in the mud at the bottom of the pond, which you will lose if you clear it out. Scoop off surface leaves and debris, use pond pads (or make your own from barley straw) to get rid of blanket weed, and tidy up marginal plants.

You can divide the iris and other plants, or simply chop away all the extra growth hanging over the edges of the baskets, and replace in the pond.

Is this your 'buddleia' type flower?
http://www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1180&osCsid=aca8d6a7e645da542bbb40887f9ea3a3

meercatsunited

emiff6 yes thats it thanks I had no idea it is a lilly

I didnt know the green algae type stuff was blanket weed and the duckweed took over last year.

the elderly couple who previously owned our house loved the garden, one of them was a botanist and I am trying to restore it to its former glory

soupdragon10

TBH as the wildlife seems to approve of the pond and the water is clear could you try just removing the worst of the 'rubbish'. (I'm afraid when I first read this that you were talking about rusty bike wheels and old mangles ). Maybe you could just get rid of the more invasive species and see how things progress.

Ponds are a finely balanced eco system, if the plants and animals are thriving and it doesn't look too bad then I'd proceed with caution.

meercatsunited

we approached the garden with the same cautious attitude and its worked so intend doing the same with the pond.

And if its as you all say well balanced I do not want to detroy that. :T

First step to sorting this out going to buy some pond pads tomorrow and a fishing net for the duckweed. :beer: