Late Summer Water Feature Care

As summer winds down, so do hardy water
lilies. Keep dead vegetation removed from
your water feature.

The last few weeks of summer are upon us and it's time to start getting your water feature ready for fall, or at least planning for it. Here are a few tips to make that late summer/early fall care a little easier.

To keep water quality healthy, hand remove dead, dying and unwanted vegetation from your water feature. This includes string algae, dying lily pads, and yellowing water hyacinths among others. Decaying organic materials become nutrients in the water that feed more string algae or green water and/or contribute to the "muck" layer that might be at the bottom of your water feature which is unhealthy.

Also, thin back aquatic plants as they become crowded or overgrown. Watch out for water hyacinth. They can crowd waterfalls and streams causing an overflow and water loss. They're beautiful when crowded because that's when they bloom, but be cautious.

For ponds, keep adding BioClear and Clean weekly. You will want to keep using this weekly until the water temp falls below 50 degrees. BioClear and Clean is awesome because not only does it combat green water, but it also contains bacteria strains that defend against the "muck" layer or sludge. Your pond needs this now more than ever!

Keep your water feature at the appropriate level. Gone are the rainy months of summer. This time of the year is notoriously dry in central Indiana.  Topping your water feature off weekly is extremely important. Don't allow it to drop to a very low level and then fill it. Adding a lot of water at once can change the pH of your water and change the water temperature -- both are unhealthy for fish. Remember to judge your water level by the overflow at the back of your skimmer. Never judge by a rock.  

Start planning for fall maintenance. We recommend everyone net their pond in the fall.  This one maintenance task can have big ramifications for your pond this fall, winter, and next spring!  Once the leaves are down around Thanksgiving, we take down our nets. We have a method of netting our features that's easy and low maintenance. Check out our video on how we do it.

If it has been a while since your water feature was last cleaned, this fall is a great time to tackle it.  You can watch our video here if you want to clean it yourself, or if you live in the Indianapolis metro area we are happy to provide that service for you. You can check out our cleaning service here.

Make sure your underwater lighting is working.  With long summer days, we don't get to enjoy our ponds in the dark much.  With the days getting shorter and the weather still nice, we are approaching th best time of year to be outside by your pond at night.  But now is the time to make sure your lighting is ready to go. (If you have to get into the pond to adjust or add anything, the water will still be warm.) This is a great time to enjoy our water features. Cooler temps and shorter days beg for an evening sitting and listening to the flow of the water and watching the fish dance in underwater lights.  Check out our easy-to-install under water lighting. 

A little pre-planning now can allow more relaxing and less work later on this fall.

Enjoy!