Why Is Fall a Good Time for a Pond Cleaning?

Many water features need to be cleaned annually.  Every pond is different. If this is new info to you, check out our FAQ to our Professional Cleaning services or FAQ to pond cleanings in general. But maybe you've heard us talk about fall cleanings, and you're wondering -- when should I clean my pond? What time of year is best?

Fall is a great time to clean your pond! Here are 5 reasons to clean your pond in the fall.

Reason 1 -- Eliminate toxic build-up in the bottom of your pond.

When a layer of leaves and other organic debris build up in the bottom of your pond, some bad stuff starts to brew down there. Anaerobic bacteria begins to grow, and woah is it smelly stuff! Not to mention that it can be very toxic to fish. Plus, as that debris starts to decompose, it will pull oxygen from the water, oxygen that your fish will need to live.

Reason 2 -- Keep your fish safer this winter.

If you have a large build-up of debris (we're talking a few inches) on the bottom of your pond, then you could be taking up precious pond depth. Your fish need room on the bottom of the pond, which will be a little warmer than the surface, in the winter time. Fall is a great time to purge this debris layer and make sure your fish are warm and cozy this winter.

Reason 3 -- Less food for future algae growth.

Every January, we get the string algae calls. People call in, panicked, "There's so much string algae in my pond, but it's too cold to use Remove Away!" First off, it's totally fine that string algae is growing. It's doing you no harm other than making your pond look a little messy. But, that string algae is eventually going to either die and decompose and add debris and more nutrients to the water or your water feature will have to be cleaned in the spring to remove it.

If you clean your pond in the fall, however, you remove a lot of the organic waste that algae feeds on.

Reason 4 -- Clear up your pond to enjoy it this fall!

This is the MAIN reason, right? There's nothing quite like the cool, autumn breeze, a cup of warm cider in your hands, your feet propped up next to your campfire, while listening to your waterfall and watching your fish swim. It's hard to do that if you're looking at your pond saying, "Ugh what a mess!"

Summer time can be rough on our ponds. String algae thrives in the heat and low rainfall. And even when we get that string algae under control, all the dead algae bits hang around in the form of suspended debris. Your water might be cloudy or just downright dirty!

Although we have some great filters to filter this debris out, the quickest and most efficient way to get rid of debris is to do a complete pond cleaning (NOTE: draining your water part-way doesn't cut it!).

Reason 5 -- Give yourself less work to do next spring.

When the snow begins to melt and the early spring flowers start to bloom in the spring, we're elated to finally have great weather again. And then our to-do lists for our yards begin to grow. Weekends off mean getting gardens ready, mulching, planting, planning. Wouldn't it be nice if cleaning up the pond was one of those things that was left OFF your to-do list?

Cleaning in the fall means that's just that less work you have to do in the spring! Just start dosing your water treatments when the water temp is 50 degrees, and you're set to start your season!


Check out our video on pond cleaning or sign up today to schedule our professional maintenance technicians to clean your pond for you!