Leave It Up or Take It Down... Let's Talk About It

 

Netting your water feature in the fall is so beneficial! But once the leaves are down and cleaned up, I'm ready to put it away! I prefer not to look at my water features netted all winter. Plus I want the critters in my yard to be able to get a drink or take a bath.

But there are reasons to keep your water feature netted until late winter or spring.

You have trees that don't drop their leaves until well into winter -- oaks, beech trees, etc. If you have a tree that's a late dropper, you definitely don't want to take your net down.

The neighbors are the problem.

Sometimes you get your leaves cleaned up only to have your neighbor's blow in. In this situation it is better to just wait. Hopefully a nice wind will blow all of them away.

There are predators lurking around.

Without plant coverage, pond fish are very much exposed. Leaving your net up gives them a layer of protection from birds that could see your fish while flying over. There are work arounds for this... fish caves give fish a place to hide if a predator does come for a visit. Fish caves can be purchased commercially (find our fish cave here) or you can make one by stacking a large, flat piece of stone on some smaller stones. For small ponds with small fish, a clay flower pot on it's side works as a cave as well.

The net is frozen to the ground already.

Sometimes the timing just isn't right. If the leaves don't fall quickly or we don't get them cleaned up quickly, it might freeze before we tend to the net. Be careful in this situation. Pulling on the net once it has frozen to the ground could cause it to rip. Better to wait for a thaw. Also make sure you leave the staples that hold your net down up just a little bit. When it gets really cold the staples will freeze as well if they're pushed all the way into the ground.

When should the net be taken down if possible?

Normally, we take down clients nets between Thanksgiving and the second week of December. At home, we try to have the net down before Thanksgiving. (Halloween to Thanksgiving is all I can take!)

Every winter is a little different.

Sometimes you just need to see what the weather brings you. But if at all possible, my vote is to take the net down!

Happy Fall!