Garden Pond Care Instructions

Overview

Garden ponds are spectacular additions to any landscape, but they require quite a bit of care at times. Whether you have a pond filled with plants, fish or both, you'll need to keep your garden pond healthy and free of harmful bacteria or debris. Toxic buildup of harmful algae can kill your fish and plants, and your garden pond will need some special care to keep the water balanced and clean. With some regular cleaning and maintenance, however, your garden pond will thrive.

Step 1

Clean out your filter pads and skimmers once each month and as frequently as once each week during the fall. Rinse the filter pads with a gentle stream of water from a hose and empty out the leaf basket in the skimmer.

Step 2

Add commercially-available pond bacteria to your water garden once each month to keep the beneficial bacteria levels high, especially if your garden pond has fish like koi or goldfish. Follow the dosage instructions on the pond bacteria's label.

Step 3

Clean out string algae when you find it growing in your garden pond. You can remove the string algae from the sides of your pond by hand, or you can add barley straw "mini bales" to the pond to control algae growth.

Step 4

Control plant growth in your garden pond by pruning the water plants or removing some of them. Keep about a third of the pond surface clear of plant coverage so that enough sunlight can reach the fish and plants beneath.

Step 5

Keep a hole open on the garden pond's surface in the winter, if the pond freezes over. This will allow oxygen to get into the water. You can also use a pond heating device during the winter to keep the water warmer.