How to maintain a pond in the country. Water care in the country

The pond near the house creates a special comfort and peace. It's nice to sit by the water with a cup of your favorite drink and watch the fish. But you also need to work hard for such pleasure. Caring for a pond is not difficult, but you still have to follow some rules. You do not need to neglect them, because by properly caring for your mini-lake, you can maintain its transparency for a long time and avoid clogging.

Each season dictates its own rules for caring for a garden pond. But it's important to remember that Environment may make amendments. If, for example, poplar grows near your pond, then at the beginning of summer you need to think about how to protect the water surface from clogging with fluff.

Pond care in spring

In March, it is necessary to clean the bottom of the pond from silt. To do this, you can use an electric silo pump. If the reservoir is small, then a mechanical model is also suitable. Any model of ilosos should be used with caution, especially if there are newt larvae or tadpoles living in the pond. The film on the bottom must be checked for damage, if any, sealed to avoid water leakage.

Growing around the water ornamental plants they are sheared to a height of 15-20 cm, but this must be done in such a way as not to damage the young shoots. Overgrown shrubs must be divided, this increases the density of their flowering in summer. When the weather forecast does not threaten frosts, then it's time to land on the banks of the pond annual plants.

Around mid-April, you need to turn on the filters, which will work 24 hours a day. At the same time, fountains are launched and the first water analysis is done with the help of a special tester.

Summer pond care

The main summer inventory is a net. It is better to get two: one should be with a fine mesh, and the other with a large one. Small ones need to collect pollen from the surface of the water floating on the surface of the water, and large ones need to collect fallen leaves, petals and filamentous algae. Do not rush to dispose of the collected plant material, it can be an excellent fertilizer for garden flowers and vegetables.

Water lilies and irises growing in water need constant feeding with minerals; for this, special long-acting fertilizers are used. You also need to make sure that the bushes do not grow too much. The rhizomes of old water lilies must be cut with a sharp pruner so that a few sprouts remain on each part. For the first time, plant young plants in shallow water, best in baskets, so it will be more convenient to move them to another place.

Starting in June, you can plant tropical plants - water lettuce, eichornia and lotuses. And in order for all this to look aesthetically pleasing, the shore of the reservoir must be regularly cleaned of weeds and overgrowth of trees. The latter are generally a threat to ornamental pond, as they can germinate in an unnecessary place and damage the bottom of the reservoir. Therefore, trees such as cherry, poplar and acacia should not be around the pond within a radius of ten meters. If you had the imprudence to plant any of this nearby, then next autumn, take up replanting trees in more suitable places.

It is very important not to forget to control the quality of water throughout the summer period.

Pond care in autumn

Golden time usually adds work around the pond. If Indian summer is in full swing in September, then cleaning the ponds is limited to the same collection of flying leaves and cobwebs from the water surface, but much more often. Fallen leaves and other debris should not be allowed to sink to the bottom of the pond. If for some reason you cannot pay attention to your lake, cover it with a special net, but periodically check that animals do not get into it.

Dead parts of plants must be cut off, and heavily overgrown bushes should be thinned out. Annual flowers are disposed of as they dry. Underwater vegetation is trimmed. tropical plants taken out of the pond and placed in containers with water. The room where they will winter should be bright and frost-proof.

If there are fish in the pond, then you need to stop feeding them when the water temperature drops to 9 degrees. Turns out they don't eat in the winter.

Winter care for the pond

If reeds grow in the pond, you do not need to remove them, leave at least a part until spring, they will protect the water surface from freezing.

Non-frost resistant pumps and filters must be dismantled. Pay attention to their storage until spring, study the instructions for them in advance, perhaps some parts need to be stored in a container of water.

Drain water from all pipes and hoses. Before frost, it is advisable to turn on the de-icer, it will provide gas exchange and prevent the pond from freezing completely. But if the ice has already covered the surface of the reservoir, then it cannot be broken. This can be dangerous for both plant roots and fish. It is better to put a pan with hot water and thus make a hole.

At positive temperatures, cover the reservoir with a net so that the bottom is less clogged.

It happens that while caring for the pond in accordance with all the instructions, you observe cloudy water in it or too lush vegetation. Do not sound the alarm, all these minor troubles are easily solved. The main thing is to be informed in time.

• How to avoid the appearance of foam on the water and what to do if it has already appeared?

Foam on the surface of the water appears as a result of an increased concentration of protein in the pond. The reason for this is most often pollen sprinkled from flowers. In this case, the water must be replaced, but not all, but about 30%. It is also advisable to do a water hardness test. To prevent the problem, you can use special liquid against foaming.

• What to do if the water level drops in the pond?

First of all, check the bottom for damage. If the film has holes, then it is necessary to seal them up and remove the roots and stones, which often cause leaks. If the film is intact, most likely the water evaporates due to the heat. In this case, you just need to pump water during hot days, which can be done with a pump.

• How to clear cloudy water?

The water in the pond may become cloudy due to overgrown algae, which in urgently needs to be thinned out. Also, the reason may be a large number of fish that stir up the silt at the bottom. In such reservoirs, it is recommended to install special filters to prevent water turbidity. There is another folk method make your pond transparent - breed crayfish in it. These creatures do not need additional feeding. They eat algae, leftover fish food, fallen leaves and are the orderlies of the underwater environment. Only, in order for the crayfish to feel comfortable, it is necessary to build additional caves for them from stones near the banks of the pond.

Now, having necessary knowledge You will be able to take care of your pond on your own. May it always be pure and transparent.

Continuous care is a guarantee that your country pond will delight you and your guests long years. If the layout and arrangement of the decorative reservoir were carried out correctly, then caring for it will not bring you special trouble and won't take too long. However, there are certain problems that every owner of a country pond faces sooner or later:

• water bloom;
• water pollution;
• lack of oxygen.

What is a water bloom?

Algae is a very important component of the ecosystem of any reservoir. They begin to appear within a few weeks after filling the pit with water, even if you did not plant them on purpose. flowering called overgrowth of algae.

Causes of blooming water:

• a large amount of sunlight;
• high content of phosphates and nitrates in water.

How to avoid blooming water?

Many problems associated with flowering water can be avoided if, at the planning stage of a country pond, the following questions are considered:

1. Soil selection for planting cultural algae. It should not contain too many nutrients.
2. Choosing a place for a reservoir. The pond should be located so that it is convenient for you to clean it. After all, the timely removal of dead leaves of plants and remnants of food for fish will help to avoid flowering.
3. Protection of the pond from the sun. The sun's rays should not fall on the water surface for more than 6 hours a day. If the location of the reservoir does not allow this condition to be met, with south side pond, build a gazebo or plant shading plants.

What to do if the water bloomed?

Remove overgrown algae with a rake and pitchfork. The use of chemical herbicides can kill the flora and fauna of your pond, so it is better to use them in the most exceptional cases. Also, a special filter will help to avoid flowering of water.

Weeds are another scourge of artificial reservoirs. They grow rapidly and displace cultivated plants. It is better to remove them in the same way as excess algae - by hand.

Causes of water pollution

Sometimes the water in the pond becomes cloudy and acquires an unusual black or brown shade. There are several reasons for this:

• rotting of algae or fish food, in which case the water becomes black;
• the activity of the inhabitants of the pond (some species of fish, for example, cyprinids, like to dig the ground, thus raising silt to the surface of the reservoir), the water in this becomes brown;
• too high head of the submersible pump.

How to purify water in a decorative pond?

If the water pollution is minor and is caused by rotting algae or fish food, you just need to remove the dead plant or use a net to get rid of excess food.

Solve the problem of raising silt from the bottom of the reservoir using florculants– special chemical compounds, contributing to the sedimentation of dirt to the bottom of a decorative reservoir.

How to clean the water in the pond?

If you notice that the water in your pond has darkened and the silt does not sink to the bottom for a long time, this means that your pond needs a water change. You need to do it like this:

1. With the help of a net, catch all deep-sea and coastal plants.
2. If in ornamental pond fish live, drain the water to such a level that you can easily catch them.
3. Place the fish in a pre-prepared temporary water tank. It is better to collect it from your own reservoir.
4. Drain the remaining water and clean the bowl of the country pond from dirt and excess algae.
5. Fill the pond with water and put the fish in it.

Before you start cleaning the reservoir, draw water from it into tanks for temporary keeping of fish. In order not to disturb the ecosystem of the pond, after cleaning, pour this water back along with the fish.

To understand whether it is time to change the water in the reservoir or not, immerse a white plate into it by 10 cm. If the plate is not visible at this depth, it is time to change the water.

Causes of lack of oxygen in the reservoir

A lack of oxygen in the water can cause algae to rot and worsen the ecological situation in the reservoir as a whole. The reasons for the decrease in the percentage of oxygen can be:

• overgrown algae and uneaten by fish feed, which start the process of decay, requiring a large amount of oxygen;
• a sharp decrease in the inflow of fresh water;
• great content gland in water.

How to increase the level of oxygen in an ornamental pond?

The process of saturating air or liquid with oxygen is called aeration. Increase oxygen levels without using special systems almost impossible. Particularly relevant is the problem of insufficient aeration for ponds that contain fish. For oxygen saturation ornamental ponds usually use:

• household compressors with air atomizer;
• floating aerators;
• aerator fountains;
• bottom aeration systems.

The choice of aeration system largely depends on climatic conditions your region and pond features. It is best not to postpone the solution of the problem of saturation of water with oxygen until later, but to think it over at the stage of planning the reservoir.

How to care for a pond in spring?

As soon as the snow melts, start preparing the pond for the new season. This is the time for repair and maintenance work.

1. Clean the bottom of the pond from dirt and silt. This can be done either manually or with ilosos(a special pump designed to clean silt from the bottom of the pond).
2. Check the bottom of the pond for presence of damage.
3. trim coastal plants up to a height of 15-20 cm. At the same time, be careful not to accidentally damage the young shoots.
4. Divide and cut shrubs growing at the water's edge.
5. If no frost is expected in the weather forecast, start disembarking annual plants.
6. In April, turn on filters and fountains.
7. Using a special tester, conduct the first analysis of water for pH.

So that the young aquatic plants there was time to get used to the new conditions, land them first in shallow water in small baskets.

How to care for a pond in summer?

At this time of the year, a lot of attention should be paid to cleaning the pond and caring for the plants.

1. Regularly clean the surface of the water from fallen leaves, pollen and thread algae.
2. Start disembarking tropical plants.
3. Don't forget to fertilize. growing in water irises And water lilies need regular feeding special fertilizers for aquatic plants.
4. Thin out algae and plant roots regularly.
5. Keep track of the water level in the pond. If necessary, add it or, conversely, pump it out.
6. Regularly clean the shore of the pond from weeds and overgrowth of trees. The rhizomes of the latter can damage the reservoir. In general, when choosing a place for a country pond, make sure that there are no cherries, poplars or acacia.
7. Regularly check the water quality with drop testers (determines pH) and indicators for determining water hardness.

Do not throw away plant debris collected from the surface of the reservoir. It can be used as fertilizer.

How to care for a pond in autumn?

In autumn, there are even more fallen leaves, which means that you will have to devote much more time to cleaning the pond of debris. In addition, autumn is the time to prepare the country pond for winter.

1. Continue to keep the pond clean. If necessary, cover it with a special net, but make sure that animals and birds do not get into it.
2. Spend sanitary pruning coastal and shallow water plants. Remove annuals as they dry.
3. With the onset of the first frost, move heat-loving plants to a bright and frost-free room. Move containers with plants that remain overwintering in the pond to a depth at which the water in your pond does not freeze.
4. After the water temperature in the pond drops to 9 ° C, stop feeding the fish. If your ornamental pond is less than 2 m deep, move its inhabitants to tanks with suitable water and leave it indoors for the winter.
5. Install ice expansion joints. They are needed so that in winter the water that expands from frost does not violate the waterproofing of the pond bowl. Instead of special materials(styrofoam) you can use improvised means: rubber balls or plastic bottles. To prevent the bottles from floating to the surface, fill them with a small amount of sand. Alternatively, you can use a board that is weighted at one end, or even a massive piece of driftwood. If you wish, you can interestingly beat it in the decor of your site.
6. A small reservoir (regardless of what it is made of) is best drained for the winter, because. such ponds from the cold deteriorate most often.

Net - the main assistant in the fight against garbage in the pond. It will be better if you have at least two of them in your arsenal: with a fine and coarse mesh. Large mesh net it is very convenient to collect fallen leaves, plant petals and overgrown thread-like algae. net with small cells useful for collecting duckweed and pollen.

How to care for a pond in winter?

Preparation for winter period it is best to start without waiting for the first serious cold weather.

1. Drain the water from the pond with a concrete bowl.
2. Drain water from all hoses and pipes.
3. Dismantle frost-resistant pumps and filters. More detailed information You will learn about the proper dismantling and storage of this equipment in the instructions for it.
4. If your pond is equipped deicer, turn it on.
5. To prevent debris from getting into the thawed water during winter thaws, cover the country pond with a net.
6. Fish that stay in the pond for the winter need a constant supply of oxygen. If you don't have a de-icer, then normal gas exchange will help you maintain a normal polynya. Please note that you cannot cut a hole in the ice with an ax. By doing this, you can harm fish and plant roots.

What to do if there is foam on the water?

High concentration of protein main reason appearance of white foam. To solve this problem is simple - it is enough to replace 30% of the water in the pond. It will not be superfluous to do and analyze the water for hardness. To prevent foaming, use special liquid(It can be purchased from a specialized store).

What to do if the water level began to drop sharply?

First of all, check if the walls of the reservoir are damaged. If a leak is found, fix it. If there is no damage, then most likely the reason lies in the usual evaporation of water. To prevent this from happening, top up or pump a little more water into the pond in extreme heat.

You need to take care of a decorative pond throughout the year. Timely implementation of our recommendations will facilitate this task and preserve the beauty of your pond for many years.

In this article we will talk about simple, but necessary rules caring for an artificial reservoir in the country or adjoining area. We will study the features of preparing a pond for cold weather, expert advice on caring for aquatic plants and inhabitants of the reservoir. Tips are divided into seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Artificial pond in the country or personal plot- it's beautiful and romantic. Such a reservoir will become a highlight of landscape design, a real decoration of a garden or a green courtyard of a private house. Sometimes a reservoir is not a whim of the owner or a tribute to fashion, but the only way out is to tidy up the swampy area and remove excess moisture.

Earlier in the article "Do-it-yourself pond in the country" we told you how to build an artificial reservoir yourself. However, after construction is completed, a pond, even the smallest one, also requires constant attention and regular maintenance. This article is devoted specifically to the basic rules for caring for a reservoir on the site.

An artificial pond, even such a tiny one, requires attention and care. Otherwise, the water will simply bloom, and plants and fish may die.

Spring

We check the condition of the pond, help clear the pond of ice, prepare the plants for planting

Experts advise to start spring work on the artificial reservoir back in March. Firstly, during this period there is not much trouble in the garden and the garden, and the owners have time to pay enough attention to their pond. And secondly, the sooner you take care of the reservoir, the sooner it will begin to please the eye with well-groomed greenery and cheerful inhabitants.

First of all, you need to check how your pond "survived" the winter. You should check how the equipment works (pumps, power supply system, filters, and so on), whether the fish that you decided to leave in a sufficiently deep reservoir survived, whether the shore reinforced with stones collapsed, whether the concrete bottom cracked, remove the heater for storage. In general, to outline a plan of work that will help the pond "come to its senses" and again, like last summer, become a decoration of the site.

It is clear that in order to study the state of the reservoir, it is worth waiting until the ice melts. But in March, the layer of ice on the pond is no longer as strong as in winter, and you can help the pond to free itself quickly by pouring hot water over the ice or carefully making several holes.

In parallel, you should prepare the plants that you would like to plant in the spring. You can buy ready-made seedlings in specialized stores or on the market, which will grow in pots in March-April, while the water and soil have not yet warmed up. Another option is to purchase seeds and grow seedlings yourself. Just remember that aquatic plants need special soil, and the soil must always be moist, so it is better to put the pots in a container with water.

As for which plants to choose, experts advise purchasing pondweed and urut, which perfectly purify pond water, as well as beautiful floating aponogeton and salvinia. Water lilies and water lilies, Siberian iris, which loves shallow water, as well as tradescantia, which prefers a dry coast, have long become classics.

Plants, of course, are the main decoration of an artificial reservoir. Planting them should be taken care of in early spring.

Spring cleaning of the pond

The main task of the owners of an artificial reservoir immediately after the ice has melted and the shore has dried up is to clean the pond from debris. In autumn, leaves fell into it, during the winter some plants and small inhabitants could freeze, so there is enough garbage in the spring. the main problem not in collecting leaves and litter floating on the surface of the water, but in the fact that organic residues accumulate at the bottom of the reservoir, therefore without serious " general cleaning» stones on the shore, walls and bottom are indispensable.

For spring cleaning of the pond, water should be pumped out, leaving only a small puddle for fish, all living inhabitants should be caught and temporarily transplanted into some kind of container, and the bottom and walls of the reservoir should be thoroughly cleaned with a regular brush. A water vacuum cleaner, the so-called silosos, will also be a good helper, which will suck out all the residues from the bottom. And its special nozzles will allow you to clean the stones and all surfaces of the reservoir. The price of a German-made sludge pump reaches 8-9 thousand rubles, but the savings in time and effort when cleaning a reservoir are very significant.

In shallow ponds, the water should be completely changed in the spring, however, they are usually drained in anticipation of cold weather. dirty water, remaining after cleaning, of course, should be drained or pumped out.

In the spring, the pond in the country requires a general cleaning - literally every pebble will have to be cleaned. At the time of the cleansing, all living inhabitants should be transplanted into temporary dwellings.

Plant transplant

The transplantation of plants that will decorate the shores and the surface of the reservoir should begin after the soil has dried up and the water has settled and warmed up. Plants that have overwintered outside are planted, carefully separating the roots. If, for example, marsh iris grew in a plastic pot, it next year container may be needed bigger size, so you should take care of buying a suitable container for plants in advance.

It should be remembered that, for example, there are many varieties of the “queen of reservoirs” - water lilies: from large ones, with leaves up to 70 centimeters in diameter, to miniature ones. Accordingly, plant different varieties needed at different depths. If you could not find special lattice containers for the roots of aquatic plants, you can use the usual plastic pots for indoor flowers. Just remember to plug the drain hole at the bottom.

Those plants that do not need to be transplanted this spring should be fed using special fertilizers for flora growing in conditions high humidity. The soil also needs to be applied special - heavy and clayey, with a minimum amount of organic matter.

By the way, due to the constant presence in the water, water lilies, lilies, marsh and siberian irises, calamus, egg-pod and other aquatic plants usually tolerate transplantation and division well, practically without getting sick.

When choosing water plants for your pond, you need to remember that the marsh iris loves shallow water, water lilies with a leaf span of up to 30 centimeters should be planted at a depth of 15 to 40 centimeters, and the arrowhead grows well at a depth of about 10 centimeters. In general, each plant should choose its own, optimal "place of residence"

Summer

We monitor the water level

In the summer, an artificial reservoir does not require weekly cleaning, the plants have already been transplanted, so there is little trouble. However, evaporation of water can become a significant problem for a small pond.

During the heat, the water level drops quite quickly and almost every week it should be added to the required mark. Of course, it is more convenient to do this with a hose, but too much pressure will cause anxiety for the fish and can damage aquatic plants, so it is better to pour water in slowly, in a thin stream. Experts advise not to add water directly from the tap, but to let it settle and heat up so as not to harm the inhabitants of the pond.

In a small pond located on open space plot, in the summer up to 5 centimeters of water can evaporate daily. If you do not add water in a timely manner, your pond will soon turn into an ordinary puddle.

Dealing with pests and debris

High temperature and humidity ideal conditions for the development of various pests. Insects usually take a fancy to the leaves and trunks of plants that live on the banks of the reservoir. The simplest and safe way to control such pests - wash them off with water from a hose. This option has two more advantages: harmful insects, washed into the water, will become food for fish, and the leaves of plants “washed” from the hose will get rid of dust and delight with fresh greenery.

In addition, after feeding the fish, you should remove the remnants of food and make sure that debris does not accumulate on the surface. If the pond is small, then you can do it manually, but for a medium-sized pond, it is already worth buying a skimmer - a device that collects upper layer water, along with floating debris. The skimmer filters the water from debris and returns it to the pond. Such a device costs an average of 4 to 36 thousand rubles, depending on the size, it can be bottom, wall or floating.

Fish should not be overfed, and plants fertilized too often - this will upset the biological balance in the pond and create an ideal environment for the development of pests and weeds.

An important point - if you plan to treat land plants with chemicals, make sure that the poisons do not get into the water.

You can remove garbage from the surface of an artificial reservoir with such a net. Get rid of the need to work with your hands with a skimmer for pools and ponds

We remove weeds

Excessive growth of algae in the pond will cause the water to turn green, or even completely disappear under a layer of “green occupiers”. The owners of artificial reservoirs are especially annoyed by duckweed, filamentous algae and azolla (aka water fern). Reproducing uncontrollably, such plants can eventually flood the entire small pond leaving no room for your favorite water lilies.

Duckweed should not be launched into an artificial pond at all, since due to its unpretentiousness it is practically ineradicable. True, these small green leaves are very fond of ducks and other Domestic bird, so the owners of poultry houses should not throw away the caught duckweed - everything will come in handy on the farm.

A small and seemingly harmless duckweed is able to flood the entire body of water without leaving a single window. clean water. Regularly catching it with a net, it is difficult to cope with this algae, skimmers, filters, as well as fish who like to eat duckweed, for example, crucians or carps, can come to the rescue.

Autumn

Removing leaves and trimming plants

The main task of the owner of an artificial pond in the fall is to prevent a large number organic residues get into the water and rot. Therefore, we catch all the fallen leaves regularly, and we cut off the plants on the shore in a timely manner - the leaves of most of them will die off and fall into the water with the onset of cold weather. Plants should be trimmed to such a level that they do not touch the water.

Small barrier nets will help prevent leaves from entering the pond. The network, along with the accumulated debris, can be removed when the leaf fall is over.

Nobody argues with the fact that yellow and red leaves on the surface of the water are very beautiful. But after a couple of days they will turn brown and begin to rot, turning your pond into a real swamp. Therefore, in autumn, the reservoir needs cleaning no less than the paths in the garden or an open terrace.

We collect wintering buds and heat-loving plants to save them indoors until spring

In late autumn, most aquatic plants form the so-called winter buds, from which new shoots will appear in spring. If you plan to drain the pond completely or are afraid that the plants will freeze in extreme cold, such buds should be carefully collected, placed in a flat vessel with sand, poured with water and left in a cool, but not freezing place. In February, the vessel with the kidneys should be brought into the room and the shoots should be allowed to germinate. In the spring, in the form of already grown plants, they will return to their native pond.

If the plants near the pond grew in pots, they can simply be brought into the room, providing enough high level humidity. Leaving water plants to winter in the pond, you should move them to the deepest part so that there is at least half a meter to the surface. Some representatives of the flora, such as water lilies, can be transplanted into the ground in autumn and covered with peat, sawdust or leaves on top to protect them from frost.

At the bottom of a sufficiently deep reservoir, plant buds formed in autumn will overwinter well. But if the pond is small, it will freeze completely, so the plants should be moved to warm "winter apartments"

We feed the inhabitants

Before the onset of cold weather, fish need to “work up fat”, so you should provide them protein nutrition in sufficient quantity. Fish can winter in the pond only if its depth is at least 1.5, and preferably 2 meters. The water temperature at the bottom should not fall below plus 5 degrees in winter. Otherwise, the fish should also be moved to the aquarium in a timely manner.

Remember that in winter time The fish in the pond are not active and do not need to be fed.

The most popular inhabitants of artificial reservoirs are bright and very active koi or Japanese carps, ide, bleak, mustard and gold fish. Do not overcrowd the pond - for relatively large koi carps, you will need a fairly spacious pond with an area of ​​\u200b\u200bat least 5 square meters, and in a pond with a volume of only 100 liters, no more than 10 goldfish can comfortably live

Winter

We drain the water

As mentioned above, in winter, a reservoir up to 50-100 centimeters deep can freeze completely. Therefore, such small ponds are drained. Convenient if the reservoir has drainer. Otherwise, you will either have to use a pump or pump out water with a hose using the principle of communicating vessels.

To prevent fish or debris from getting into the hose, which can cause blockage, it is better to put a special filter on the hole or just pull the burlap.

The drained pond can be covered with foil, boards or thick cloth so that leaves or other debris do not fall into it.

Such a small body of water will definitely freeze completely in winter, so the water should be drained in anticipation of cold weather.

Providing fish with access to oxygen

If the fish stay in the pond for the winter, you will have to take care not only about them, but also about the fact that the ice does not damage the concrete walls of the pond. Last problem the solution is quite simple - an ordinary board should be placed in the center of the reservoir and it is she who will take on the pressure of the ice, protecting the walls.

In order to provide the fish with an influx of air, it is necessary to take care of the presence of a polynya. Experts do not recommend cutting ice with an ax - the shock wave can damage underwater inhabitants. It is easier and easier to put a container of hot water, such as a kettle or a saucepan, on the ice. So that the resulting polynya does not freeze, you can regularly water it with boiling water.

Another easy but more costly way to keep your fish fresh in the winter is to install an electric water pump that has a vertical drain tube. With the help of such a tube, a non-freezing polynya with constantly bubbling water will appear in the pond, which will contribute to its saturation with oxygen.

In such a thin, first ice, it will not be difficult to make an opening. But in very coldy to provide the fish with oxygen, you will have to make significantly more effort

We heat the water in the pond to the optimum temperature for its inhabitants

Koi carps and goldfish that come from South-East Asia, for a comfortable existence, a temperature of at least plus 7, and even better - 10 degrees Celsius is required. Provide such favorable conditions in a region where it is often minus 20-30 degrees in winter without special heating is impossible.

The artificial pond heating system includes a heat-exchange tank, which is equipped with an electric pump with a biofilter. The power of the pump and the thermal element is calculated based on the size of the reservoir. It is convenient if the system includes an automatic temperature sensor that turns off and turns on the heating, not allowing electricity to be wasted.

Pond heating will eliminate the need to monitor the presence of a polynya, as an ice-free window will remain on the surface of the water.

The pond heating system is not cheap, however, if you want to leave exotic fish in the pond for the winter, you can’t do without it

As you can see, the artificial pond needs attention all year round. However, the rules for caring for a pond in a personal plot are simple and easy to implement. If you follow the recommendations and rules listed in this article, the pond will delight you with beauty for many years, and its inhabitants with excellent health.

Anna Sedykh, rmnt.ru

If you have built on your suburban area hydraulic structure, it does not matter whether it is a pond, a pool or a fountain, it is necessary to take care of the structure, otherwise it will lose its attractiveness in a matter of weeks appearance and overgrown with algae. Next, we will talk about how to take care of the pond in the garden with your own hands.

Caring for a pond in the garden is a fairly simple and not laborious undertaking. If you do not take care of the garden pond, then after a while it will become overgrown with algae, the water will begin to “bloom” and all the fish (if any) will die.

Caring for a pond in the garden includes several basic activities:

• Mechanical cleaning of the pond with a shovel and garden rake
• Chemical cleaning of the pond
• Enrichment of water with oxygen
• Water filtration
• Arrangement garden pond moisture-loving plants
• Settling the pond with snails
• Creating pond lighting (for safety and as an element of decor)

Now we will consider all the components of caring for a pond in the garden with our own hands, or rather the purpose and essence of the above activities.

Via mechanical cleaning from the pond, fallen leaves and, if necessary, overgrown plants are removed from the pond, which worsen the appearance of the garden pond.

Chemical cleaning the pond represents the use peat tablets which inhibit the growth of algae.

In order to enrich the water with oxygen it is recommended to use special compressors. Oxygenated water improves the life of the inhabitants of the pond, if it is.

It is also necessary additional purify water with filters. To do this, it is recommended to use submersible filters that automatically distill water and purify it (usually this process takes no more than 4 hours). When buying a pump, you must select a unit that will have sufficient performance to work in a pond of a certain volume.

Definitely recommended plant moisture-loving plants in the pond itself and along its borders. They will not only give the garden pond a decorative appearance, but also establish a biological balance on their own. In order to prevent the overgrowth of the pond with algae, it is enough to plant several seedlings of plants (2-3 pieces) on a pond area of ​​1 m 2. It should also be ensured that the plants do not grow too intensively throughout the pond, otherwise the biological balance will be disturbed. To control the growth of plants, it is recommended to place seedlings in special baskets. We draw your attention to the fact that the bottom of the garden pond should not consist of black soil, but of a mixture of loam and sand. The most suitable moisture-loving plants for a pond are considered to be burdock, reeds and lake reeds.

Settling the pond with snails is also one of the main activities for the care of the pond in the garden. These tiny inhabitants of the pond will provide round-the-clock cleaning of the pond from algae.

Concerning illumination of the reservoir, this event is not particularly important, but it is still recommended to use it in order to illuminate the pond at night. This will give landscape design The territory has a more luxurious look and will ensure a safe rest at night. It is recommended to use as a backlight for a reservoir, they are not only easy to mount / dismantle, but also significantly save energy consumption. Lamps are recommended to be installed along the contour of the reservoir and leading to it. You can also use lamps with LED and halogen lamps, which are more durable and illuminate the area more efficiently.

That's the whole technology of caring for a pond in the garden. Of course, caring for a pond is different from and is simpler, but still it will be necessary to take care of some elements of care.

Many summer residents use ponds and reservoirs decorating the territory in the design of their site. Such a device can make the atmosphere of the site cozy and comfortable, as well as add originality to the main composition.

Everyone knows that water is very soothing. nervous system, which means that by installing a bench next to the pond, the gardener will create a relaxing place for himself to relax and rest on fresh air. In such a pleasant and quiet environment, it is very convenient to dream and reflect, but you can make the pond even more attractive with the help of various elements and decor. Such details can be different types plants, lighting around the pond, stone sculptures. But it is also worth remembering that appearance and the purity of the water in the pond require permanent care and worries.

Water bloom: fight or prevent?

The most difficult period in relation to the care of the reservoir is the moment when the water blooms. The process itself is formed due to the formation and dynamic development miniature algae. However, this action can be slowed down or stopped altogether with the help of special plants. Such crops must absorb carbon dioxide and form oxygen. These include hornwort, elodea, swamp and some other species. In addition, these plants make the surface of the water clean and transparent, creating an even more attractive appearance of the reservoir.

In the event that weeds are noticed on the surface of the pond water, they can be removed using a sieve or rake for this purpose. The process of flowering in water occurs in the spring season, but sometimes it passes very quickly without outside interference. As for the silt at the bottom of the reservoir, it must be collected at least once every thirty days in summer period of the year. Assistants in this case will be a special pump, which is not a big problem to purchase today.

Pond vegetation should always be trimmed after flowering has ended. Sometimes optimum time for this procedure, spring can also become, when the growth of crops is just beginning. Eliminate branches that have weakened or withered. Other processes just need to be shortened exactly twice. The beautiful component of plants, that is, flowers, must be removed after the horses dry up. This will help ensure brighter and stronger flowering plants next year.

Plants living in water are transplanted only once every few years. Before the operation, the culture must be well washed and cleaned of dead and weak constituents. The most time-consuming process of caring for water bodies becomes in the fall. At this point, you need to start ensuring that the pond is thoroughly prepared for wintering.

Pond care in winter

During the winter season, there is no need to drain water from a plastic or film pond. However, it is important to ensure that the ice cover does not destroy the walls, since the volume of water increases during the freezing process. For this purpose, many gardeners throw compressible objects in the form of plastic containers or polystyrene onto the surface of the reservoir. In such a situation, most of the water will go there. But it is much more profitable to remove the form for the winter if the pond is small.

There are also summer residents who pour out water in the fall, after which they clean the bottom and walls. Then for the winter the form is filled with new clean water.

It is worth taking care of the plants in the pond in advance, because they need to be kept from withering in the winter. Such crops that love heat are best dug up or covered with insulating materials. Wintering water lilies is a completely separate issue. They will quite endure a mild and not the most severe winter. But otherwise, they will have to be caught. After that, water lilies are planted in the ground to a depth of pits about fifty or seventy centimeters. A good option would be to take the plants to cold cellar by placing them there in containers with water or moistened peat.

The leaves that fall from the trees in autumn pose the most harm and danger to the ponds in the garden. In order to avoid unpleasant consequences, it is necessary to stretch a special net over the pond, which should then be removed, since leaves should not be allowed to rot in water bodies.