Fall Maintenance for the Water Garden

In the fall, there is maintenance that must be done for your water garden that can't be accomplished at other times of the year. Follow this guide to fall maintenance for the water garden to ensure you have a healthy, happy environment for plants and fish alike.

In the fall, plants begin to fade and it's important to deal with dying and dead matter. This is the most crucial season to perform water garden maintenance. It's important not to let leaves and/or other debris fall into the water and rot.

Fall Maintenance for the Water Garden - Leaves and Debris

The most important fall maintenance task for the water garden is to catch any leaves or other debris that might fall into the water. Place a fine mesh net over the surface of the pond to catch any falling leaves. Keep in mind that it's easier to keep the leaves out in the first place than to remove them from the water once they've fallen in.

Despite your best efforts, some debris will make it into the water. This is where the second most important fall maintenance task for the water garden comes in. Use a rake, net or pond skimmer to remove any dead leaves or other debris from the water.

Fall Maintenance for the Water Garden - Plant Maintenance

Although removing leaves and debris are of extreme importance to the health of your water garden, there are other maintenance tasks that shouldn't be ignored in the fall. One of these tasks is removing deadheads. Remove faded flowers and dead leaves from plants as soon as you notice them.

In the fall, you'll also need to cut back the plants once the leaves and stem have turned brown. Cut marginal plants down to about 3-4 inches above the water. This will remove any pests that might be hiding in the foliage.

Fall Maintenance for the Water Garden - Prepare Plants for Winter

It is very important to remove any plants in the fall that need to over-winter indoors. This must be done before the temperature drops below freezing. Keep the plants in shallow bowls of water until spring. Plants that can survive in the winter will drop to the bottom of the pond through the cold winter months.

Fall Maintenance for the Water Garden - Prepare Fish for Winter

Fish also need maintenance in the fall to prepare them for the upcoming winter. Give the fish a high-protein food to help them build strength for the winter. You'll also want to place a few lengths of plastic guttering on the bottom of the pond. This will give them a place to shelter once the floating plants are gone from the water garden.

Fall Maintenance for the Water Garden - Remove the Pump

Fall is the time to remove the pump from the pond. Clean it and store it in a dry place throughout the winter months. Replace the pump with a pond heater to keep your fish and plants alive through the winter or you may not have any life left come spring.