Spring Maintenance
The spring rains fill streams and rivers, which in turn flush out the lakes and ponds.This is nature’s way of preparing for a new season of life.Your man-made pond needs your help in order to duplicate this same process.
The Early Spring Cleanout:
By replenishing the water in your pond, and giving it a good cleaning at the beginning of each season, your pond can begin each new season fresh. Early spring, before your pond awakens completely from its winter dormancy, is the best time of year to perform your cleanout. Ideally, the cleanout should take place before the water temperature creeps above 55ºF. As long as your water is cooler than 55ºF, the beneficial bacteria that grow in your filter and on your rocks will not yet be established. If a cleanout is done after bacteri a colonies form, your ecosystem will be thrown out of balance and your pond will go through a “green phase” before your bacteria colonies reestablish themselves again.
Clean It Yourself of Hire a Professional?
Before you jump into the process of cleaning your pond, consider the possibility of hiring a professional. Many professionals, maybe even the one who may have installed your pond, offer pond maintenance and cleaning services. Whether you clean your pond or hire a professional is really a matter of personal preference.
If you do it yourself, you can mark it down for your daily exercise, you can be proud of what you’ve done, and you can learn a little more about what’s lurking beneath the water. Sometimes it isn’t pretty, but isn’t that the beauty of pond ecology?
Now if you decide to have it done by a professional that you know and trust, there’s a good chance it’s going to be done right, taking little or no time away from your day. Plus, if a professional happens to be washing out your filter media and finds a problem, they can address it right there. The trained eye of the contractor could even prevent a problem before it occurs.
So will you go for the personal satisfaction of cleaning out your pond, or will you trade your hip boots in for the TV remote and let your contractor do it? The choice is yours.
If you're considering doing your own cleaning, please download this check list and process instruction sheet to assist you in getting the most from your pond this year!
 Cleaning Checklist
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