Autumn is the time of year when we admire the changing foliage colours of our ornamental plants and enjoy the pleasantries of the season slowing.

Nonetheless, there are always jobs in the garden and, most of all, our ponds. The fish and plants require our attention to prepare them for the Winter months that lie ahead. 

As the weather begins to cool, most aquatic plants will gradually start to die back in preparation for their dormancy. Autumn is the critical month to give these plants one last feed and overall maintenance to set them up for a comfortable Winter and future healthy growing season in the Spring. As the foliage begins to yellow and die back to the water level, it is essential to remove 'spent/old' leaves to avoid them from decaying in the water and causing unhealthy bacteria growth. Removal of foliage won't be as much of an issue for larger ponds; however, small ponds with less water, frequent pruning, and removing old leaves are necessary.
 
If your pond is near taller shrubs and trees where there will be many leaves falling into the water, it will require regular skimming of the pond base's water surface and cleaning. Whilst filtration pumps are available at Rock Around The Block, which filter the water to keep the pond's overall health in top shape, to clean hard particles or sludges or for more challenging to reach areas such as the pond base and walls, using the Pro Pond Vacuum is ideal (available at Rock Around The Block). The green head sucks up unwanted algae, sludge, and other debris from the bottom of the pond, which gets discharge through an anti-kink discharging hose, resulting in cleaner water. If your pond is deep and wide, the Pro Pond Vacuum has an extendable aluminium handle making it suitable for various pond depths. It is also a useful piece of equipment to siphon water from the pond if overflowing is a risk during higher rainfall periods. 
 
Like the plants, fish will begin to slow their water activities, and this is the ideal time to reflect on any pump and filter settings. The flow rate can be reduced throughout Autumn, as it will encourage the water temperatures to stay more consistent over the cooler months of the year. Depending on the pond type and size, pond pumps can be removed for a short period in Winter and re-installed once the weather begins to warm again. Doing this will be less disruptive to fish that might be settling in the pond's hidden corners during cooler weather. Nonetheless, this is an optional step and won't make or break the pond's hygiene. Lifting out filters and cleaning them of any algae growth and other build-ups can be done now. 
 
Checking water quality and health is another critical step in the maintenance plan during Autumn. Without adequate water health, plants and fish will struggle to thrive. Using a nitrate testing kit is a great way to check for any issues within the water

Your pond will be starting to reflect these seasonal changes too. Just as soil temperature drops so too does water temperature. Just as garden plant growth slows so does that of water plants.

The warm seasons are a period of heightened activity for your water garden and to help your pond over-winter and burst back into life come spring you will need to spend a little time on some simple tasks now. Don’t look at it as work, more a great excuse to get out and enjoy some gorgeous autumn weather.

Leaf Patrol

• If autumn is known for one thing it’s falling leaves and these can create a host of problems if they are allowed to build up in your pond. In the warmer months a pond with well-balanced water and a healthy microbial population can process normal leaf fall effectively converting it to safe, organic material which in turn provides a home for more beneficial bacteria and other organisms.
• In the cooler months however things change. The metabolisms of those bacteria and other small organisms are slowing down in response to dropping temperatures so they can’t process as much material let alone a sudden influx of autumn leaves.
• Without the work of these micro and other organisms leaves left in the pond will literally rot, reducing saturated oxygen, changing water pH and creating a smelly layer of harmful sludge.
• This all sounds somewhat frightening but it’s easy enough to avoid – get those leaves out of the pond as quickly as possible.

Plant Care

• Everything from water lilies to milfoil will have grown like topsy over the warm months and much of that growth is seasonal. Depending on your location some of your plants may even die back over winter. Just as for all that leaf fall it’s important to remove any dead or dying leaves, stems or spent flowers from aquatic plants.
• As most are quite soft a good pair of garden scissors is normally adequate but larger, thicker stemmed plants, like pickerel rush, may need garden pruners or secateurs. You can also thin out those floating or fully submerged plants if they’ve become congested.
• Look too at plants around the pond and give them a tidy up with a view to maximising cool season sunlight.

Remove Excess Sludge

• The layer of sludge that develops on the bed of your pond is natural and, to a degree, desirable. It’s a zone of high biological activity and is an important part of the ecosystem of your pond, processing waste, removing excess nutrients and maintaining water quality. It is however a fine balancing act. Too much sludge, or sludge from rotting, not biologically decomposed material can cause all manner of water and pond health problems. Sludge is more likely to become excessive if you have a lot of leaf fall and if you keep fish, particularly larger ones such as koi.
• There are a couple of ways to easily manage excess, undesirable sludge.

The PondMAX Pro Pond Vacuum (available at Rock Around The Block) is a clever venturi-action head with an extendable handle that connects to your garden hose. One the hose is running sludge is sucked up and discharged outside the pond. This is the perfect tool not just for seasonal maintenance but for regular cleaning if you’re a koi keeper. Ideally it should also be used to remove dead algae after treatment with any algae removal products.

Water Care & Clarity

• If you have had any issues with blanket weed or string-algae over the warmer months then it is worth to take a look at your pond filter and the UV lights that inside them.
• Also lift your pump and clean the sponge filter block before giving your pump the once over checking and cleaning the impellor, housing and seals.
• The filter block and any other filter media should only ever be cleaned in pond water and not flushed or rinsed with tap-water. The products used to sterilise taps-water can kill off populations of the desirable beneficial bacteria that colonise the bio-sponge blocks and media.

You may wish to add fresh water to your pond too not more than 20-25% of the pond capacity.

Livestock Control

• If you keep fish you may find that the population has increased over the warmer months. Is it time to reduce the numbers a little? Other pond owners may be happy for some of your fish or you may even be able to sell or trade them online if they are fit and healthy. Check any local regulations.
• The best way to capture your fish is when the water levels are lowered prior to topping back up.
• Don’t remove fish unless you are planning on sending them straight to a new home and always make sure they are kept in some pond water taken from their pond.
• If they are to be kept in a tub or bucket for any period of time keep the container out of the sun and ensure the water is kept well aerated either by running a pump that is driving bubbles into the water or using a Aeration Pump & Airstone (available at Rock Around The Block)