The Pondliner.com Countdown to Winter

When summer winds down and fall is in full swing, it’s time to start prepping your backyard pond or water garden for the cooler months ahead.

Don’t feel overwhelmed, the fall season gives you enough time to space out your winterization so you can still enjoy the time you have left with your pond.

Use our winter countdown to help guide your fall pond maintenance efforts:

•  Clean-up – In late summer and early fall, it’s important that you start to remove as much debris and material from your backyard pond as possible. To do this, use a skimmer or pond vacuum to remove leaves, twigs and other build-up. Use netting to prevent any further debris from accumulating.
• Repot your plants – In fall, it’s necessary to repot your pond plants to divide and store. Non-hardy plants need to be protected before winter dormancy. Try to repot your plans as soon as you can.
• Bring your fish in – Don’t wait until the snow starts falling to remove your fish from your backyard pond. Your fish can become stressed when exposed to temperature shifts greater than 4 or 5 degrees, so the sooner you relocate them the better.
• Trimming – Prune any overgrown or long-stemmed plants to help promote growth next season. Also, trimming your plants can help you remove any leaves that might end up falling to the bottom of your pond.
•  Feed your pond plants – Late summer and early fall is the best time to start providing your pond plants with the nutrients and supplements they will need as winter approaches.

While there is more you will need to do to completely prep your pond for the harsh winter ahead, it’s important to start slowly and make the adjustment for your plants and fish a smooth one.

Find all the fall pond maintenance and pond winterization kits you need to help your pond stay strong at Pondliner.com.