Time to wake up that sleepy water garden from its winter nap and get it ready for another season full of the beauty and serenity water gardens are famous for! Where should you start? Glad you asked!
- Remove any nets that you put on your water garden surface to prevent leaves and unwanted debris from collecting there. The nets can be returned to the surface when the spring setup is complete, if you’d like addition protection from various predators.
- Closely inspect all pumps and filters – clean them and remove any collected debris. If any of them are not working properly, come discuss the problem with Water Garden expert Laura France – she will help you decide whether a replacement is needed or if it simply requires cleaning or perhaps replacing a faulty part. For magnetic driven pumps, disassemble the pump’s impeller cover and gently remove the magnetic impeller, then clean to remove any debris from inside. This is an easy process but if you are uncomfortable, just come in and ask Laura or one of our experts for more instructions.
- Removing a large collection of debris from the bottom of the water garden is a job made easier by using a shifting net! They are affordable and easy to use, and available here at EJC. Ignoring the debris is not an option! It will result in a heavy exposure of ammonia, which acts as a fertilizer on which algae can feed, and can be toxic to your fish as well
Regular cleaning and care of your water garden and maintaining a strong beneficial bacteria count will help to break down organic waste and lead to improved water quality. Start now with an initial treatment of Microbe Lift PL – it’s our most popular brand of beneficial bacteria, easy to use and effective.
Let’s talk water plants! Evaluate hardy marginals around the perimeter, as well as lilies, lotus, etc. Pull them out, check for disease, inspect for broken pots, and divide or repot as needed. Aquatic plants can be fairly aggressive with very strong spreading and growing root systems. Pruning for perennial and hardy aquatic plants involves dividing or paring down the root size, allowing it room to grow a larger rooting area. Inspect your water lilies now too since they often get dislodged from their stabilizing pots over winter! Fish nibbling away at the roots can be a problem as well. Just refresh the aquatic soil in their root zone or repot as needed. Once you have done this, press slow-release fertilizer tablets like PlantTabbs Pondtabbs in the root’s soil zone for a consistent gradual feeding of stabilizing nutrients. This will help your water lilies bloom on a grander scale!
As with many gardening ventures, knowledge is key. Let the combined experience of our water gardening experts assist you in making the most out of your home’s water garden.
