Pond advice needed please

[Sparrowlegs248]

I have a small pond, well 2 linked ponds. Small, the solid moulded sort. Here when I moved in 8 years ago, no fish but frogs and newts.

The pond is in desperate need to attention but I do t know where to start. I don't want to mess it up but it really needs sorting out. There are lots of iris (I thi K!) Growing in it. It's in a walled corner, with sone bamboo and rockery around.

[imsorryiasked]

It's probably full of frog spawn at the moment so I'd leave it for a couple of months.
But in due course you can thin out all of the plants - it's likely they were originally in containers - pull them out of the pond and cut through them with a bread knife and then re-pot a portion. You'll need to get some aquatic plant baskets, soil and grit (to go on top of the soil).
You can also drain the pond by pumping out the water and clearing the gunk out of the bottom. This is best done by scooping it all on to a plastic sheet or similar next to the pond and leaving for a several hours /a day so that any critters hiding in it can escape. (When we first emptied our 3' x 2' pond we found 17 frogs!).
When refilling you need to add some water treatment if using mains water. Otherwise from the water butt.
Get some oxygenating water plants / weed to help keep it healthy - something like Elodea Crispa (also known as Curly Water Thyme).

[Sparrowlegs248]

Thanks for the reply. Although we've had frogs, they don't spawn in the pond. I'm hoping that's why there aren't many now whereas there used to be loads. I read that burrow into the gunk at the bottom so was wary of disturbing it.

[MrsAird]

What do you think is wrong with it, ie why does it need sorting out?

It would be best to wait until October because all the wildlife will just be starting their growth cycles, and need to be undisturbed. I've got frogspawn and newt spawn in my pond as of last week, and the tinier creatures in the water are all coming out of dormancy. Let everything happen naturally and sort it out when the summer is over. The iris are great for invertebrates who need to climb out of the water or for damselflies to lay their eggs on.

[sackrifice]

Why is it in need of attention?

[Sparrowlegs248]

Great thank you, I had a look yesterday and there were tiny things in it. It's not been touched for years, frog population dwindled (presumably lack of spawning)

I'd like to get the little stream feature working. Make it nicer to look at and more attractive to wildlife.

[spaniorita]

I would definitely wait until the autumn now after the leaves have fallen and the pond will be less active. If you clear it out at this point, you run the risk of losing wildlife such as newt eggs and dragon fly larvae which would be a real shame.

[brizzlemint]

Wait until the end of summer, we do any pond maintenance in late September if it needs it. If you remove any plants from the pond then leave them on the side of the pond to let any wildlife get back into the pond but it's really best to leave it alone - we don't do anything except top up the water if necessary.

We've also had frog spawn for a week - I keep a record of the dates and the last two years we have had frog spawn on the same date each year.

[Sparrowlegs248]

I'll leave it for now in general then. I went out today and took all the old dead iris leaves out, the new shoots are coming through. Saw a young frog too. I'll do little bits like that as and when but nothing disruptive