Pond in trouble

[BooseysMom]

Hi,
We dug a small pond last year and it started off well but over the winter the leaves of a nearby tree fell into it and we didn't clean it out. Now the water is a dark brown colour and smells utterly fouI! I cleared it out a few weeks ago and treated it with a special pond treatment made of molasses or something and it is no better. In fact it's even worse! The treatments are expensive and I don't want to throw money at it when it doesn't help.
Has anyone had the same thing happen to their pond and what did you to save it? I have to add there is a water lily and pond weed in there which is trying to grow but sadly both have died
Thanks x

I think you need some snails and a lot more plants, enough to cover at least a third of the pond - good luck :)

Actually if there is nothing in there, is there a chance you can scoop all the water out and start again, with rain water ?

can you link to the molasses product you used? Doesn't sound right.

I've dredged mine but never 'treated' it.

Thanks everyone. I tried to paste the link but it doesn't work. It's Microbz Store pond balance. It says you have to use it weekly but I've only used it once so far. I think what ThePittts says is a good idea. We filled it with rain water from a butt when we made it and that's now all wasted if we have to refill it but it might be the only way.
Also yes it needs more plants and snails. I hadn't thought of snails!

You don't need to replace the water, you just need some planting and to let nature do its thing! You don't need to add any sort of pony treatment either, planting and bugs and whatnot will do the work.

Can you plant around it? It really needs more greenery and hidey places around the edges to attract a wide range of wildlife.

This book is very good:

The Wildlife Pond Book: Create Your Own Pond Paradise for Wildlife (The Wildlife Trusts)

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1472958322/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JXFDZKHK03N90QHKX23W?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

*pony = pond

If there is a load of gunge and rotting leaves at the bottom I'd be inclined to bite the bullet, empty it out, clean it and start afresh.

By the way, might be a good idea to sling a net over it in the autumn to stop it happening again.

For a pond to work it needs to be an ecosystem - do what @Anomalocaris says, lots of plants in and around it will attract wildlife, some beasties will arrive on the plants you buy. Another good website here www.watersidenursery.co.uk/tips-advice/create-a-balanced-wildlife-habitat/.

Your pond is going stagnant, no filtration, air or movement, not that this is needed if you don't have fish in it, there are no plants and being a new pond the bacteria would not have been mature, if the pond sat still full of rotting leaves it will make the water stagnant.

In a pond that size dont waste money on chemicals, regular water changes and add some healthy bacteria to boost the pond in the spring.

My large pond is going cloudy as bacteria begins to bloom in it, which is totally normal, but it shouldn't smell.

How big is your pond, OP, does it have shallow sides so frogs can get in & out?

@Anomalocaris.. thank you and thanks for the link

@chisanunian.. yes that's a good idea about covering it over with a net in the autumn. Thank you.

@LadyGardenersQuestionTime.. I see what you mean about it needing to be a eco system. Thanks for the link

@Electriq.. thank you. We have a solar powered fountain for it but wonder will it provide enough movement.

@lljkk.. it's only little ..about 2 ft in length, 1 ft width. It has shelves but not that shallow so we put a branch of wood so wildlife can get out. We didn't do that at first and found two dead mice in it which was upsetting for DS so we put something across it now

When leaves fall into our pond I use a sieve and scoop them out from the bottom. It takes a bit of time but really makes a difference.

I'd add more pond weed, snails and something like a container of water irises. They are very pretty and good for adding an area of greenery in the water.

I'd plant around the outside of the pond using ground covering plants or succulents.

If it's in a sunny spot as a solar powered water fountain. There's some very good ones that just float on the surface but the movement will help add oxygen to the water.

Most ponds don't looks particularly good at this time of year. Ours is all a bit bare and my water lily doesn't look great at all - I'm hoping it will revive after falling in to the deeper water over the winter.

Once some leaves are out and there's more healthy greenery the wildlife will follow.

Next Autumn cover it with a netting frame to keep the leaves out.

Sorry, that's tiny, that's a recess not a pond. You'll struggle to make an ecosystem in that small a space.

You could try to encourage some plants that love water, still, ideas here.

Are you sure the lily is dead? They die down over winter.

I've got a tiny Belfast sink as a wildlife pond - the water lily may well come back, mine does. You might be suprised at the wildlife that is in there. I found a newt in mind last week so please do be careful if you are adding things to the water.

Lindy2 .. thanks, that's great advice
We will prob have to empty it and refill but it will use the rest of the water in the butt. The soil round the edge is heavy clay with rubble the builders left and we never got around to planting it when we dug it. We will add the fountain and the plants and snails and make sure we cover it in autumn.

*lljkk

Sorry, that's tiny, that's a recess not a pond. You'll struggle to make an ecosystem in that small a space.*

You say it's tiny and but we had dragonflies buzz round it when it was filled last year. Birds visited too. I'm not giving up! The liner alone was nearly £50 and it was the best we could afford.
It's possible to create a tiny ecosystem anywhere if the conditions are right.

GigantosaurusRex that sounds brilliant! I will be careful ..thank you for the advice. A sink like yours proves you can create something in a tiny space. (Refer to post from pp) !

Mere.. well the lily had a tiny shoot appear above the surface of the water but that has died

Absolutely @BooseysMom mine is smaller than yours but plantwise I have Marsh marigolds, water iris, dwarf lily and one other (I took advice and bought from Puddleplants). The cats use it as their personal water bowl and I was amazed at how quickly the snails moved in. I was over the moon to find a newt last week!

@GigantosaurusRex .. thanks for this. A newt is fantastic! I had a look at the Puddleplants website and it looks really good. I find it hard to find a garden centre that stock's pond plants, etc. The thing that concerns me is that the soil surrounding the pond is horrendous clay and dries out easily in summer which will make it difficult for bog plants to survive. The whole area needs overhauling

@Anomalocaris

*pony = pond

I thought pony treatment was pony and trap = crap I see now it's not you don;t need any crap treatment

Soooo The Pond
Can hedgehogs get out of they tumble in . There looks like a slope in the bottom left corner but if its slimey on a liner can they get a foothold ?

70

Boosey, just plant clay tolerating plants around the edge, always best to work with the conditions we have in our gardens IME, makes life much easier!

howk the leaves out and get a couple of bags of watercress from supermarket. Just shake into the pond and it will make a big difference. Then get some other plants... water crowfoot is good and also hornwort. You don't need to plant these either- just put them into the pond and they will clear the water

Lillies die away every year and lay dormant over winter, I cut mine away because I don't want them rotting in my pond (koi pond) but will come back to life when water temperature rises April/May time.

*70isaLimitNotaTarget

Anomalocaris

*pony = pond

blush I thought pony treatment was pony and trap = crap
I see now it's not you don;t need any crap treatment

Soooo The Pond
Can hedgehogs get out of they tumble in . There looks like a slope in the bottom left corner but if its slimey on a liner can they get a foothold ?*

Ha, love it!
Well the pond has a shallower ledge which yes would get slippery. I didn't realise the problem til we found two dead mice in there which we didn't tell DS about as he would have been upset. Since then we put a long stick in so mice can climb out. We never get hedgehogs visiting the garden..it's too closed off and not messy enough