Spring cleaning for your backyard pond

Spring has officially sprung. That means it is once again time to start your spring cleaning. While you may not be motivated to clean your house, now is the perfect time to start preparing your backyard pond or water garden for the warmer months ahead.

By getting all the pond pumps, filters and other supplies you need to restore your pond back into proper working order, you will give yourself more time to enjoy your low-maintenance fish pond.

Gathering your pond supplies

Assess the pond supplies you have from last year and make a list of the things you need to purchase. This will make your spring cleaning go smoothly from start to finish.

Use the list below to get started:

*Large container/kiddy pool - Use this to house fish and plants during cleaning. Choose a container that is deep and large enough to provide a safe environment for your pond fish.

*Fish net - Purchasing a new fish net will make it easier to remove debris and particles from your pond.

*Rubber gloves - Keep your hands and body muck-free with a new pair of rubber gloves and some waders.

*Solids-handling pond pump - New pond pumps are designed to help circulate your pond and handle any debris or sludge on the pond floor.

*Pond vacuum - This is a necessary part of cleaning up any leftover debris or particles left behind from your pond pump.

*Garden hose - Use a garden hose to clean off the rock surfaces in your pond.

*Garden shears - This tool can be instrumental in trimming plants in and around your pool.

*Aquatic plant fertilizer - Give your plants a spurt of growth with appropriate plant fertilizer.

Cleaning your pond

Start your spring cleaning by removing all of your fish and plant life. Once your pond is empty, you can start draining the water. Use your existing or new pond pump to remove the water and prepare your water garden for cleaning. Once the water is drained, use your pond vacuum to remove any remaining dirt, debris or sludge from the bottom of your pond.

Hose off all of the rocks and gravel in your pond with a garden hose or pressure washer. Continue to pump the dirty water out of your fish pond with a backyard pond pump until you are finished cleaning. After repositioning rocks and ornaments that shifted during cleaning, you can begin to clean all the mechanical components of your pond. This includes the pond pumps, pond filters and hoses.

When cleaning is complete, re-acclimate your fish and add your pond plants back into the water.