Midwinter pond care

It may look ‘dead’ but aquatic life goes on, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

YOUR pond will be looking very quiet now, its vegetation died back and greatly reduced activity in its water. However, look carefully and you will see that this little patch of water is still playing an important part in the life of your winter garden.

On milder days, minute aquatic life living in the water will be stirring. Birds will be popping in for a drink and a wash throughout the winter and if you have ornamental fish, they will still be active, though less so than in warmer weather.

So while your input into your pond’s health and upkeep will be minimal, there are still things to do, which I have detailed in the checklist below.

1 Plants: Make sure all dead and dying plant material has been removed as it will rot away and turn to sludge, emitting toxic gases that will poison fish and other creatures.