Your pond in hot weather

Your pond in hot weather

Your pond in the hot weather which is due to continue!

  • Check for water loss from your pond or container pond due to evaporation.
  • In normal summer months the sun can cause around 2 to 3 cm of water loss from your pond in a week.
  • This will be more in the current hot temperatures.
  • And the plants will loose more through their leaves.

You need to check for water loss and top up your pond in hot weather:

Solutions:

  • Add more waterlilies to your pond so their leaves cover more of the surface area to give shade leaving less open water for evaporation.
  • Cut back Iris plant foliage after flowering to 6" tall above usual water level.
  • Tall foliage loses a lot of water so reduce the height and reduce the load on the pond's limited water resources.
  • Leave a good 6" stem height though for dragonflies to climb up to leave the pond.

Other hot weather issues:

  • Water features and filters may block up with excess algae/blanketweed that grows faster in the heat.
  • Your pipework could crack and leak when exposed to the sun if it is not made from uv stabilised material.
  • Moving water features may run out of water causing the pump to run dry and burn out.
  • Your pond liner may be punctured by animal and pet claws as they try to drink from the lower water in the pond.

Solutions:

  • Treat the pond more frequently in hot weather with liquid Barley Bio Algae Control.
  • Treat against algae more often - twice weekly if necessary.
  • Do not increase each dose.
  • This is a safe, organic method that works better with more frequent dosing.
  • Make sure your Barleystraw minibale is still active and not going black quicker than usual in the heat.
  • Add a new one if it is & remember to remove the old one in a month.
  • Back up the minibale treatment in the short term with Barley Bio as well during the heat wave.
  • Clean the filter and pump more frequently. Use old pond water (not tap water) to keep all your beneficial bacteria.
  • Use Pond Revive to boost the beneficial bacteria levels in your pond water. Another safe, organic product.
  • If you find a hole/split in the liner - patch it with a piece of liner fixed with a waterproof adhesive.

If you are going on holiday check the weather forecast.

  • If no rain is due add shade over your pond from a gazebo to keep the water cooler and reduce evaporation.
  • You will not be there to see if it does not look attractive.
  • It will help to reduce the problems of these hot temperatures on your pond in your absence.