pond netting – The Deck and Patio Company

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When It’s Time to Cover Pools in Fall, It’s Time to Cover Ponds, Too

Mesh Pool Cover by Loop Loc

Although pool covers will be on for the duration (fall through early summer), the good news is your pond ‘netting’ cover will only be there until autumn’s leaves have fallen.

This is because your pool needs to protect pipes and other pool equipment. But your pond can be enjoyed even during frigid snows. (More on that in upcoming blogs.)

One thing does apply to both these water features, however. Falling leaves and twigs etc. can do harm.

Healthy Pond Water

In the case of the pond, too much debris collecting at the bottom will leave sludge on its floor. Over time, the build up can become so thick it can affect the pond’s depth and alter the water quality.

The antidote?

Simple pond netting, put up in advance of peak autumn foliage, will capture the leaves and other debris.

“Of course it’s best to put up the netting before the leaves drop,” says Deck and Patio’s Dave Stockwell. “However, if some leaves have already fallen in, a long-handle pond net can be used to scoop out the debris before covering it with the net.”

Dave adds that if you’ve had some buildup, there are natural pond cleaners that will break down accumulation from previous years.

Fall Backyard Maintenance:
Along with covering your swimming pool at the end of summer, it is helpful in due course to put up pond netting to collect foliage debris; nets also offer an extra layer of safety for your pond fish by protecting them from birds and other animals.

Installing Pond Netting:
Aquascape’s Dave Kelly suggests tenting the net so it won’t sag into the pond when its full of leaves. Photo: Aquascape Inc.

Pond Netting:
Pond nets can keep out even the smallest pieces of debris such as falling leaves and pine needles. We recommend netting from Aquascape Inc. (St. Charles, IL) which includes hold-down staples to secure it.

Backyard Water Features in Fall (Long Island/NY):
Watching leaves moving along a backyard stream is as peaceful an activity as you can find. If there’s only one or two — just sit back and enjoy the scene! But don’t let too many leaves collect in your backyard water features. Photo: Aquascape Inc.

By June Sullivan|2020-10-22T14:24:03-05:00October 22nd, 2020|Aquascape Biofalls, Concrete (Gunite) Pools, Koi Ponds, outdoor maintenance, Plantings/Pondscapes, Ponds & Water Features|Comments Off

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Net Your Pond in Fall, If You Can’t Leave It To Beavers

Autumn Ponds

A few leaves falling into a backyard pond is not a problem. Some leaves actually add to the health of a pond’s ecosystem.

However. If your pond is surrounded by deciduous trees, autumn’s storm of foliage are leaves of a different color.

Too much debris collecting at the bottom of a water feature will leave sludge on its floor. Over time, the build up can become so thick it can affect the pond’s depth and alter the water quality.

What to do?

If you’re a naturalist, you might hope Mother Nature and beavers could come to the rescue. Their flat tails, acting as shovels, could have that sludge dug up and turned into a beaver lodge before you can say TIMBER!

Alas, the rodents disappeared from Long Island long ago. Anyway they would gnaw through those precious deciduous trees that dropped the leaves in the first place.

Beavers

But Deck and Patio suggests a simpler alternative — cute as beaver’s buck teeth may be. Simple pond netting, put up in advance of peak autumn foliage, will capture the leaves and other debris.

Dave adds that if you’ve had some buildup, there are natural pond cleaners that will break down accumulation from previous years.

Fall Backyard Maintenance:

Along with covering your swimming pool at the end of summer, it is helpful in due course to put up pond netting to collect foliage debris; nets also offer an extra layer of safety for your pond fish by protecting them from birds and other animals.

Installing Pond Netting:

Aquascape’s Dave Kelly suggests tenting the net so it won’t sag into the pond when its full of leaves. Photo: Aquascape Inc.

Pond Netting:

Pond nets can keep out even the smallest pieces of debris such as falling leaves and pine needles. We recommend netting from Aquascape Inc. (St. Charles, IL) which includes hold-down staples to secure it.

Backyard Water Features in Fall (Long Island/NY):

Watching leaves moving along a backyard stream is as peaceful an activity as you can find. If there’s only one or two — just sit back and enjoy the scene! But don’t let too many leaves collect in your backyard water features. Photo: Aquascape Inc.

By June Sullivan|2018-10-11T11:51:27-05:00October 11th, 2018|Koi Ponds, Landscaping, Living Landscapes, Natural Swimming Ponds, Outdoor Living, outdoor maintenance, Plantings/Pondscapes, Ponds & Water Features, Seasonal Landscapes, Sustainable Water Features|0 Comments

Are Koi Carp Difficult to Keep in Backyard Ponds?
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Are Koi Carp Difficult to Keep in Backyard Ponds?

Koi are delightful ornamental versions of the more common fish known as “carp.” Koi were bred for color by the Japanese for their private ponds or water gardens. But, as some of you may already know, these lovely creatures aren’t just for show. Their presence can help balance the entire pond’s ecosystem and even help to reduce pond maintenance.

Why, then, are so many pond owners anxious about keeping them in their ponds?

“People fear they won’t survive. It is true that koi can be tempting to cats, raccoons, herons, etc., but there is much that can be done to reduce such threats,” says Bill Renter from Deck and Patio.

Renter suggests adding koi castles and tunnels at the bottom of the pond to give fish a safe place to hide from many predators.

Rock overhangs look natural

Additionally, including rock overhangs around the outside of the pond, which first and foremost will make any pond appear more natural, help discourage cats and raccoons from reaching into the water after the fish.

“Planning a water feature with sufficient water depth can also dissuade raccoons and cats further, since neither enjoy swimming to get their dinner,” says Renter. “Plus deeper water at the edges — more than 18” deep — discourages heron wading.”

Another helpful idea is adding a waterfall feature. Continuous flowing water into the pond isn’t just beautiful and pleasant sounding, but the ongoing movement from the falls will put off many avian predators and even stop mosquitos from breeding.

Other precautions koi pond owners can take is adding scarecrows, such as owl statues. But with ongoing climate change and continued new construction, changes to their habitat are also causing changes in the behavior of local wildlife. “If all else fails, a netting can be installed over the pond,” says Renter.

Tips for Keeping Koi Safe:

— make your pond as large and deep as possible

— try to locate your pond in an area that you can see from inside your home so you can chase away any predator that isn’t deterred by other means

— try to include a waterfall to aerate the pond and scare away some predators

— lighting with movement sensors near the pond can frighten away an animal at night

— scarecrows (like owls) discourage many predators — herons and kingfishers in particular; some scarecrows also have moving sprinklers which do double duty to dissuade prey

— don’t put food for the birds you’re trying to attract near the pond — put it as far away as possible

— create hiding places for the koi inside the pond such as castles and tunnels

— if you still have problems, a pond net will do the trick.

Here’s a small sampling of our favorite Deck and Patio pond features. And, yes, even if not picked up in the photos, there are koi in each and every one.

Pond Koi:

Contrary to popular belief, pond fish will actually reduce pond maintenance, as they graze on string algae and bottom feed from the pond floor. (Note: Plants in this pond include bullrush, pink canna lilies, horsetail, and a “rose arey” hybrid water lily.)

Pond Netting:

It’s wise to have pond netting even if you don’t need it to keep away predators. In order not to let a collection of debris into your clean pond water, you’ll want to put a net in place before leaves begin falling in autumn. Then, simply pull it out when they’ve all dropped. You can tent the net so it doesn’t sag into the pond when it gets weighted with leaves, say experts at Aquascape Inc. (Photo/Pond Net: Aquascape Inc)

Ponds with Waterfalls:

The continuous movement of the pond water because of waterfalls not only oxygenate the water to keep it healthy and free of mosquitos, but the spilling water will put off many avian predators

Pond Ecosystems:

Koi is a healthy part of this pond’s natural ecosystem; this pond also offers koi lots of room to hide as well as swim. There are also plenty of rock overhangs to discourage predators.

Keeping Koi Safe:

Planning a water feature with sufficient water depth can help dissuade raccoons and cats, since neither enjoy swimming to get their dinner. Plus deeper water at the edges — more than 18” deep — discourages heron wading.

By June Sullivan|2017-01-21T16:34:30-05:00August 25th, 2016|Backyard Escapes, Creative Design, Koi Ponds, Living Landscapes, Plantings/Pondscapes, Ponds & Water Features|0 Comments

Fall Pond Maintenance: ‘Netting’ the Leaves Fall Where They May
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Fall Pond Maintenance: ‘Netting’ the Leaves Fall Where They May

“Fall foliage will soon be at its peak here on Long Island and many backyard ponds are located near an abundance of these deciduous trees,” says Bill Renter, Deck and Patio’s Outdoor Living Expert. “Even when not immediate to your pond, fallen leaves from nearby trees can make it into your pond. So you’ll want to use a pond net to keep them from accumulating in your stream or pond’s water.”

Indeed, undesirable debris can create a build up of muck on the bottom of your pond and change the water’s pH balance, turning the water murky. For one thing, during winter when the water is colder, the natural bacteria that usually maintains the pond’s balance isn’t active enough to handle it all.

“It’s best to put up the netting before the leaves drop; however, if some leaves have already fallen in, a long-handle pond net can be used to scoop out the debris before covering it with the net,” says Bill.

Dave Kelly at Aquascapes Inc. (St. Charles, IL) adds that you can tent the net, so it doesn’t sag into the pond when it gets weighted with leaves.

Kelly also suggests trimming back and removing dead foliage from aquatic plants to help remove excessive organic material that would otherwise decompose in the water feature.

“When spring comes, you’ll be really happy you took the time to do these few steps,” says Bill. “You’ll have greatly diminished spring pond maintenance, which means you’ll be enjoying a pristine pond sooner — with so much less effort.”

Pond Netting:

Installing Pond Netting:

Aquascape’s Dave Kelly suggests tenting the net so it won’t sag into the pond when its full of leaves. Photo: Aquascape Inc.

Preparing Backyard for Fall:

Along with covering your swimming pool at the end of summer, it is helpful to put up pond netting to collect debris; nets also offer an extra layer of safety for your pond fish by protecting them from birds and other animals.

Pond Maintenance:

If you take a few precautions in the fall, come spring you will be delighted at how much less maintenance will be required in order to have clear pristine water.