Completing essential spring maintenance is a key step in keeping your outdoor swimming pond and water feature looking its best throughout the warmer months. We’ll share the crucial items to complete and the importance behind them and highlight which tasks are DIY-friendly.
The Importance of Early Spring Maintenance
If you’re a homeowner lucky enough to have a natural water feature or swimming pond on your property, you know just how special of an addition they can be to any landscape. Water features are a beautiful, eco-friendly way to decorate your outdoor space. Waterfalls, ponds and swimming ponds allow you to enjoy the tranquility of water on an even larger scale.
Like any element of your backyard, your water features require seasonal care to ensure they are operating efficiently. Spring is the ideal time to complete this maintenance as you prepare for the summer ahead. Many of the tasks you should complete every spring as a water feature owner can be done by yourself over a weekend, while others are better left to professionals due to their technicality. If you’re new to natural landscaping or unsure how to approach a specific project, our team is always happy to help you determine the best course of action.
Don’t wait until summer to tend to your outdoor water features–spring maintenance will ensure they are ready for enjoyment early in the season! Being proactive can also help prevent potential problems for your pond or waterfall, such as algae blooms or water imbalances. Save time, effort and money on costly repairs or extensive cleanups by considering the needs of your features before the season begins.
Cleaning Debris and Winter Build-Up
To begin your spring maintenance for your outdoor water features, start by completing a visual inspection. Look for debris such as leaves, twigs or other items that have accumulated over the winter, which can be cleaned up by hand. This is an easy task to DIY as a homeowner.
Look for any sediment build-up around the edges of your pond or waterfall, which can be carefully cleaned with a pond vacuum. If your pond has a build-up of algae, bacteria, or debris, consider asking a professional for help who can clean up the issue while also applying preventative measures.
For decorative water features, ensure the surface of the feature and valve components are clean and unobstructed from dirt or debris.
Checking and Cleaning Filtration Systems
In addition to cleaning the water of your feature, you’ll want to perform preventative maintenance on its filtration system to ensure the water stays clean all season long.
Check the filter basket of your feature, if equipped with one, for any debris or dirt that can be washed out with your garden hose. Look for wear and tear on the filter’s media and determine if it needs to be replaced. This task is easy to DIY and relatively quick to complete.
Inspecting Pumps, Liners and Plumbing
Examine the functional components of your water feature next. Ensure pumps, aerators, and the plumbing are properly connected without any blockages or leaks. Test-run your water feature to check that it is working properly without any issues.
As you’ve already cleaned major debris out of your water feature, now is also a good time to inspect the liner and exterior components of your pond or waterfall. Look for any wear on the liner itself as well as shifting of any rocks or decorative features that may have happened during the winter. For swimming ponds, ensuring the pump and mechanical components are operating smoothly is crucial, as maintaining the water quality will help ensure it remains safe for swimming.
As you become more experienced each year in water feature care, you will be able to more easily recognize the signs of pump, liner or plumbing issues. If you encounter a technical or mechanical issue, consult with a professional who can quickly resolve the issue for you.
Maintaining Aquatic Plants and Fish
Installing a natural water feature in your landscape allows you to contribute to the health of the natural ecosystem around your property. Your pond or waterfall may attract frogs, dragonflies, and other beneficial organisms over the years. These natural predators will help control bug and mosquito populations in your backyard over the summer, which is an amazing benefit. Birds, bees and butterflies also require a water source, meaning your water feature can help care for the entire surrounding ecosystem. Also, caring for the pond critters, such as fish, that you’ve intentionally added is important, too!
Fish Care
Depending on the climate and conditions of your natural environment, you may have chosen to either leave your fish in the pond during the winter or relocate them. For fish that have been living in the pond over the winter, ensure their ecosystem is healthy by checking for proper water aeration and quality.
For fish that have spent the winter outside of your pond, they will need to be reintroduced to their backyard habitat. Before doing so, ensure water temperature and oxygen levels are stable enough for their required conditions. Depending on the hardiness of your fish, you may be able to do this early on in the spring. Avoid overfeeding your fish at the start of the season to prevent waste buildup and poor water quality.
Homeowners can complete fish care without professional support if their fish have remained in the pond over the winter and appear healthy. If you have relocated your fish or are unsure how to safely reintroduce them to their environment, this task might be one to leave to the pros.
Aquatic Plant Maintenance
Aquatic plants are naturally designed to thrive in your water feature’s environment. They play an important role in the aeration and oxygenation of your pond, too. During springtime, trim any dead plant material not removed in the fall. You may want to divide overgrown plants or consider adding new varieties to enhance the visual appeal and functionality of your water feature.
If you have a natural swimming pond, caring for your aquatic plants can be an important step in ensuring your water quality is safe for the upcoming season, as they naturally filter the water and help maintain its pH level.
If you have experience caring for your backyard’s plants, this task is a great one to DIY over a weekend.
Balancing Water Quality
When considering the water quality of your water feature, it’s important to remember that it is designed to operate as a natural environment, relying on biological filtration. Adding untreated water from your home’s tap to your existing pond can result in unbalanced water quality. For peace of mind, you can test the pH, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate levels of your water to ensure a balanced ecosystem. Using certain chemicals can disrupt the beneficial bacteria and plants in your water feature, so ensure they are pond-safe.
If you’re unsure how to keep your water quality at safe levels during seasonal start-up and throughout the year, consider asking a professional.
Seasonal Enhancements and Upgrades
Spring is a great time to consider refreshing your water feature. If functional components such as your pump need to be replaced, complete those tasks first. Then, you can consider how you’d like to upgrade your water feature this year. You may want to add a larger basin to your waterfall or expand the size of your pond. Or, soak up summer the natural way with a swimming pond installation!
The difference between a beautiful, natural-looking water feature is in its design. At Raymar Landscapes, our seasoned team knows how to incorporate every element of water feature design to create a stunning backyard oasis. We have access to all the professional tools, components and equipment to ensure your next water feature project is a success!
Why Choose Professional Spring Start-Up and Maintenance
If completing spring start-up and maintenance seems overwhelming, that’s where the experts come in. For a professionally designed water feature, it’s well worth the investment to have expert care every season to ensure your waterfall, pond, or feature thrives for years to come. Many of the tasks we’ve highlighted in this blog can be completed as DIYs, but it’s also important to recognize when it’s best to call in the professionals.
If you want to spend more time enjoying your water feature this season without worrying about its technicalities, consider our pond maintenance packages! Our Basic package includes a spring start-up, so you can be sure your water feature ecosystem is happy and healthy at the start of a new season. For more advanced care, the Premium package includes both spring start-up and fall shut-down. Our most comprehensive package, Deluxe, includes detailed monthly care in addition to spring and fall visits. Don’t fret about your water feature maintenance–we’ll take care of it!
Conclusion
This blog has highlighted many essential spring maintenance tasks to complete for your water feature, pond, or waterfall at the start of the season. Consider DIY-ing easy tasks such as debris clean-up or checking for your filtration system. For more complex tasks, such as pond inspection or fish care, consider asking for support from a professional.
Raymar Landscapes is here to make water feature maintenance easy, no matter the season!