Plants play an important part in a pond ecosystem. In addition to providing oxygen and beautifying the pond, they also help to reduce the effect of fish waste in the water and slow or stop algae development. If plants start growing out of control, it can lead to substantial problems for your pond; the plants will crowd out other animal and plant life and silt from the water can collect on and about the plants to fill in portions of the pond bed. This can eventually lead to damage to your pond and its own ecosystem.
Remove leaves, broken canes along with other dead or decaying plant material from the water by hand or using a web. If left in the water, this material will sink and donate to the sludge and silt covering the pond bed.
Trim waterlilies and overgrown underwater plants in the summer cutting them below the water surface when doing this. This decreases the overgrowth and slows the development of the plants.
Dig out the surplus plants in 1 section of the pond in autumn by hand using a hoe so that you don’t too disturb the pond ecosystem. Remember that a number of aquatic plants only use their origins for anchoring in order that they may not have the extensive root systems which land plants might have; when the plants are weighted or potted it is possible to remove them without any digging at all. Remove plants from no more than half of the pond.
Remove decaying plant material and silt from the pond bed in the region you dug the plants from entering the region with a rake, making several passes if needed. Work slowly to remove silt and decaying stuff, taking care not to use excessive force which may hurt the pond lining if your pond contains one. Much like the plant removal, remove silt and decaying material from no more than one-half of the pond.
Cut little trees, bushes and other plants from around the border of the pond through the winter when the plants are dropping leaves and seeds in the water or otherwise contributing to a overgrowth issue. Focus on the southern and eastern portions of the pond particularly. Waiting until winter ensures that doing this doesn’t negatively effect beneficial insects and other animals which make usage of the trees and bushes.
Drain three-fourths of the water from the pond in spring, if at all possible, and add fresh water to replace it. Add new water plants to the place you previously washed. This helps to tighten the pond and introduces plants to help maintain the pond ecosystem.
Duplicate the process of trimming, removing plants and scraping other sections of the pond in the summer and drop to additional dig out the overgrown pond, if needed. As before, dig out and trim no more than half of the pond. Drain, refresh and replant the pond again the following spring.