When should I clear out my pond?

Generally the best time to clear out an overgrown pond is in the autumn from around mid-September to October. At this time of year you are likely to cause the least damage and disturbance to the pond life as all the various activities, such as mating, breeding, spawning and growing will have stopped. This time of year will also be before most of the creatures are ready to hibernate in the pond.

Clear out any overgrown plants but always leave it at the pond edge for at least two or three hours to enable any small creatures trapped in it to get out and back into the pond. Afterwards the plant material should be removed and composted.

If any pond material is left to rot by the side of the pond the nutrients it produces will leach back into the pond causing problems such as algal blooms, which are associated with nutrient-enriched water.