Cleaning a water feature

How to get your backyard water feature looking like new.

Ponds and water features bring tons of style to gardens, but from time to time they need a little maintenance to keep them sparkling. Where pumps run continuously, slime and algae can build up on solid surfaces, spoiling the effect and 'muddying the water'. When this happens, the best course of action is to start afresh using a simple two-pronged attack - drain and scrub!

Cleaning up your act

Drain
Some ponds and water features come with a drainage hole for easy emptying, or else you may be able to divert the pump so that the water is pumped out instead of recycling. Alternatively, use a length of plastic hose to siphon the water out, making sure the outlet end is lower than the pond. For large ponds, it may be worth hiring a high-volume electric pump.

Scrub
While there are algaecide products available to assist with pond cleaning, there's no substitute for a good scrub. If the algae is really thick, start by scraping off what you can, then attack it with a stiff scrubbing brush and some hot water. Go the elbow grease! Also dredge out leaves and debris.

Left: Troughs of Torenia 'Blue Magic' decorate the wall behind. Right: Arum lilies, dwarf papyrus and floating duckweed.

The pond planting includes dwarf arum lilies, water poppy (Hydrocleys sp.), dwarf papyrus and water fringe (Nymphoides sp.). The tiny floating leaves of duckweed are great for reducing sunlight penetration, which encourages algae.

To keep your cleaned pond looking its best ...

Add a bag of Stephen Brothers barley straw, (07) 4663 9159, a natural algae control which is effective for around six months. Also, ensure your pond is well planted to reduce the amount of sunlight which penetrates the water. Ideally, ponds should have at least 60 per cent plant coverage.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens June 2004