The Nitrogen Cycle - Demystified!

You’ve got a pond and you know it’s important to include a good balance of aquatic plants and fish in your water garden. You also know some basic maintenance is important too, like removing decaying leaves in the fall or cleaning the pond in the spring. But you may not fully understand why these things are important to maintain water quality and clarity.

Fortunately, you don’t need a degree in environmental science to understand the cycle of nature that can influence the health of your pond.

The nitrogen cycle might be one of the most important cycles on earth because it’s the building block of all organic life forms. This is an important cycle to know and understand because it can help answer a lot of unanswered questions you might have regarding fish health and the water quality of your pond.

A Primer on Pond Plants

Aquatic plants are a very important step in achieving a truly balanced ecosystem pond. Regardless of why you got into the water gardening hobby, adding aquatic plants to the pond is an important part of the water garden. They provide beauty and naturalization with a huge array of plant choices.
Most importantly, they help balance the pond’s ecosystem and provide valuable biological filtration that removes nitrogen, ammonia, nitrates and other minerals from pond water. These excess nutrients are often the cause of unsightly water conditions. The end result helps to minimize pond maintenance, leaving more time to enjoy your pond. Without aquatic plants, your pond would not be able to function as a complete ecosystem.
Aquatic plants can be classified into a few main categories: water lilies, marginal plants, floaters and submerged (also known as oxygenators). Plants can also be put into two basic types known as “tropical” and “hardy.” Hardy plants will over-winter in colder climates and tropical plants are more suited to warmer climates, although tropical plants are often used as annuals in colder climate zones.

When Your Pond Begins to Thaw

Depending on where you live, your pond might be showing the first signs of thawing … or it may be another month or two before that happens. No matter your geographic location, here are some tips for when your pond begins to thaw.

You may see lots of string algae. That’s okay since nothing is taking the nutrients out of the water at this time and the bacteria is not yet active. Don’t panic! It’s the only green plant growing so leave it alone.

Once your pond is cleaned out, some algae may grow again. Remember, it will probably still be cold and the above information is still relevant.

Recipe for Container Water Garden

1 part love of gardening
2 parts love of water
A dash of creativity
A pinch of imagination

Mix together in a barrel, bowl, tub, or other receptacle and enjoy a gorgeous container water garden that was invented by the best designer in the world – You!

Pond Ice Sculptures

Keeping your pond running during the frozen months of winter will allow you to enjoy the beautiful ice sculptures that form in the stream and waterfall. Although beautiful, it’s possible that the ice buildup can form dams that could divert your pond water out of the pond. Check on the waterfall and stream and monitor the water level periodically throughout the winter. If you see an ice dam forming or the water level dropping at a high rate, your pond might be losing water because of the frozen sculpture and it might be time to turn off the pump for the winter. If you decide to leave the pond running until warmer weather however, your main concern is to ensure there is enough water for the pump(s) to operate properly.