It's time to talk about a net for the pond
It’s hard to believe, but we are getting close to fall! I was up in Rocky Mountain National Park this past weekend and guess what I saw! I saw some trees starting to turn yellow! Longmont and the Front Range area are usually about 2 weeks behind. I am not ready to net the pond either, but here we are!
The aspens were starting to turn in Estes park Labor Day weekend!
The Pond - A Leaf Magnet
When the leaves start falling I swear, they go right to the pond! I don’t know about you but I do not have time to stand out there all day and clean the skimmer basket out over and over.
Safeguard the equipment! Leaves can clog up the pump or block the debris basket/net in the skimmer. If water can’t get through to the pump it can overheat and burn out! The pumps we use come with a 3 year warranty but the warranty doesn’t cover burnout due to the pump or skimmer basket being clogged with leaves.
It’s always hard to figure out exactly when the leaves are going to start falling. Covering it before they start works out the best.
Don’t let your pond pump get clogged like this!
A Pond Net Keeps out Decaying Leaves that Cause Algae Growth
Not all the leaves will make it to the skimmer. Some will settle at the bottom of the pond where they decompose, adding to the build-up of muck and sludge. This decaying organic material is extra nutrients in the water, which promotes algae growth!
Keep leaves out, put up a net!
Easy Pond Net?
Putting up a pond net sounds easy right? It’s not as easy at it might look.
A regular garden net has holes about the size of a quarter. Seems reasonable right? If you have large leaves like from a Catalpa tree it seems like that net would be fine. We have found that over the years of netting ponds, that leaves shrink up as they dry and leaves from the whole neighborhood blow in. With regular netting the leaves go straight through. If you have pine trees, the fine mesh will help but some will still end up in the water!
If you put up a net, it’s a good idea to blow off the leaves with a leaf blower (or shake them off) before the snow comes. Snow will weigh the net down with or without leaves, but it should come back up after the snow melts off. It helps if the leaves have been removed.
This is a tent style net that has poles much like a camping tent. These come in specific sizes. This particular net is for a 7 x 9 pond and costs about $160 when purchased on Amazon.
Net Types
There are different types netting that can be placed over the pond.
PVC can be used to create a dome to hold the net up, however, this can be very expensive and challenging to put up. We have found that under the weight of snow it can lean over to one side and collapse.
There are tent-type nets that can be purchased in specific sizes. They go up just like a tent. Clients have complained that they are too tall and take away from the beauty of the pond. They tend to collapse easily as well.
What type of pond netting do we use?
We have found that keeping it simple is the best way to go! We either put a net taught across the pond when it has good rocks to use for that or we use 2 T posts (3 for a large pond) and put a rope across it to hold up a net. It is basically a net teepee over the pond. It keeps the leaves out and is easy to move when we need to access the pond.
Some ponds have very large rocks. In that case it may be easier to put a net flat across the pond when the rocks are large enough to hold the net up, off the pond. Heavy rocks at the perimeter of the pond can be used to secure the net. Small rocks that can be lifted with one hand are too light! They can easily be pulled into the pond with the net from weight of the snow.
Kristi's Tips
If you are putting up your own net, leave access to the skimmer. Make sure you can easily pull the net up if you need to get in to clean filters or do other things.
Don’t forget to net the stream! Make sure the net is elevated above it. Sticks or lengths of PVC can be used for this purpose. If it is not elevated, leaves can create a damn, causing water to be diverted outside of the system!
Please take care when netting the pond!
You may not know where sprinkler lines are or even the pond piping. Place the T-posts or stakes 3 to 5 feet away from the pond edge. Stay away from the liner with any stake type equipment, no one wants to puncture the liner.
Pond Trade Magazine wrote this article on pond nets: Pond Netting 101
* This blog was NOT written by AI. This was written by me. I am not a professional writer, I am a pond person. Therefore, if you see a typo, please forgive me!
*No koi were harmed in the making of this content.