© 2024 WGLT
A public service of Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

GLT's Grow: Pond Management

Iconoclast
/
Flickr via Creative Commons
A well-cared for pond will return your investment with serene beauty.

Ponds on our property can add beauty and value. They can also add to our to-do list.

  • Be it a natural pond, or man-made, you've got to put a little effort into maintaining this space.
  • Keep you pond full at all times. When litter gets into your pond, remove it immediately before it gets stuck in the agitator.
  • Start at the edges to protect your pond. A filter strip can protect your pond. Your lawn should transition off the pond. Low colonizing plants come next. Try a yew or burning bush.
  • A debris-prone tree is not good to have near ponds. You'll be forever cleaning out leaves.
  • Koi, guppies, blue gill, trout, channel catfish and more help to keep that pond clean. Water that supports fish shows that your pond is healthy.
  • Watch out for too much algae. Chemicals can often be to blame. That lawn fertilizer that was over-applied can cause problems. Algicide should be used only as a last resort.  Sterile grass carp will eat the algae for you. Get them from an authorized fishery.

WGLT depends on financial support from users to bring you stories and interviews like this one. As someone who values experienced, knowledgeable, and award-winning journalists covering meaningful stories in central Illinois, please consider making a contribution.

Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.