General maintenance
From June, tadpoles change into young newts, froglets and toadlets, and start to emerge from ponds. Provide some cover from predators at the water’s edge, such as allowing grass to grow long or adding pondside planting on at least one side. This provides covered access into the pond for other wildlife too.
Leave a pile of logs and stones next to the pond edge, ideally in a shady spot, for frogs and newts. It’s worth putting some logs or stones on a sunny side too, for dragonflies to perch on.
Include floating pond plants such as waterlilies for dragonflies and damselflies to lay their eggs on.
Create a beach or ramp so thirsty hedgehogs and other wildlife can drink without falling in, and to allow anything that falls in to climb out again.
Keep your pond topped up with
rain water from a water butt, rather than tap water, which contains chlorine and nutrients that will promote the growth of algae.
Troubleshooting
Remove blanket weed by twirling it around a rough stick. Skim off floating weeds such as duckweed with a net. Leave weeds on the pond side for 48 hours to allow trapped creatures to return to the water before adding to the compost heap.
In small ponds adding barley straw extract can help with algal problems.
Avoid introducing goldfish into a wildlife pond, as they will upset the pond’s natural balance.
