For a lot of people there is a natural tendency to relax when around water. That’s why people take long baths, sit on the beach and watch waves roll in, or relax by a backyard pond full of poi and water lilies. There is a calming effect when you’re around water, especially, if there are plenty of shrubs, trees offering shade and sanctuary for birds and other wildlife. There are several different ways you can achieve your own pond with natural, easy care, low maintenance features so it doesn’t become a burden. Here is how to set it up with pond plant filtration technology to keep things simple.
The Most Care-Free Ponds Don’t Need Pumps
Most ponds that are man-made are going to be set up with a pump and filter system to keep the water clean. This is usually because they didn’t go to the trouble of reading up on using the right types of pond plants that will help keep the water clean naturally as they grow.
Plants, both on land and in the water, naturally consume the nutrients that land and water animals leave everywhere they go. To a plant it’s called food, to us it’s called fertilizer. The plants will naturally absorb these valuable nutrients, combine them with sunlight and carbon dioxide, and then release oxygen as they grow and prosper.
When they overgrow in your pond it’s because they are eating the valuable nutrients that fish have left there and turned them into more plants. All you have to do is periodically remove the overgrowth and throw it into your compost pile and you’ll be technically cleaning up your pond.
Look For Bog Plants
These plants are usually rooted to the ground on the bottom of your pond. Then, they shoot up a stalk that produces a leaf that looks like it’s floating on top of the water. These plants have special microbes that help them digest the nitrates that build up in water that has rotting leaves and lots of fish in it.
There are also floating plants that live only by floating on the water, no roots need to be attached to the bottom of the pond. Many of these are actually used by fish as food and you can watch the fish peck at them all day long. Some fish are eating the plants themselves while other are eating tiny aquatic animals that are growing on the leaves of the floating plants.
There Are Some Plants To Avoid
In order to have the best pond plant filtration technology, it’s best to avoid certain types of plants. You can get a list at your local pond store or from the local invasive wildlife government department. It’s not that these plants are bad for your pond, but they tend to escape the backyard ponds and get into local streams, lakes, and rivers where they are considered a nuisance. Most backyard pond stores will not have these plants on hand to buy, but you should ask anyway, just to be sure.
Having a backyard pond all your own where you can relax and enjoy your fish is a dream come true for many. There are millions of photos of ponds you can see to get ideas from if you just do a search for “backyard ponds,” enjoy.