Inherited pond in need of help

amandataylor6 · February 2023

Hi,

I recently moved into a new house with a big garden. I love gardening but I am not yet a good gardener. We moved in late September and after the hot summer the pond had been left to go dry. The plants were brown. They still are and after the rain the pond filled but no green has come back to the plants. What should I do? I really want to cut them back as they cover over two thirds of the pond. Please can anyone suggest what I should do.

Fairygirl · February 2023

I'd cut off all the dead stems, and then you can see what's what.

Do you know what those are? I can't tell from the photos, but if you have any pix from when they were green and/or flowering, that could help. They may be fine and will regenerate anyway, depending on what they are.

You may need to take a good amount of them out anyway. They look like they could be something pretty invasive - maybe a rush of some kind, as there looks like a typical 'head' in the middle of the last pic.

There's a couple of little signs of green in the last pic, but that could be something else which is being swamped by the others.

amandataylor6 · February 2023

Thank you. I have no idea what plants they are. When we moved in they were all brown, looking very dead. I don’t even know if they flower. There really doesn’t seem to be much green from any the plants just a few bits of plants that have fallen in. Thankyou for your advice.

Fairygirl · February 2023

There's certainly a bit of Iris foliage showing in both photos, but the dead stuff isn't from those.
The little bit of green in the first pic is a sedum of some kind and is fine.

philippasmith2 · February 2023

I'd take them out of the pond, cut back the top dead stuff and put them in a bucket of water. Keep swishing them round until you can see the roots and possibly determine whether there is any life left in them. If not, you can dump them but return the water to the pond in case you have some water creatures in there. If they show signs of life, I'd still suggest you keep them in the bucket until it is possible to ID them just in case they prove to be something which will overwhelm the pond in future.
Let the water in the pond settle and then have a think about what you would like to plant in there. Now would be the ideal time to have a look for aquatic plants ( from a reputable supplier such as Pond Plants ).
Lots of Pond People on the forum so you can always get further advice. Best of luck - the pond is definitely worth your time and effort

Slow-worm · February 2023

I'd also definitely pull them, and leave a small clump to see if any green appears. By the looks of it, it won't take much for it to spread again - or you can just put more plants in their place, or plant up the margins for the wildlife to hide in, with just a few in the water.
Natural ponds are a cinch really, just keep things in balance - you may need some oxygenating plants in there though, they're cheap and easy.

Fairygirl · February 2023

@amandataylor6 - I've just been reading a small article about Parrot's Feather, which is apparently an invasive pond weed, and it reminded me of your thread. I'm now wondering if that's what the little green plant in your first pic could be.
Perhaps someone else can definitely ID it for you. Not something I've ever had here.
If it is that, it's probably better removed while it's small.

https://insideecology.com/2017/11/29/invasive-non-native-species-uk-parrots-feather/

Inherited pond in need of help

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