​Pond plants are a huge part of the pond ecosystem and need to be there to make sure everything lives harmoniously. Pond plants in Oklahoma also enhance the beauty of any water feature. So, when your pond plants aren’t healthy, you know it. One sign that there’s something wrong is yellowing leaves. Listed below are some of the more common reasons why your Oklahoma pond plants are turning yellow.

Healthy pond plants love fertilizer!
Be sure to fertilize your pond plants. If your plants are potted (which is what we recommend) poke a hole in the soil and push the fertilizer down inside, then carefully close the soil over the hole. Fertilizer should also be added whenever re-potting your plants is necessary. For floating plants, remove them from the pond and place them in a container that will hold water. Add your favorite water-soluble fertilizer according to the directions. Do not add more than the recommended amount. Too much fertilizer can cause plants to turn yellow too.

Healthy pond plants and Insects
Inspect your pond’s plants just like you do your other plants. Pond plants are not immune to insects, especially in the winter if you bring them in the house.

Spider mites love the dry winter environment our homes have. Any insecticide that you can use on houseplants is safe to use on water plants inside the home. Aphids are sometimes problems in the house, but mites are more prevalent. Leaf Beetles​ are also a problem when growing plants in a container outside.

Aphids are usually the main insects to attack pond plants. Depending on the plant, you may be able to wash them off in the water where they will become yummy treats for your fish. Floating plants like hyacinths, water lettuce and lily pads and their flowers are good candidates for this. When you do water changes or add water to your pond due to evaporation, spray the water on the plants. This will wash the insects off too.

Too Much Sun
Healthy pond plants can burn just like us. A sunburned plant will have a bleached look or brownish cast to the leaves, sometimes they will yellow. When moving pond plants outside, if they have spent the winter inside, do it gradually. Move them first to a shady spot. Set the pot in a larger container that will hold water. Gradually over a 2-week period expose the plants to more sunlight. Do this in the spring when the weather begins to warm so that they also get used to the cooler nighttime temperatures.

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.
 

​The waterlily is one of the most popular additions to any Oklahoma City fish pond or water garden.  They are beautiful, have wonderful flowers, and of course the the most favored area for our favorite pond inhabitant, the frog, to hang out.  
While these "jewels" of the water garden are beautiful they do have have a few requirements for them to grow big and beautiful.  Have you ever noticed from one year to the next they just aren't doing as well or maybe you noticed it's not blooming? 

What's happening to my water lilies?
There are a few factors that can contribute to your Oklahoma City water lilies not doing as well one year to the next, let's go over them:

1. Sunlight: All Waterlilies require a minimum amount of sunlight every day to look their best. To look ok and just keep them looking nice 4-6 hours is the bare minimum, however most will do their best in 6-8 hours of sunlight per day! If you're pond is a bit shady and on the border of sunlight requirements, try the Colorado Waterlily. They tend to do ok with lesser amounts of sunlight per day.   
2. Something is eating them: There are a few known pests of that like to snack on waterlilies.  Aphids and snails can be culprits. If you're lilies have holes in them or it looks like something is taking bites out of them it's probably snails. Our fish, especially large fish, will also "play" in them and rip new growth as well as the lily pads off the plant, well because they can and they are bored.  Another culprit, could be deer. They do like water lilies and have been known to get in there and have a snack.  
3. Feed them: Yep, give those puppies some fertilizer once a month. While a pond will provide nutrients for our water lilies, some supplemental fertilizer will definitely help. We recommend using aquatic fertilizer tabs once a month or use a once a year fertilizer for your waterlilies.  
4. Too much water movement:  Waterlilies typically love calm water and will do their best without water crashing on them or a strong current.  If your water lilies are near a strong aerator or even close to your waterfall this could be affecting it's growth. Just move the plant to a different area of the pond. 

Common Problem
In years past you're Oklahoma City water lilies have done fantastic!  Beautiful and plentiful lily flower blooms with vibrant and abundant green leaves, but this year is different!  You haven't seen as many flowers and the leaves are turning yellow or getting holes in them and just don't appear to be great like years past.  What could be the problem?

Let's go back to number two above, something is eating them. Let's talk about the fish or koi pulling our lilies apart. Many times when our koi and pond fish get larger it's very difficult to keep waterlilies in a pond. At this point, you'll more than likely have to make a decision: fish or waterlilies. To combat  aphids and the snails is a bit more tricky.  The best way to combat snails is to find them and pull them off the water lily. For aphids, blasting them off with a hose and/or using a garlic spray will take care of these pests.  Deer, well we know how this goes keeping deer away from our plants.  The use of a scarecrow or even a pond net may be the ticket.  
Waterlilies are such a magnificent addition to any water garden or koi pond, but sometimes they to need a little help and care to look their best.  Check these few items, make some changes if you need to and enjoy the beauty of your waterlilies again.  

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

Why Would You Consider An Exploratory Pond Cleaning In Oklahoma?
An exploratory cleaning is a lot like a traditional pond cleaning, but more detailed and you get more information at the end. We will map out your pond and its equipment, keep this information in our database for future use, and make sure that you have all the information for your records.
Exploratory pond cleanings are done for quite a few reasons in Oklahoma City. Perhaps your pond has not been serviced regularly. Or maybe you purchased a house with a pond and don’t know much about it. There could be a leak in the pond and you’re not sure how to find or repair it. Or possibly you just don’t really know what the previous pond professional did.

So what exactly does exploratory pond cleaning involve?
​Well, our whole approach to pond ownership is to encourage responsibility and enjoyment of your water feature. After all, that’s what having a water feature is supposed to be all about…having a unique and interesting environment that the entire family can enjoy. That’s easy to do when you make the choice to add a water feature to your Oklahoma City property, but what about when you inherit someone else’s system?
It can be intimidating to suddenly be confronted with a pond when you know absolutely nothing about how to care for them. If there are other factors added into the mix, such as fish, plant life or features like waterfalls that can complicate matters even more. Well, we don’t ever want your water feature to become a source of stress, so that’s why we offer what is basically a guided pond cleaning, where our experts walk you through the process and help you understand everything you need to know about your pond.

With this service, our team of Service Technicians will come to your home and perform a pond cleaning.
We’ll start by draining your Oklahoma City pond and removing any aquatic life, such as fish or frogs, to holding tanks. Then we can get a closer look at the structure of the pond itself. We’ll closely examine every aspect of the structure from filtration and pump equipment to plant life to the rocks themselves and explain all of it to you in as much detail as you require.

Having the pond drained of water during the exploratory pond cleaning will also allow us to take a closer look at the pond liner and determine what kind of shape it is in. If there are any liner issues to address this would be the time to do so. The important thing is to ensure that your pond is capable of holding water so that plants and fish in the pond won’t be in any danger. During this exploratory pond cleaning, we’ll be able to evaluate the filtration and pump system and make sure it is adequate for the needs of the pond as well as make any necessary repairs.

There may be any number of findings from this pond cleaning, including whether the pump motor was functioning properly if any filter screens were missing or damaged, and if the pond was extremely dirty or had buildups of algae or any other harmful substances. We’ll be able to address any of these issues and make sure you understand exactly how to maintain your pond so that these conditions don’t crop up again.

Once any problems have been addressed, we’ll complete the exploratory pond cleaning by refilling the pond and returning the aquatic life carefully, allowing any fish to properly adjust to the change in water temperature.
Then we’ll be able to give you advice and instruction on how to care for your fish, frogs and other living things. Remember, a pond isn’t just a decorative feature it is, in fact, a growing and changing ecosystem, and it requires regular care and maintenance to remain healthy.​

What is the cost for an exploratory pond service? How do I Sign up?
The cost of the service starts around $800, and the actual price depends on the size and condition of the pond. The price includes:

•     A trained and experienced 2-3 man team coming to your home
•     Setting up a safe temporary holding tank for your wet pets
•     Draining the pond
•     Cleaning the built up sediment from the pond floor, pump, pump vault
•     Clean & service filtration system
•     Flushing out the plumbing system
•     Running down the plumbing system to check for any issues
•     Inspect the lighting system
•     Aquatic plant thinning/trimming
•     Mapping out the entire system and noting the type/size of everything involved
•     Noting recommendations for any repairs/improvements we suggest based on your goals and            desires for the pond
•     Refilling the pond and re-introducing your wet pets to their home
•     Re-seeding the system with beneficial bacteria for water quality health
•     Keeping all the information gathered during this process in our database
•     Providing you with a complete report on your pond, as well as our observations, assessments,            and recommendations

To get started, we would ask that you send us a photo of your pond and its equipment so that we can take our best guess at an estimate for the service.

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.