How to Reduce Pond Evaporation This Summer

Pond evaporation in your water garden can add more maintenance work to your summer pond care. Finding ways to prevent and solve water evaporation will help you get the most out of your water garden over the summer.

Cover Your Pond

One of the top reasons you’ll lose water from your pond during the summer is direct sunlight shining on the water. The more surface area in direct sunlight, the more water you’ll lose to evaporation.

You can combat this with a shade sail or by using a tarp or plastic to cover part of the pond. Think of it like a high roof that offers shade but doesn’t impede your view. This makes it the perfect summer pond care tip for your water garden. Another option is to plant trees that offer protection from the sun and the wind.

Pond Plants

Floating pond plants are a great choice for your water garden because they offer shade and hiding spots for fish (as well as a quick nibble) while reducing evaporation by helping to cover the surface. They also help protect from sunlight and wind evaporation.

Plants like water lettuce, duckweed, water lilies, and water hyacinths are great choices and can offer multiple benefits. Aim for 60% coverage of the surface of the pond.

Pond Tint

Just like we need to wear sunscreen on our skin, your water garden needs protection from UV rays and sunshine. A pond tint is a water treatment that dyes your pond to protect it from the sun while reducing algae growth and keeping the water cooler. Pond tints come in various colors, including aqua blue or ocean blue, and give an interesting color while being a practical water treatment.

Surface Film

Surface films contain a silicone-based liquid that forms a thin veil that reduces evaporation. It’s almost like using a specially designed glue that safely covers the surface of the water garden to reduce evaporation rates in ponds by 50%.

Check for Leaks in the Pumps, Filters, and Liners

Your pond plumbing could leak in the piping or in a mechanism that’s letting out water. You can check these mechanisms to see if any have sprung a leak by watching carefully while it’s running, but make sure you turn off any electrical mechanisms before doing maintenance.

You can also turn off the pump to ensure the check valve and filter boxes remain full of water. Checking connections and PVC pipes for cracks and leaks is another good step.

Check Pond Edges

In-ground water gardens are beautiful features but carry the possibility of the ground shifting and settling. In this case, the soil sinks and dislodges the pond liner, either folding it over or making it move so it’s no longer in the right place to keep water in the pond. It’s also important to know that porous materials like wood or light rock might let water seep out too.

Checking the edges to ensure they’re at the right level while looking for any wet areas can help you pinpoint problem areas that are letting water out. Look also for low spots in the water garden’s edge and check the pond liner for any rips or tears.

Get the Most Water Out of Your Water Garden

Summer pond care can be a snap with the right tools and tips. For more tricks to care for your water garden, visit our website.