"Anon" wrote in message
...
However, we have just had our first child so most of my time is taken up
with trying to be a good dad, so my gardening and pondkeeping efforts are
pretty basic at the moment.

New babies sleep most of the time. :-) Now is an excellent time to clean
out the pond. You can do it in one day with your wife's help, or in one
weekend by yourself. Plan on the entire weekend. You will still have time
to hold and feed the baby after sundown. The baby can nap in his/her
carriage as you work right out there in the fresh air.

I think that I really need to take some out some of the weed to give the
fish more room to swim, although obviously I want to keep a good amount
for oxygenating etc.

Don't depend on plants to oxygenate the water. They add nothing at night
and in fact themselves use oxygen after sundown. If the pond is overcrowded
now is a good time to cull them out and give the excess away.

I can't imagine that I'm going to have time to do a proper
clean out any time soon, so my main question is what time of year is best
to take some out? Especially considering it's going to disturb the mulm.
Thanks again,

Just remove most of the plant matter gently and toss it on the compost heap.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
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