Fall clean-out and netting · Richmond, VA
Fall pond clean-out and netting in Richmond, VA
Jordan's Water Garden Solutions does fall pond clean-outs and pond netting for homeowners in Richmond, Henrico County, Chesterfield County and Charlottesville. Jordan Blanton, an Aquascape Certified Contractor, clears the leaves and sludge, checks your fish before winter and nets the pond so the leaves stay out. Fall netting or a fall service visit starts at $725. With the spring clean-out, it is one of the two seasonal visits in pond cleaning and maintenance.
$725to start, for fall netting or a fall service visit
Why fall
A fall clean-out is about more than the leaves
With the water down and the pond opened up, I can look over your koi and goldfish up close: their color, their fins, how they're moving and eating. It's one of the best opportunities all year to catch small problems and make sure your fish are strong going into their winter slowdown.
The leaves matter too. The ones that land on the pond sink, rot on the floor through the winter and become the sludge that feeds next spring's algae. Get them out in the fall, or keep them out with a net, and the spring clean-out is a lighter job and the water clears sooner.
As the water cools the fish slow down, stop eating and live off what they built up over the summer. A fish carrying a problem into November will not shake it off in January. The fall visit is the last chance to see every fish up close while they are still active.
What is included
What a fall clean-out includes
A fall service visit is shorter than the spring clean-out. The water comes down far enough to reach the floor and see every fish up close.
- Leaves, debris and sludge removed. Off the pond floor and out from between the rocks before winter seals it in.
- Fish gently held and returned. Their safety is the top priority: aerated tubs of their own pond water while the work goes on.
- Pumps, skimmers and filters rinsed and checked. Baskets emptied, pads rinsed, the pump looked over before the cold asks more of it.
- A health check on your fish before winter. Color, fins, how they move and how they eat, one fish at a time.
- A walkthrough with you. So you know where things stand going into the cold, and what to watch for.
Fall netting
A net over the pond before the leaves drop
The simplest way to keep leaves out of a pond is to never let them in. Jordan stretches a net over the pond before the trees let go, usually when the first leaves start landing, and takes it off once they are down. What lands on the net gets cleared off, and the floor stays clean for the winter.
Fall netting on its own, or a fall service visit, starts at $725. Netting is also built into the maintenance plans: the Bronze plan includes fall netting and a fall service visit, and the Gold and Platinum VIP plans include the fall netting system with their monthly or biweekly visits. Plans are quoted on the call.
From Jordan: There's still time to give your pond a fresh start before the cold sets in. Call or text to get on the fall schedule. And if you'd like to skip the leaf cleanup next year, ask about adding fall netting to your maintenance plan.
Winter prep
Getting the pond ready for a Richmond winter
Richmond winters are mild most years and hard some years, so winterizing a pond means planning for both. The big decision is the pump. Some owners run the waterfall all winter for the sound and the moving water. Others shut the pump down and run a small aerator to keep oxygen in the water and a patch of the surface open. Which is right depends on the pond's depth, how the plumbing is run, how many fish you have and whether you will be home to keep an eye on it.
Jordan goes through the choice with you on the fall walkthrough, sets up the pump or the aerator the way you decide, and tells you what to watch for on the cold nights. No one can promise a pond will never ice over. The goal is fish with oxygen and open water underneath when it does, and a pump that is either running right or safely out of the pond.
The other half of the year
Fall sets up the spring
A pond that goes into winter clean and netted comes out of it with far less on the floor. The spring clean-out finishes the job, and a plan bundles the two.
Spring
Spring pond clean-out
The full drain and clean: fish held, sludge out, rock rinsed, filters and pump cleaned, the pond refilled and treated for the season.
From $925
Spring pond clean-outPlans
Maintenance plans
Bronze bundles the spring clean-out, a mid-summer tune-up, fall netting and a fall service visit. Gold and Platinum VIP add monthly or biweekly visits. Plans are quoted on the call.
Compare the plansQuestions
What Richmond homeowners ask about fall clean-outs and netting
Anything else, ask Jordan on the call.
When should a fall pond clean-out happen?
Before the leaves come down, which in Richmond is usually October into November. Jordan's Water Garden Solutions books fall clean-outs and netting through that window, and the net goes on as the first leaves start to fall so the pond floor stays clean.
Is pond netting worth it?
For a pond under or near trees in Richmond, yes. A net stops leaves before they sink and rot, which means less sludge on the floor and a lighter spring clean-out. Jordan's Water Garden Solutions nets ponds as a single visit from $725 or as part of a maintenance plan.
Do you turn the pump off for winter?
It depends on the pond. Jordan's Water Garden Solutions either keeps the waterfall running through a Richmond winter or shuts the pump down and runs an aerator, based on the pond's depth, its plumbing and how many fish it holds. Jordan sets it up with you on the fall walkthrough.
What about the fish in winter?
Koi and goldfish slow down as the water cools, stop eating and rest near the bottom. Jordan's Water Garden Solutions checks each fish during the fall clean-out so they go into that slowdown healthy, and sets the pond up to keep oxygen and open water through the Richmond winter.
Can I do a fall clean-out without a spring one?
Yes. Jordan's Water Garden Solutions books fall clean-outs on their own for homeowners in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Charlottesville. Most ponds still do best with both, because the spring clean-out clears what winter leaves behind, and the Bronze plan bundles the two visits.
Keep exploring
Related services
- Pond leak detection and repair
- Pond maintenance plans
- Pond pump repair and replacement
- Spring pond clean-out
See all pond care: Pond cleaning and maintenance
Based in Richmond, working across Richmond, Charlottesville, Chesterfield County and Henrico County.
Estimate calculator
Get on the fall schedule
A few quick questions, one at a time, and the starting price for your fall visit on the spot. Then pick a time for a free phone consultation with Jordan.