This is one for our gardening gurus :)

We've got a fairly large pond in our new garden and we're just getting round to giving it some tlc.

In the spring it was fairly heaving with frogs, then frogspawn and then of course tadpoles - so we left it for nature to take its course :)

Now we are in danger of the water lilies taking over the world ....they do seem to be completely out of their baskets (if they ever were in them, that is) and we did think about taking them out, splitting and dividing them now before the winter - but we've just discovered that we also have great crested newts in th epond as well as a couple of resident toads - the dogs are fascinated by them - they dont go for them - they just watch them trundle around.

I now know that water lilies should really be divided in the spring - but can we get away with it now?   And what about the great crested newts - I understand it is illegal to disturb their habitat!   Can anyone give any advice here please??????

Margot

Wow newts you are lucky Margot - it must be a healthy pond right now.  I had an awful time reducing the size of my water lily - hacked and hacked underwater for ages - mostly by touch.  It had filled up the bottom of the pond reducing the depth for the fish in winter.  However spring is when you have all the young frogs and tadpoles so I would have thought that it is a poor time to do any pond stirring.  I have had frogs for years but the fish eat most of the tadpoles I believe.  However frogs spend much of their time on land for a good part of the year so disturbance of the pond doesn't make a great deal of difference.  My fish coped but as for newts I can't say.  If it is a large pond then maybe reducing the lily in stages may be better than a huge upheaval all at once.  I expect the newts will hibernate at the bottom of the pond as soon as the season gets colder - then it will be bad to disturb them.  

Lucky you.  Worth getting advice re the newts and this seems like a useful guide - includes information about breeding ponds.  Have a Google and I think you'll find quite good information online about who to ask or how to best manage your pond whilst ensuring the newts survival.

Well done you for checking first :)

You should not tuch anything to do with great crested without advice from English Nature.
If they say ok I sent my OH in the pond to drag all the lillies out wence we hacked them to blazes to get them smaller. Stuffed them back in and this year 100's of pink and yellow water lillies.

In my woods I am not allowed to do anything within 100meters of my crested newts at all!!

In the spring it was fairly heaving with frogs, then frogspawn and then of course tadpoles - so we left it for nature to take its course

Margot I would be hiding indoors :-D 

Sorry not got a clue but the thought makes me squirm.

Emily Rose is the Gal to ask about Great Crested Newts,Her Dad is a herpatologist and she has done various newt surveys etc for him...pm her ifyou cant catch her online im sure she will be able to help,I do know it is illegal to disturb their habitat though without relevant permissions etc.