Deciduous trees are the ones that lose their leaves every year during the colder months. If you have these types of trees near your pool than it is pretty safe to say that you will be spending some time removing leaves from your pool. These leaves, especially when combined with other organic material, can alter your pool water chemistry, be a drain on chemicals, and if the leaves are around and submerged for a long enough time can actually stain your pool surfaces.

You would think that you could easily solve this problem by just making sure there are no trees near your pool but you may also have to think about the location of the pool on your property and whether this “lack of trees” has drawbacks, like eliminating any privacy that you may have come to really appreciate. Trees also provide a natural canopy that can provide valuable shade on a hot summer day and may be home to wildlife or be a place where birds stop and sing from. These are definitely all factors that you have to take into account if you are considering any tree removal.

Taking advantage of leaf blocks is another thing to consider. These “blocks” are either natural occurring things like hedges and bushes or man-made things like fences, retaining walls, and storage boxes which all can help winds that come across the pool’s surface carrying that bothersome debris.

Regardless of which way you decide to go, it is also very true that the fall wind will tend to carry leaves around even from farther distances and may choose to deposit some into your pool despite your best efforts to combat it. If you have an above ground pool, a great tool to utilize would be a mesh leaf net. 

The way that  leaf nets work is that they are strategically placed over a solid winter cover and after all of the leaves have fallen, can be removed easily without having to remove the solid cover and exposing the pool to whatever harsh winter elements are existing. This leaf net removal can even be done several times in a convenient way which helps keep your lawn tidy and reduces the extra weight being put on the solid winter cover. Typically, these can be attached to the pool as basic as a few bungie cords or twine connected into the grommets.

Another huge positive of a  leaf net is that it is very lightweight and easy to work with. One person can easily handle it whether it’s an installation or even a removal with leaves weighing it down. Leaf nets are perfect for the southern pool that doesn't winterize, because it keeps the pool clean and reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the pool water.

If you are deciding to not remove trees, something else to consider would be an annual substantial trimming that includes cutting and removing all dead branches and long heavy branches that could impact your pool in the future. The idea is to do a little bit at a time so there are no big surprises with falling debris during heavy winter winds or snow storms. Something else to consider is actually planting certain types of trees with the larger point of reducing any kind of work load. The idea would be to plant trees that won’t grow over 15 to 30 ft. high, are usually larger leafed, with no fruiting or flowering. You’ll also want to do some research on trees with invasive root systems as trees like the sycamore have root systems that are invasive and could actually harm the shell of your pool over time.

Young trees typically are more manageable and as the trees become older, they tend to shed more litter which can overwhelm your pool cleaner and even your skimmers. Some favorable trees to select would include: magnolia, dogwood, myrtle, and evergreen trees. Trees that would tend to cause debris problems would be: pine, cottonwood, oak, elm, and poplar.

Leaf nets work in tandem with a standard cover. They help prolong the life of the solid cover by adding an extra layer of protection while also providing a helpful solution to removing those pesky leaves from the top of the pool. We proudly offer  GLI brand leaf nets and we’re more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.