Mike Holmes Tackles His “Dirty Pond” Problem with Expert Insight

Mike Holmes has spent decades solving problems that most homeowners hope never to face — but this time, the issue wasn’t hidden behind drywall or under a roof. It was outside, in the open, murky, and green: a pond that had turned from a peaceful retreat into a smelly, stagnant mess.

In a recent episode of the Holmes on Homes Podcast, Holmes invited a professional pond maintenance team to talk through what went wrong — and how to fix it. Listen to the full episode here.

The story starts the way so many rural property problems do — with runoff. Fertilizers, organic matter, and natural debris from surrounding land wash into ponds, feeding algae and choking oxygen from the water. Holmes, always curious about how things work, wanted to know why this happens even when the pond looks fine on the surface. The experts explained that the trouble begins invisibly, with nutrients accumulating until the balance tips. Once that happens, you don’t just have cloudy water — you have a living ecosystem thrown off course.

That imbalance shows itself fast: algae blooms, foul smells, fewer fish, and sometimes even mosquito infestations. It’s easy to think it’s just a cosmetic issue, but Holmes and his guests broke down how pond health ties directly to soil quality, nearby plant life, and even groundwater safety. The pond becomes a mirror for the land around it.

One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation is how predictable — and preventable — these problems actually are. Regular maintenance matters just as much for a pond as it does for a home. When Holmes compared it to changing furnace filters or cleaning gutters, the point landed: ignore routine care, and the damage compounds.

The team talked through specific steps any property owner can take. Aeration was top of the list — keeping water moving prevents stagnation and oxygen loss. Skimming out debris before it decomposes keeps nutrient buildup low. And the most interesting method Holmes learned about? Beneficial bacteria. These microorganisms quietly do the work that harsh chemicals can’t: they digest excess organic waste, restore clarity, and balance the ecosystem from within. Holmes joked that it’s like giving your pond a probiotic, but the science checks out.

For Holmes, what stood out wasn’t just the technique — it was the philosophy. He’s built his career on fixing things the right way, not the quick way. The experts reinforced that same mindset: don’t treat symptoms, fix the source. Reducing fertilizer use upstream, controlling erosion, and planting buffer vegetation around the pond can make a bigger difference than any single cleanup product. It’s about stewardship, not just maintenance.

Throughout the episode, Holmes’s curiosity kept circling back to the human part of the story. Why do so many homeowners wait until the pond turns green before they act? The answer, he realized, is the same as with home repairs — people don’t always see slow damage until it’s too late. But when they do, it’s a wake-up call. A dirty pond isn’t just an eyesore; it’s a signal that nature’s balance has been neglected.

That conversation widened into something more philosophical. Caring for a pond, they said, is about more than keeping it pretty. It’s about nurturing a living system that connects to everything else — soil, air, wildlife, even personal well-being. Holmes nodded to that idea often. He’s known for talking about “making it right” in construction, but here, he tied that same principle to land care. If you own property, you’re part of a larger ecosystem. How you maintain it either harms or helps the world beyond your fence line.

The experts gave practical examples: a properly managed pond supports frogs, fish, birds, and pollinators. It acts as a natural filter, improving groundwater quality and stabilizing the surrounding landscape. It can even raise property value by creating a healthy, functioning environment that future buyers appreciate.

What makes this episode stand out is its tone — part science lesson, part reflection. Holmes isn’t afraid to admit when he’s learning something new, and that humility makes the conversation relatable. He asks the same questions any curious homeowner would: How do I fix it without overdoing it? How do I keep it from happening again? And underneath it all, there’s a sense of respect — for nature, for knowledge, and for the professionals who dedicate their lives to restoring balance.

By the end of the talk, Holmes’s takeaway was simple but weighty: maintaining a pond is less about control and more about care. When you invest time and attention into that water, you’re really investing in the health of your land — and, by extension, the planet.

That’s the kind of thinking that runs through Holmes on Homes — practical wisdom tied to real-world purpose. You can hear the full discussion, including the behind-the-scenes look at Holmes’s own pond challenge, on Spotify here.