Small ponds -- lots of questions

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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Alan_L
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Small ponds -- lots of questions

Post by Alan_L »

I wanted to put in a small pond in my yard last year but never got around to it (super busy summer). I'm putting it high on my list for this year though!

What's the minimum reasonable size (if there is one)? For instance, would 8' diameter be too small? How deep should it be? Does it need to be in sun, or can it be in partial shade?

I'm mainly interested in attracting frogs, toads, and dragonflies, as well as the visual interest added by a pond. There will be no moving water in the pond. Any advice from those who have small ponds would be appreciated.
ghmerrill
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Re: Small ponds -- lots of questions

Post by ghmerrill »

I buried a 4' stock tank a couple of years ago, like your plan, no running water, just a pool. its probalby 24" deep, which works great for the lillies. I mounded the dirt from the hole, and planted 3 round tubs in a tier, and have lotus in two of them, the water celery in the third, the lowest, closest to the pond. my observation, is that I would like LARGER! :toothy7:

i think 8 feet would be sweet, and maybe a bit bigger... especially for attraction of wildlife and critters, and giving you room for a variety of plants. depending on how you do it, having a shallow area for things like lotus, or other bog plants will give you extra habitat, and enjoyment. I do get frogs and dragonflys coming to mine, but by mid summer its so choked with lilly pads, I have to start thinning the lilly pads out, and I only have a couple of dwarf lillies.... any large type water lillys or several types will really crowd. figure about a 3x3' area for each dwarf lilly to be comfortable, smaller if you dont mind them crowded, and larger if you want large varieties.

carefull, the lillies are as addicting as bamboo, with all types of leaves, flower colors, tropicals... day bloomers, night bloomers, scented........

ugh! I want spring to get here!
marcat
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Re: Small ponds -- lots of questions

Post by marcat »

As big as you can fit and afford is best. non moving water you need to consider mosquitos. Gambusia minnows solve that and after a season you can put gold fish/koi to control the gambusia and add a visual feature.
MarCat
If you are in cold contry there are pond heaters.
dudley
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right between too cold & not cold enough

Re: Small ponds -- lots of questions

Post by dudley »

are you digging your own?
using a liner?
where we are, full sun heats the water too much. about 1/2 shade, 1/2 sun works out well.
minimum three feet deep in at least a small part of the pond.
my first pond i tried to shape the bottom with gradual slopes and curves like a natural pond.
all the potted plants slid down to the deep end or fell over. sides should be almost vertical, w/ shelf areas for plants and a smooth flat bottom.
plants collected from the wild will always have some kind of algae or vermin you dont want. buy all your plants when possible.
dont be too worried about green or cloudy water at first. it may take a full season for your pond to find it's balance.
fish are sensitive to toxins dont put your pond in an area where you might need to spray insecticides or fungicides( like right between my apple trees)dumbass me!
ponds are awesome.
ponds w/bamboo around them, even more
"Plants are people just like us"
trepanier
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Re: Small ponds -- lots of questions

Post by trepanier »

if its in full your water plant will do very good and drangon flys frog and ext. over run our pond but it makes it hard to grow thing like japanese maples clumping bamboo stuff that needs shade and if it is in shade you might have to clean to pump or filter out more from to tree and DO NOT plant running bamboo around it if its a liner your using lol what we do is use lava rock from walmart or homedepo for the filter it works realy good check this out it might help you idk

http://www.vawatergardens.com/ecosystem.html


http://garden-pond-filters.com/veggiebio.htm
Trepanier
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