4500 Gallon koi pond in progress (I need some help) :confused:

[Denis S]

Sorry for not getting on here in a while. I've been working a lot of overtime.:grumble: I also managed to injure my right wrist lifting weights and sprain left ankle kickboxing...again. Even with all the injuries and overtime I managed to get some stuff done. and here are some pictures

That's a place to grow grapes.

:surfing:

 

[Denis S]

About 15 feet away I wanted to plant a weeping willow tree but the problem is the grow 40 to 50 feet tall and 35 wide.:surfing: Is there any trees that look very similar to weeping willow without growing that big. 25' tall and 15' wide max. :grumble:

 

[addy1]

weeping willows are know for water searching roots, so it is best not to put one near your pond. They are pretty trees though.

 

[Denis S]

I know, but that's why I was asking if there is a smaller version that don't grow that big. I don't think the roots would go more then 15 feet radius. What tree do you guys think looks best?

 

[addy1]

I like the japanese maples, they look great near a pond. They have a weeping variety, but they are also slow growers.

 

[j.w]

You might like Betula pendula "Youngii" otherwise known as Youngs Weeping Birch. It doesn't get huge like a willow but looks similar and can spread it's branches out in really nice formations:

 

[Denis S]

Ohhhhh wow, I am thinking about Ginkgo tree in one corner and Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple in the other corner, what do you think. It will be about 20 ft away from the pond.

 

[Denis S]

I also want to make a small flower garden around the pond but the problem is how do you guys prevent the mulch... from getting inside the water especially during high winds and storms?

 

[j.w]

Is that a Ginko tree, the yellow one? If so it is quite beautiful and I love Japanese Maples too. Prepare for lots of leaves in your pond. You can always put a net over your pond right before the leaves drop in the fall and then take it off when done falling.

 

[j.w]

Mulch here around my pond compacts down enough so it does not blow around and we get lots of rain also. I built my pond so the dirt on the sides slope down so rain and mud flow away from the pond and not into it.

 

[Denis S]

Yes, it is. Only problem with that is that the flower bed is going.to be on a flat serfice lol so its kinda hard to slope it.

Now I was wondering since the pond.is.going.to be.mostly Koi pond design, is.it.possible to get a lot stronger pump and actually make the water look like its.coming out of the waterfall a lot.faster? Only reason I'm asking this is because I read somewhere if the flow is.too strong that it will leaked while falling down the rocks. Idk the concept but I thought Idk check. One last ? I looked several flagstones and they feel like sandstone and when I rub them I can feel.sandlike texture in my hands. Is that going.g to affect cleraty of my pond when water is constantly falling down it? Shouldn't the Skimmer be able.to take care.of all the leaves?

 

[addy1]

You can use a stronger pump for your waterfall, it is all on how you stack your rocks and how you lay out the liner for the waterfall. If you find an area that is leaking you can put goop under a rock, stick it where the water is over flowing to redirect it. Or use the expanding foam to direct the flow. My liner goes out around a foot past the water fall area on each side and curves up to collect any water that goes the wrong way.

My flagstone does not feel grainy so not sure.

I have a skimmer, it is installed, but not the final attachment to the pump yet, it will be plumbed this year before the leaves begin to fall. We have three mature trees around the pond. I will have my pump plumped to either draw completely from the skimmer, from the bottom or a combination depending on need. Esp when those trees start to drop their leaves. Last year most of the leaves missed the pond, must be the air flow pattern over the pond, hopefully the same this year. Just used a hand net to pull the leaves last year, the few that hit the pond.

 

[taherrmann4]

One thing you could do to keep mulch from going into the pond is put some more rocks around the perimeter of the pond, you can stack them up a little higher than the dirt. My pond is on a small hill and I have mulch right up to the rocks and don't have any problems with the mulch. The leaves on the other hand are a pain, but that is one of the things I have chosen to put up with. I get lots of wind and my skimmer does a decent job of collecting them, I have to empty the skimmer daily in the fall.

I have attached 3 pics of Japanese maples, the first two are a red weeping in the front of my house taken a different seasons, the second one is a red upright one, and the last one is a green weeping one my dog is right in front of it. They look pretty in the fall.

 

[j.w]

Those Japanese Maples come in all sorts and sizes and look really pretty by a pond. I admit the leaves are a pain and I don't use a skimmer or a net but I somehow manage and so far so good. Here are 3 that I have: Can only get one photo on one post so will have to post the others down in another post or two.

 

[j.w]

Taller Japanese Maple, I believe it's called Red Dragon: