floating planter rings

[j.w]

Only kind they sell in stores here are little tiny floating pot ones at Lowes and they aren't worth it to me. I made my own too but used the fiberglass screen stuff to put under the bottom and next time I would use the bigger holed netting to allow water to flow in better. The thing got clogged up too much and was rather stagnant looking. Baby fish like it tho that just hatched cuz they could fit through the holes and nobody else could!

 

[buckry]

I found square ones 12"x12" at Home Depot and Rural King. They are a thin pot, but then they have a diamond weave for the walls and bottom instead of just solid plastic. They actually float without any modification, but since I've put them in my pond I've found they are super close to neutrally bouyant so if they get ito the waterfall the current sends the basket to the bottom of the pond and it takes about 5 minutes to come back up and by then the plant is on the other side of the pond. I'm putting some black waterfall foam under the top lip though right now, that should totally take care of that problem.

They also have these same 12" baskets at Mennards in the next town over but they also have 12" round ones. And I found some really huge kidney bean shaped ones online for $6. I bought 6 of them, I'm thinking these will be the main ones I use since the baskets have curves they should nest right into the curves of my pond.

 

[j.w]

Just take some fishing line and tie them to a rock or something so they can't float all over near the falls especially.

 

[koiguy1969]

IMO ... 12" squares are way too small for hyacinths or lettuce....the idea is protect the roots so they can multiply... in a small preformed pond, ok. but i like a larger ring. my small ones were 28" across...my ring is 4&1/2' across...ity would take about a dozen or so of those to hold what my one large ring holds.

 

[buckry]

Ahh, ok, well that explains it then 4' versus 12" is a whole different ball game. I have 1 hyacinth in each one, there is tons of room for them to multiply, but you'll have to stay on top of seperating them, it will get crowded quick.

 

[addy1]

They do like to be crowded, but not so tight they have no room, I used to rope mine with a floating rope, made it bigger as they grew.

 

[ellisr63]

Has anyone had a problem with predators since they made one? Just wondering if a predator could step on it.

 

[don't ask]

ellis i would guess their weight would tip or make unstable for them to want to stay on

 

[addy1]

Both herons, that have visited, stayed on the edge of the pond to fish. They tend to walk up to the pond in a very sneaky manner.

 

[glee]

The fry like them too .My fish did the spawn and with and with the 4 10 foot rings I made they will have some place to hide .

 

[koiguy1969]

a couple pics showing the pond, the hyacinths in the 4&1/2' ring, and a close up of a couple of hyacinth blooms...to bad they dont last longer. they are such a pretty bloom....have to pull out one of the 28" rings soon.
jw....potted the lillies their in the fry pond!

 

[j.w]

Yep I seen them growing in there koiguy in the pool w/ the babies. Boy those Hyacinth have pretty blooms..........too bad they don't like it here and bet they smell good too!

 

[koiguy1969]

i've never actually smelled one!?...they only last 1 or 2 days..ocassionally you might see 3 days.

 

[j.w]

Hey koiguy you gotta stop and smell the roses every now and then...............errrr, why not the Hyacinth also

 

[glee]

Here are my four rings with Hyacinth in bloom and a lotus in bloom on the side thanks Koi Guy for saving my plants from the hungry KOI.My pond is in much better balance since the rings allow me to have floating plants to add shade