Keeping leaves out of me pond

[Amyrae886]

I’m going to be taking my koi out for the winter like I always do in a couple weeks. They go in a pool in my basement. Now I have a lot of trees. I have tried ways to avoid the clean up in the spring of all the leaves in the water but nothing has worked! I do have a pond net but I use it for them in the basement and it doesn’t fit the pond, and I tried to put a tarp on the pond but in the spring I couldn’t move it cause the leaves were so heavy from being wet. Does anyone have any suggestions besides buying a bigger net? They’re starting to fall!

 

[j.w]

Sorry but I have to say to buy another net. Use fish netting or bird netting depending on size of leaves to cover the pond and take it off more often to dump leaves and then put back on. You could make it "V" or "A" shaped like a tent and maybe could sweep them off the net now and then instead of taking the whole thing off. They might even slide down the V or A shaped tent net. Then just rake up.

 

[Mmathis]

Buy another, bigger net.

 

[Hound Heaven]

This works for me - our yard is backed by some huge trees so this really helps. I can get below it and blow the leaves off the net when they really start falling. I'll keep it up longer this year, I got impatient and took it down too soon last time. I make string loops to slide a length of pvc into to hold the sides down. I'm still able to keep the one end open and the hummers take full advantage of it, but not for too much longer.

 

[Lisak1]

To be honest, I had the same issue with a pond net - the leaves fall on the net, the net can't support the weight of the leaves, the net ends up spending most of the winter part way dunked in the pond. Come spring and it takes three more of me to get it out.

I mean, I could have tried to keep the leaves OFF the net as they fell, but that's a near impossibility given the size of my pond. Or taken it off before winter, but in the midwest that can be any time between October 15 and the end of December. Some years we get early snow... some years barely any until January. Plus it doesn't take snow to weigh down the net - just a good hard rain and the net is in the pond.

Suffice it to say - I don't net my pond anymore. I look forward to spring clean up in the pond. I do it before I can really get to any other gardening and it gets me outside.

 

[bagsmom]

I do my net with one side much higher than the other. This year, I've made a covering from tulle, rather than a net, to keep the acorns out. (That was a LOT of sewing.) But with one side a lot higher, and the tulle positioned with a steep incline, the leaves and acorns just tumble down to the ground without collecting and getting all wet and heavy. Every few days, I take the blower and blow them away.

 

[j.w]

I do my net with one side much higher than the other. This year, I've made a covering from tulle, rather than a net, to keep the acorns out. (That was a LOT of sewing.) But with one side a lot higher, and the tulle positioned with a steep incline, the leaves and acorns just tumble down to the ground without collecting and getting all wet and heavy. Every few days, I take the blower and blow them away.

Oh boy acorns would be a real pain to deal w/but guess you sure found a way!

 

[addy1]

Our pond stays leaf free, the big maple died, the woods behind the house are down wind, so all is good! Oh and two old apple trees died right next to the ponds.

 

[j.w]

Our pond stays leaf free, the big maple died, the woods behind the house are down wind, so all is good! Oh and two old apple trees died right next to the ponds.

We better all chip in and send you some leaf shedding trees so you can join in on the party

 

[addy1]

We better all chip in and send you some leaf shedding trees so you can join in on the party

NO NO NO

 

[Moni_Pond]

This works for me - our yard is backed by some huge trees so this really helps. I can get below it and blow the leaves off the net when they really start falling. I'll keep it up longer this year, I got impatient and took it down too soon last time. I make string loops to slide a length of pvc into to hold the sides down. I'm still able to keep the one end open and the hummers take full advantage of it, but not for too much longer.

View attachment 160662

Nice net system! When do you typically take yours down - in the spring, or in fall/winter after leaves stop falling?

 

[Hound Heaven]

Nice net system! When do you typically take yours down - in the spring, or in fall/winter after leaves stop falling?

Thanks. I already had the popup on hand so it worked out nicely as I can erect the whole shebang without having to ask for help. I'll get tired of it by winter probably and by then most of the leaves will have already fallen.

 

[Bluerooster]

I did an online search for "Mesh Tarp". The results were numerous, and not expensive at all. They are stretchy, and reinforced edges, with grommets.

 

[GBBUDD]

I put in a simple telephone pole now many will probably say oh yeah ill rush right out to0 wall mart and buy a telephone pole. It's nothing more than a dead teen age tree. any tree or straight limb or ever made out of lumber and glued and screwed together will do the job. i then ran a cable from it to the house and the other side to a corner of the garage. the cable is at about 12 feet high at its lowest point. There i then installed carabiners about every 18" to a golf net that has a 2" weave. The carabiners are then hung on the cable. The trick for me is i then have a rope that runs through the carabiners to the end of the net . this way i don't need a ladder to pull the net in and out nor do i remove it from the pond during the seasons as it also acts as a predator deterrence when i need it from blue Herron. you can see it in even Greg Whittstocks video of the pond as its pulled back but its really almost invisible very rarely do i get asked what it is. And when it is closed you can see right through it without it being annoying first photo is with the nets pulled back .

this photo is with the net pulled closed

and lastly full view of the cables

 

[Moni_Pond]

I put in a simple telephone pole now many will probably say oh yeah ill rush right out to0 wall mart and buy a telephone pole. It's nothing more than a dead teen age tree. any tree or straight limb or ever made out of lumber and glued and screwed together will do the job. i then ran a cable from it to the house and the other side to a corner of the garage. the cable is at about 12 feet high at its lowest point. There i then installed carabiners about every 18" to a golf net that has a 2" weave. The carabiners are then hung on the cable. The trick for me is i then have a rope that runs through the carabiners to the end of the net . this way i don't need a ladder to pull the net in and out nor do i remove it from the pond during the seasons as it also acts as a predator deterrence when i need it from blue Herron. you can see it in even Greg Whittstocks video of the pond as its pulled back but its really almost invisible very rarely do i get asked what it is. And when it is closed you can see right through it without it being annoying first photo is with the nets pulled back . View attachment 160782 this photo is with the net pulled closed View attachment 160783View attachment 160784 and lastly full view of the cablesView attachment 160785

Your setup is beautiful and inspiring!