Pond shelves and dimensions.

[Lisak1]

Thanks for the encouraging words!
Do you have any recommendations as to where to put my filter (that tub shown in the pic)?

Are you planning a waterfall? Or is that for your bog? If it's a bog, you can put it wherever you want, but think about how you will view the pond. You really want your waterfall - or your bog outflow, in case you aren't planning a full on waterfall - facing you where you would most likely view from. Also plan for where your plumbing will run so you can easily conceal it. Honestly it looks fine right where it is in the photo, but I don't know what your whole layout looks like in your yard.

 

[reefsr]

Quick question: what's the difference between perforated planting pots and solid pots? Well, the holes, duh, but are they really necessary? My guess is for easier water access for the plants and fresher water that would flow through, causing more nutrients to be added from the water. However, my major concern is the soil just leaking out and turning into a muddy mess to cloud up my pond.

That's when I came across this! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039G7BZY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Are these worth it? Apparently, their mesh design allows water through perfectly but the holes are small enough as to where the soil can't escape. My only concern is the extremely flimsy frame.

 

[GBBUDD]

Quick question: what's the difference between perforated planting pots and solid pots? Well, the holes, duh, but are they really necessary? My guess is for easier water access for the plants and fresher water that would flow through, causing more nutrients to be added from the water. However, my major concern is the soil just leaking out and turning into a muddy mess to cloud up my pond.

That's when I came across this! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039G7BZY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Are these worth it? Apparently, their mesh design allows water through perfectly but the holes are small enough as to where the soil can't escape. My only concern is the extremely flimsy frame.

I make my own with zip ties and coconut matting.

 

[mrsclem]

The mesh bags work well as they conform to the surface they are on. As far as soil leaching out, lilies are usually potted in clay cat litter which will cloud the water when first put in but it clears quickly and you can use just pea gravel for other plants. No garden potting mix!

 

[reefsr]

So I was doing a bit of research (mainly watching YouTube videos) on marginal plants, and I came across this idea of not potting them, instead just pushing them down in between rocks. How well does this work with larger rocks (7 inch "boulders")? Would they not be able to root well and grow, or will it work perfectly fine? Thanks in advance, as this would save me lots of trouble if it works fine this way.

 

[Mmathis]

That’s the only way I planted anything in my pond (exception, water lilies). Never had any problems.

 

[snoozer]

Planting that way works well, sometimes way to well though. This past weekend i spent 7 hours getting a grass, don't remember the name, out of the pond. The barren area of large rocks was filled with it and blocked the view on that end of the pond. i used the 3 foot crowbar to move the large rocks and the fought to get all of roots out of the river rock that fills behind the boulders on the shelf. The other picture is a large root compared to the size of my thumb. I would never have thought the pretty grass i had let escape a pot was such a beast.

 

[GBBUDD]

People have to remember as the plants get larger. So does the root ball and they don't play nice in the sand box they grow in every direction criss crossing around rocks and folds in the pond. Making for a heck if a fight to remove. When a plant is labeled as invasive Beware they truly can grow very quickly and can be a hell of a fight to remove or even manage.

 

[bagsmom]

People have to remember as the plants get larger. So does the root ball and they don't play nice in the sand box they grow in every direction criss crossing around rocks and folds in the pond. Making for a heck if a fight to remove. When a plant is labeled as invasive Beware they truly can grow very quickly and can be a hell of a fight to remove or even manage.

I am planning to divide many of my pond plants and move them out back when the back yard pond is done. I was looking at my yellow flag iris yesterday - at the flowing roots waving in the water (and keeping it clean, which is good) and thinking "this is going to be one heck of a job." It has grown into a massive clump.

 

[GBBUDD]

yellow iris is the most aggressive of all iris

 

[Jhn]

yellow iris is the most aggressive of all iris

Yep, helped a friend years ago get one out of his pond, it literally took over the whole pond was one huge iris pot. Had to use a truck and an anchor chained to the hitch to pull it out of the pond. That Is where I got my big yellow flag iris from, one of the few plants that I have in a pot in my pond in 3’ of water boosted up so it can’t really jump the pot and go anywhere.

 

[bagsmom]

I'm thinking I will have to carefully cut and break it out, bit by bit.

 

[addy1]

yellow iris is the most aggressive of all iris

I have some in my bog, every year I chop it back by 1/2 had kept it in good control.

 

[reefsr]

Many here either buy their rocks or collect them during outdoor adventures

where exactly would you collect them legally? We have a nature preserve right by us, but that would be totally illegal to collect rocks there.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

where exactly would you collect them legally? We have a nature preserve right by us, but that would be totally illegal to collect rocks there.

That really depends on your location. Where we are now (rural NC) you just take a ride & pick up whatever you find laying around in/on the road.
When we lived in the Chicago suburbs, my husband & a couple of his friends would take field trips out to where it was mostly farmland. During plowing the farmers would inevitably encounter large rocks/boulders & these would get tossed into piles at the edges of their fields, and (if asked) they had no problem with the guys driving up & loading tons (literally!) of rock into the beds of pickup trucks to haul away.