Ponds in Canada

[callingcolleen1]

Ya hope its another mild one here too, as mild as one can expect for this part of the continent. Hummingbird I would make a marsh on your shelf, you can plant lots of stuff in a plastic large pond baskets lined with brown paper and filled with kitty litter (plant's love to grow thru paper paper pulp) for some plants, like grasses, marsh marigold, yellow monkey flower, creeping jenny, and things like that, but for big sedges(water iris, sweet flags and cattails) I find they grow best just wedged between rocks at waters edge. That way they don't get choked out in a pot or basket, and will make their own soil.

 

[sissy]

If I grew my stuff without pots my pumps would burn out my koi love to rip the roots apart on them and they go in the pump and clog it up

 

[humbirdlover]

Thanks Colleen, going on a plant hunt in a while So more questions, LOL Won't the brown paper evenually disolve, and the litter escape the baskets? and how deep should the baskets be? Also, if I put plants in bare root, how deep?

 

[callingcolleen1]

The brown paper will be comsumed by the plant as the roots grow threw, it just holds the kitty litter andor soil in place, till the roots grow out of the little holes in the basket. Every plant is different, in terms of water depth, some just like to be at water level and some can go deeper with several inches over the crown. Check the plant tag to see the recommend depth or if you don't have a tag, just let me know what kind of plant you have and I can probally help you with it. Some times people are not sure what plant they have and post pictures of the plant and one of us here will most likely know what kind of plant you have and we will get back to you.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Sissy, when the clumps get very large, the koi tend to leave the plants alone, as they get sick of eating the same thing. I have so many plants growing in the pond that is overwhelming and the koi can't eat everything all the time, expecially when the dog food tastes so yummy! The biggest koi in the top pond do munch on my aquatic mint that grows loose everywhere, but they can't eat all of it, cause it grows so fast like a weed. My very large clump of water iris that grows in the middle pond shelters the koi and they swim under it. That plant is so darn large that it would take at least two big people to heave it out of the pond, so the koi can just help them selves to all they can eat of it!!! That way I don't need to cut so much always every week.
In the beginning, when plants are very small, you will have to place baskets at or above water level to prevent koi from getting in and eating everything. Small clumps of sedges can be "rocked off" at water level to prevent koi from ripping sedges out until they are well established.

My water lillys grow in the bottom pond with only goldfish, cause the koi would love to play in the muck that it is planted in and rip out the pads too. Lillys are difficult to keep with koi, tired it years ago when koi were smaller and I got tired of picking out the ripped off lilly pads.

I also think everyone should have hornwort in their pond, the fish like to eat that best and go after it first, I start it in the bottom pond and give the extra to the koi as the hornwort grows very fast when water temp warm. If your hornwort gets sucked into your filter, just anchor the hornwort down to a rock, and that should keep it from floating into the filter.

 

[humbirdlover]

Thanks Colleen, will do. My plant search today came up empty. We only have one local plant nursery, and they were either out of everything I ask for, or didn't have it to begin with. May have to go and "steal" something from some of the neighbors farm ponds, LOL I'll just have to make a plan and group the plants together at one end of the pond, if and when I find some. I do have hornwort in there now, and it was like you said to sissy, had to anchor it with a rock. Made the mistake of earlier in the season, totally cleaning out the pond. Lots of nasty, stinky stuff and accumulated in the rocks. so I got rid of a lot of the rocks, and a lot of the hornwort, which was growing in the muck. Had another plant that I don't know what it is, but it was rooted in the rocks. So salvaged some of it, and put it in a pot with pebbles, but it's not even doing good now. I have made so many mistakes, and really get frustrated. On top of that we have had extremely high temps this summer, and my pond is in full sun from afternoon on, so that has the water so green I can't see but maybe half way to the bottom. I have a pre filter to the pump, but that's it. I just purchased a small UV/Bio filter but as my luck would have it, have to send it back. UV light not working, and too much of a hassle to ship back that part, and they either fix or replace, and I have to pay the shipping. It just has been a big headache with this pond thing, but the goldfish don't seem to mind, LOL

 

[callingcolleen1]

I sorry to here your having trouble humbirdlover, hope your water clears up soon, look on the bright side, if you have full sun then you should be able to grow really nice water lillys!

Have you got enough water filteratation? Sometimes extra filters and pumps are required to keep water clean, I have lots of pumps and filters, especially when the weather is super hot, then more is required. I always keep my eye out for cheap filters and pumps this time of year, they sometimes go on sale real cheap! Have you got pictures of your pond?

 

[humbirdlover]

Hi Colleen, still working out the filter situation. Don't know wether to build a small gravity type filter or go with a pressurized one. from what I've been reading the skippy/Doc type is best, but then I have to hide it somehow. But have been reading that the pressurized ones are a PITA, so still haven't figured it out, and soon the season will be over, geez...I do need to take some pics, but been out there moving rocks and everything is kinda messed up right now. Did find a good plant source close by, got a few yesterday and might be going again this week end. Thanks for responding, I always go to your thread first to see what's new , LOL

 

[callingcolleen1]

Summers going to be over here very soon, going to have to start stringing up the net to stop all the leaves from falling into the pond, some leaves will still get in though, but that's OK cause I think some leaves are good for pond anyway. I expect the first frost here will come soon, maybe in the next three weeks or so. That's OK too, every living thing needs to have a "rest" period, and the pond plants will start to go dormant, the fish will swim slower and disapear under the large floating yellow flag iris, soon they will stop eating and go for a long winters sleep below the ice and snow....

 

[addy1]

Like that black and white koi there colleen. Not only the critters need a rest, we do too! break from mowing weeding gardening, just need to shovel snow!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Most definitely! I too need a rest after all the hard backbreaking work, moving big slabs of cement to make the new sidewalk to the house this year! I will be grateful just to shovel the snow! I like to pile the snow in nice perfect peaks and now it will be so much easier with the new sidewalks, the old one was so crumbled!

 

[addy1]

We don't have side walks, but to get out from our house one long driveway to clear. The bucket on the tractor sure helps, easier than shoveling it which we did before the tractor.

 

[j.w]

Geez, I didn't recognize you Colleen w/ your new face. Must get awful hot under there

We have a long driveway too and no sidewalks and a private road to shovel. Fortunately a neighbor in here has a snow shovel he attaches to his tractor and he does the road. We don't get that much snow here usually.........wah :sad:

 

[callingcolleen1]

That's my light up pumkin in an old wire basket that hangs, attached to stick, that runs threw basket, and dressed in an old shirt, wire basket keeps the pumpkin head from biting small children!

 

[humbirdlover]

Lookin' a little spooky, I like. Everytime I see a pond pic of yours, I spy something new