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Great question. Typically, you can just plant them directly into pea gravel that is along the shelf. So just nestle the in there as you would a plant in soil! Does that make sense?
Very interesting. I'm also zone 4. I inherited a pond that was dug by a previous owner. Very poorly designed. No shelves along the edges. But every spring the spring frogs come and have tadpoles. Even a couple big frogs the last couple years. And a turtle will always show up when the tadpoles are about.
I don't know for sure how long the liners last but I would say between 10-20 years depending on the conditions. I had also considered bentonite clay but my pond was too small and the sides too steep for that to be an option. I also had a friend that tried that approach, filled it and then a ground squirrel punctured it a few times so he was out the money for the clay and then ended up having to get a liner anyway...I think the liner is pretty stable in terms of plastics but I understand your concern. Unfortunately, there isn't a perfect solution, unless you're able to dig a considerably bigger pond.
You're welcome, thanks for watching. I usually disconnect the tube from the pump and bring it indoors, just to extend its life. Sometimes, I also skim off a bunch of pond plants and add them to my compost pile in the fall in order to 'clean it' before the end of the season. You can also do that in early spring too!
Can you make the pond without a liner if you live in a clay soil area? I also have ducks and geese and want to know if they will totally putrefy the water 😂 and should i not even have one ?
Let's find out. I am in so cal we have gotten an extremely amount of rain this year and parts of my back yard are flooded. Very unusual. I am going to try it because I am crazy 🤣😧
It depends on how big the pond is to be able to dig a pond and have it retain water, even with clayey soil. Our small pond meant that the sides of the pond were too steep for that to work. But if you're digging a bigger pond, it's possible. Ducks and geese will totally make a mess of your pond, unfortunately. Although, again, the bigger the pond, the less impact they will have. When I used to have ducks, I'd let them in the pond every once in awhile but I also had a separate smaller pond for them that they used daily. They won't allow any vegetation to get established if they are in there all of the time. Hope this helps!
Absolutely! Avoiding plastic liners is important, because that leaks back into our ground and drinking water 🤢 You can use the clay you dig up (careful to put the top soil aside). Pull out the rocks thicker than your clay layer and stomp it down to impact it. You can also buy bentonite clay and stomp that into your pond (Svattorpet has a great how-to if you search that name plus "pond"). You can also use the gleying technique! It uses organic matter like plants and manure to make a natural liner. Search for "ponds without plastic liners Steemit" for detailed info!
Hi, I am the host of the Self Sufficient Hub podcast and wondered if you would like to come on as a guest? It would be great to have a conversation about everything you talk about in this video. Let me know 😊👍
Hello! Thanks for getting in touch and for watching the video. I'd love to come on as a guest! Do you want to get in touch via my website and we can find a time to connect? I look forward to it. brokengroundpermaculture.com/contact/
We don't seem to have an issue with mosquitoes. Aerating the pond helps disturb the surface so that helps. I did have a student tell me that there are mosquito fish that can also help with that. I don't have any myself but would love to get some as well!
