Pond edge vegetation

[treecreeper]

This is my garden pond....



...no, really....



A few years ago Halfords were selling big deep plastic buckets for a fiver so I made a budget pond, adding fishtank weed for vegetation. The pond was quickly colonised by frogs and toads. I am in two minds what to do about the ground vegetation surrounding it. The frogs and toads seem to like the seclusion it creates and the tadpoles are especially fond of the bluebell leaves dipping into the water, but there can't be much sun getting to the surface. Should I trim back the vegetation or leave it as it is?

TC

[Tursiops2]

I'd trim it back, at least partly, get some sun onto it. Do you know what species of weed you put in there? A lot of pond plants sold by garden centres etc. are invasive aliens which can cause serious problems if they escape into the wild. It might be something you don't want to get into your new pond. http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/asset...tland-2006.pdf
T2

[treecreeper]

Thanks, T2. It's the normal elodea sold at petshops. I hadn't considered it escaping. Does it flower in the wild? I don't feel like replacing it as this would disrupt the huge population of tiny snails.

[Tursiops2]

probably Elodea canadensis (Canadian pondweed) then - one of the commonest water plants sold, and one of the worst offenders, I'm afraid. Don't let get into your new pond, not even a small fragment.

If I were you, I'd get your new pond built, then get rid of the old one immediately. Dispose of the weed by drying and burning, do not transfer any water from old to new.
T2

[treecreeper]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

If I were you, I'd get your new pond built, then get rid of the old one immediately. Dispose of the weed by drying and burning, do not transfer any water from old to new.
T2

Wow! I'd heard that elodea was a threat but I didn't think it was this serious. On a related subject...a few days ago I posted a picture of a local newt pond in a disused quarry in NE Wales (in the Reptiles and Amphibians section). You can't see it in the photo but half the pond is covered with a mat of New Zealand pigmyweed. The Flintshire Flora, published last decade, has this plant as a rarity, existing in another part of the county, but notes it is likely to spread ....which is evidently happening

TC

[Tiggrx]

The Elodea sold for fishtanks is often Egeria densa or Lagarosiphon major rather than true Elodea.

I think your pond has more exposed water than mine does! I have a thick mat of duckweed (5 species) and water fern covering it. It is almost impossible to clear it as there is a jungle of tufted loosestrife and bog arum emerging from the water and if you do manage to clear an area it seems to be covered over again by the next morning

[Grandpaw dodge]

Hi all,
I have just finished enlarging and re-lining my garden pond and already it has pond skaters,water beetles, tadpoles (frog & toad ) and hopefully it will not be too long bwfore I have squadrons of Dragonflies flitting around it, I have posted a pic of it - because I am proud of it!, my entire garden is designed exclusively for the local wildlife and I could and sometimes do - spend ages just sitting by the pond (see photo) watching all the little beasties going about their daily doings, good job I am divorced - no wife would put up with me and my pash for me garden life!

Something that I have not seen before is that the pond in infested with millions of mosquito larva, and as I do not fancy them hatching out and sneaking into be bedroom sucking the life outa me while I sleep - I popped out to me local pet shop and got ten goldfish in the hope they would eat them all - Will they?.
I have to say that you cannot beat a pond - no matter what size - for observing wildlife, there is just so much going on, I am going to fix up some cctv on the pond to see what visitors I get through the night, I know I have foxes going through the garden and loads of hedgehogs, can't wait to get it set up, if it all works I will try and post some pics - if they are interesting!

[medie]

I am sorry to tell you that I have read, and often been told that goldfish and wildlife ponds do not go together. The goldfish will not only eat the dreaded mosquito but also your tadepoles. I do believe that goldfish were first used in ponds (in China) to dispose of the mosquitos.

[galanthus]

yep soz grandpaw, fish not the best idea. They'll eat lots of stuff you want to keep and will quickly soil the water with their faeces, making the bottom silt quite rank in time. Mozzies are at the pond cos they are natural inhabitants of the pond, other things eat mozzies in the pond.

If we choose to have a pond for wildlife, then we must expect wildlife, we can't pick and choose Anyone know any recipes for goldfish to help grandpaw out

[Grandpaw dodge]

Thanks for your informative replies - I note the contents well, however I forgot to mention that the goldfish were merely a means to an end - they are soon to be prey food for the local herons, and if I am extremely lucky the odd little egret.
I have had ponds for years and have always enjoyed the spectacle of dozens of tiny frogs hunting in the undergrowth that is my garden, I have to say that I have not observed "ornamental" fish taking tadpoles - perhaps they do - It's just something that I have never seen.
Acording to various research the fish faeces ads to the silt and produces the natural bacteria that helps balance the pond water to an agreeable PH, but in all honesty - I aint gotta clue who is right!

This weekend I am hoping to collect some roach and rudd fry to introduce into me pond as I have kingfishers in the area and am attempting to attract them to me pond - probably be a dismal failure - the fun is in the trying AND it keeps me outa the Pub! I have seen kingfishers perched over the pond on two occasions, but that was when it had large fish in it, I have yet to place a diving perch over the pond for obvious reasons.
An Ornithologist friend tells me that when young kingfishers fledge they will at some time fly round an area looking for likely feeding pools, whereas the adults already have established feeding places and I am unlikely to attract them - so it is the young'uns that I need to "cater" for, Mmmm - I spose time will tell on that one.
The real downside is that I am still having huge problems with feral cats, but that my friends - is a completely different story.