Creating a reed bed

[Rhodes Family]

Hi there,

I have posted this in both “Wildlife Gardening” and “Wildflower, Plants and Trees” forums only because I’m not really sure what you would class this post as!

At our local pond, we would like to enrich its biodiversity. One possible project is to thicken and enlarge the reed bed that is currently thin and straggly at one end. I was wondering if anyone has any experience in creating and managing native reed beds. I need a little help on choosing the correct (native) reed and rush species to plant if this was to go ahead. So far I have thought of:

• Common Reed (Phragmites) – This would be the main “Body” of reeds.
• Bulrush (Typha minima) – Interlaces between the common reed...I know how easily bulrush can get out of hand!!
• Yellow Flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) – not so much reed, though I would like to “liven” up the marginals.

Are there any other possibilities or are any of the above not recommended to plant?

Regards, Alex

[JeffH]

Why not seek expert advice from your local Wildlife Trust?

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[nightshade]

Or Water Authority, they must have practical experience. The yogurt company I used to work for used reed beds for filtration and I noticed some videos on you-tube

[healfdan]

Alex
Although you have not given the size of your present reed bed, I guess by the plants you have indicated we are looking at a patch of several metres.
I would also suggest before entering any planting programme you try and identify why the reeds on your pond are so thinnly dispersed at one end. Healthy reeds should spread rapidly from their roots.
On our local 1.3 ha pond we have planted freely and then reduced the cover over a few years, so that there are now three reed/sedge sites which provide cover and nesting and feeding sites for coots, moorhens, water voles etc. We are fortunate in having an active pond management group so invasive plants do not concern us unduly. However, if regular management is a problem I would suggest you plant a few different species of sedge, which you will find are slower growing and will slowly colonise unlike the rapidly colonising phragmites. Suggest you try the following; Lesser pond sedge Carex acutiformis, Pendulous sedge Carex pendula Common sedge Carex nigra and if the reed bed is backed by grass try dotting a fewTufted sedge Carex elata here and there. Also I would also suggest Common club rush Scirpus lacustris. as added interest. As already mentioned if future management is a problem avoid Reedmace Typha latifolia as this has a tendency to take over. As for Flag iris Iris pseudacorus it is attractive and has a place but should be confined to small areas so that it can be divided every three years. As other members have already mentioned good advice can be obtained from your local Wildlife Trust

[davecatt]

Hi Alex
Have a look at this site. The advice section and the pond creation toolkit (found in the "Million Ponds" section),may be of interest.
Pond Conservation | Home
Dave

[Rhodes Family]

Thanks everyone for the speed, and quality of your replies.

It seems, a lot of thought is needed into this and at our next meeting, our “Wildlife Group” shall have to discuss in great detail the pro’s and con’s of restoring this habitat. However, it is true to say that our pond is (by the sounds of it) not nearly large enough to benefit breeding warblers etc. It is a man-made pond, and the habitat code is wet woodland, so I suppose, this reed bed was introduced by someone who didn’t know what they were doing.

Therefore, I think it would be a better use of grant money to just plant some marginals, like sedges, and focus on other pressing matters, such as discarded fishing line and overgrowing laurels!

Once again, thank you.....Alex