smelly pond water

Discussion in 'Water Gardening' started by Gizmo, Jan 22, 2021.

  1. Gizmo

    Gizmo Gardener

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2020
    Messages:
    704
    Gender:
    Male
    Ratings:
    +849
    thanks for your replys with carpet i would have to buy it from www due to the issue around the world . at the moment i am taking the old pond out which will take some time .
    with pump we have a hoselock easy clear 4500 uv , not really sure if our pump is biooligical as from what i have seen that other ponds seem to have clearish water not sure if pump is oversized for the pond all we wanted was for a pump to work the waterfall etc ,
    with regards to digging out pond at the moment taking old pond apart etc it is on fake grass so i would be thinking aboput messureing out for new pond and then start to dig but what what i have seen on places like youtube is that there ground for there pond looks hard soil , our soil is not very hard so a worry for me would be making the shelves up due to crumbley soil and the shelf collapseing , thanks
     
  2. ARMANDII

    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2019
    Messages:
    48,096
    Gender:
    Male
    Ratings:
    +100,834
    Hi Gizo, if you think your soil is crumbly I doubt if it is as crumbly as mine was when I started digging out the pond in '93....why?, well, as many members know, I garden on around 350' depth of pure sand with an old Roman Sand Quarry about 25 yards from my front door!:dunno::heehee: My point being that when digging out the shelves you can get the crumbly soil to stick together by slightly wetting the soil and compressing it to a rough shape with a board or even your hands:dunno:
    But I think you will find that problem not to be as bad as you fear it might be.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • noisette47

      noisette47 Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Jan 25, 2013
      Messages:
      5,861
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine
      Ratings:
      +13,960
      Ooooo...if you've got some fake grass kicking around, that could be very useful! I didn't mention this before, but the only solution I found to my problem of edging the pond and covering the liner overflap was a wide strip of fake grass! Howls of 'cheat' and 'ugh' :biggrin: but it doesn't look bad and it certainly solves the problem of disguise if you haven't got stones and rocks, and the plants die back in the winter. The frogs love sunbathing on it, too :).
      Hmmm..sandy soil is a bit of a pain to retain. Could you re-use the wood from your existing pond and planter, and wooden pegs or canes, to create a retaining 'wall'. That would then be covered by the underlay and liner?
       
      • Creative Creative x 2
      • Useful Useful x 1
      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

        Joined:
        Jan 9, 2005
        Messages:
        47,702
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired
        Location:
        Mid Kent
        Ratings:
        +84,336
        I think you might have crumbly soil near the surface, but really until you start digging you don't know what you are going to find.
        If the sub soil has not been disturbed for years it could be pretty solid.
         
        • Agree Agree x 2
        • Like Like x 1
        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

          Joined:
          Jan 12, 2019
          Messages:
          48,096
          Gender:
          Male
          Ratings:
          +100,834
          :hate-shocked::gaah::gaah::gaah::gaah::runforhills::runforhills::runforhills::runforhills:.

          I think you will find just using soil for covering the edging of the pond will be the best solution as it's amazing how quickly that soil will have grass and plants growing on it. For a natural looking pond don't use the artificial grass but send it to Noisette:dunno::heehee:
           
          • Funny Funny x 2
          • Like Like x 1
          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

            Joined:
            Jan 9, 2005
            Messages:
            47,702
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired
            Location:
            Mid Kent
            Ratings:
            +84,336
            Surely soil just washes into the pond.
            I can see the fake grass idea but I think if I built another pond I would use stone and rocks, taking them well into the pond around the edges and taking the liner under and up behind.
            That way the stones appear to be the natural edge to the pond.
            And the stone and rock can be partially submerged around the edges.
             
            • Like Like x 2
            • ARMANDII

              ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

              Joined:
              Jan 12, 2019
              Messages:
              48,096
              Gender:
              Male
              Ratings:
              +100,834
              I didn't have that problem, pete, as all the edges of my pond were level with the surrounding soil and the ensuing plant growth and natural compaction holds it in place:dunno: Just tossing soil lightly around on the edges is not the way to go, you need at least a couple of inches depth,going about 6" from the edge of the pond in any case so that grass and other plants will grow, they then hold the soil over the years. I agree about the stones, as I have used a lot of Welsh stone from Bala which I got for free when they were building a road through that area, to edge the pond that also helps, as you say, to make the pond look natural, holds in the soil and looks even better when grass and plants naturalise around them.
               
              • Like Like x 2
              • ricky101

                ricky101 Total Gardener

                Joined:
                Jun 15, 2016
                Messages:
                3,273
                Gender:
                Male
                Location:
                Sheffield
                Ratings:
                +4,184
                • Like Like x 3
                • ARMANDII

                  ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

                  Joined:
                  Jan 12, 2019
                  Messages:
                  48,096
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Ratings:
                  +100,834
                  You're right, ricky, as too much detail or contrary recommendations can be confusing and over whelming when, in fact, all you really have to do is to dig the hole, put down some old soft stuff, and then lay the liner, fill it with water, and let Nature do the rest.:dunno:
                   
                  • Agree Agree x 3
                  • Like Like x 2
                  • pete

                    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                    Joined:
                    Jan 9, 2005
                    Messages:
                    47,702
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Occupation:
                    Retired
                    Location:
                    Mid Kent
                    Ratings:
                    +84,336
                    Yeah, best if Gizmo takes one step at a time and overcomes any problems as they turn up.
                     
                    • Agree Agree x 3
                    • Like Like x 1
                    • ricky101

                      ricky101 Total Gardener

                      Joined:
                      Jun 15, 2016
                      Messages:
                      3,273
                      Gender:
                      Male
                      Location:
                      Sheffield
                      Ratings:
                      +4,184
                      Agreed, but thats the trouble with so much info /ytubes on the web these days, folk can get too overwhelmed and sometimes mislead.

                      So think we all agree, he just needs to get some sand and pegs to mark out the pond shape and then start digging, but if doing it on his own, take his time as that size pond is going to take a good few sessions to dig out, unless help is around ...
                       
                      • Agree Agree x 3
                      • Gizmo

                        Gizmo Gardener

                        Joined:
                        Sep 19, 2020
                        Messages:
                        704
                        Gender:
                        Male
                        Ratings:
                        +849
                        wow all this info many thanks yes it is daunting as not made a ground pond before and being disable is not helping ,
                        what i thought was to keep fake grass , measure out new pond a bit more than needed for surrounding plants and rocks cut hole pin down grass where its been cut , i dont think there will be enough fake grass to cover inside of new pond if it has to go up all sides due to the depth of the pond .
                        i dont think using the wood from planter old pond to make surround is ok as i am trying to get away without wood due to what happened with old pond , i had a look at pdf doc from watergarden i prefer video really i can understand it more step by step .
                        i have another problem ideas would be greatfull since i am taking the planter apart to make room for a bigger pond hopefully i have got quite a bit of soil left over with no ideas at the moment apart from a skip , i have taken some pics to show i have been busy but can only work for about 90 minutes due to health problems and i am also a main carer to wife and no help from anyone i am trying to do it all my self , i have done a drawing that might let you see what i am thinking of thanks IMG_20210126_151853_resized_20210126_032215303.jpg IMG_20210126_151904_resized_20210126_032214757.jpg IMG_20210126_152050_resized_20210126_032215899.jpg
                         

                        Attached Files:

                        Last edited: Jan 26, 2021
                      • pete

                        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                        Joined:
                        Jan 9, 2005
                        Messages:
                        47,702
                        Gender:
                        Male
                        Occupation:
                        Retired
                        Location:
                        Mid Kent
                        Ratings:
                        +84,336
                        I'm a bit confused.
                        Was the top part of that a planter full of compost?
                        I thought it was a water fall .
                         
                        • Like Like x 1
                        • Gizmo

                          Gizmo Gardener

                          Joined:
                          Sep 19, 2020
                          Messages:
                          704
                          Gender:
                          Male
                          Ratings:
                          +849
                          Hi the L shape planter was full of soil as wife wanted to grow more flowers etc. So now she has changed her mind again. The soil in bags was bought to finish of planter before change of mind I done these bits in garden for her
                           

                          Attached Files:

                          • Like Like x 1
                          • pete

                            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                            Joined:
                            Jan 9, 2005
                            Messages:
                            47,702
                            Gender:
                            Male
                            Occupation:
                            Retired
                            Location:
                            Mid Kent
                            Ratings:
                            +84,336
                            Looks like you have done a good job building things:smile:

                            I think you now need to clear the whole area where you want to dig the pond.
                             
                          Loading...

                          Share This Page

                          1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                            By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                            Dismiss Notice