New Pond in Progress 2

Here's the new link you requested!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1263354/#new

Came from here....

Thanks MM

Crazy rains yesterday! As much as I love the rain for my yard, it washed most of the dirt back into the hole I've dug out ! Grrrrrr!

Ughh! That would really irritate me.

Life wasn't meant to be easy! Can you cover it with plastic in the interim? I brought in a few big loads of soil years back and covered it with builders plastic. The wet season would have washed it all away otherwise. And I actually have a load of top soil (was 10 cubic metres but I've used a bit now) which is still covered with plastic, the cheap plastic tarpaulin that's common these days.

I re-dug one edge today, and put the cement blocks in place. I have to go buy more bags of cement Saturday to set them. Then I'll start re-digging again... Oh well, keeps me busy and off the streets... :)

When something like that happens to me, I look upward, toward the heavens and say, "I did not deserve that". Sorry Mary.

Mary don't give up. Nothing good ever comes easy. Just bad stuff comes easy and we know who thats sent from. My soil must be a bit different cause when we were diging larger pond I don't remember so many cave ins but old pond sure was a problem and thats why walls have cement blocks behind the liner. New pond has marine plywood screwed to 2X4's on 3 sides. Walkway side has block wall all the way top to bottom but I don't remember it daving before we got wall put up. The rain helps your plants so thats good.
Larger pond is brown again so added more microblift also salted both ponds this morning. We should have moved all fish out and pressure washed the whole thing like I did old pond as its still crystal clear. That brown muck stays in the bottom. I didn't have enough places to put larger fish while cleaning so left them in and just pressure washed down sides. It was clear at first but now is back to brown. Tested all ponds this morning. Only thing thats high is PH. Would that make it brown. Theres lots of small mud like lookig particles floating in the water. Doesn't seem to be bothering fish any. They are still peppy.
Happy ponding all.
Bonnie

Mine will have cement block walls too, except for the water fall area. I just dug another trench for the last wall today. Need to buy cement to set them in place, then finish digging the dirt out of the center.

And Bonnie, you're right....the sand caves in. The afternoon rains have at least made it damp sand, so I can get it out by the shovel full. I learned from the last pond, to dig the trench first, cement the blocks in, and then dig the center. It keeps things from collapsing back in.

What about settlement of the brick. Do you compact the soil before setting in the brick?

I set the cement blocks on a bed of cement, and fill each hole with rebar and more cement. It's about ground level, so there can't be any back fall, and the water pressure won't allow any front fall (if that's really a word)

The left side of that pic will be a wooden deck walkway. On the right will be the water. No dirt will be removed from the left.

I get it. Our ground under the rock became saturated causing the rock to slowly settle down and back into the dirt. It was a real mess to clean up. The idiots who put it in used drainage pipes with holes in them that went by the walls and then didn't put a hose on the overflow valve. You're doing it right the first time around. Wish I had known then......blah blah .....:(

Oberon,
Not sure about MMary but I learned the hard way. From bldg. wrong a couple of times. My pond is not elaborately decorated with stone but I do feel its sturdy. Only thing that can hurt it is a hole or tear which now I know how to mend but perish the thought.

M Mary,
are you bldg. it next to your patio or going to put in new walkway next to the pond. If I remember correctly you are planing on a falls, then water runway to a pond? If thats right it will be just beauatiful. To me anything that will hold water and fish is beautiful. I have plenty of umbrella plant when you need some. Just gave Jeff enough to edge all the way along his lani but have more coming on. He is having his house painted and fixing it up a bit.
Bonnie

I put in Blue Pickerell last year and it came back with a vengence. I have caged it in and it is now about 4' tall with flowers on the very top. I didn't realize how tall it would be. It blocks the view of the flower bed behind it. May have to rethink the placement. I can see how easily it would become invasive if it gets away from me. Not quite what I had in mind.

Mary -

I love the blue Pickerel. I wish mine was a bit more invasive. I think it might be if I didn't have that water celery taking over everything.

I had water celery and it did indeed spread all over the pond top and survived the winter. When the pond was redone last year they must have dug out the rocks they were wintering under because I don't have them any more. I went out and cut down the pickerel by half and am considering killing it off. I hope that is possible. I will replace it with water lettuce and maybe something a little shorter in the narrow little bed in which the pickerel grows. Only about 12x40" right next to the edge of the rock pond siding.

I wish I could get rid of mine.... Sounds like I need Mike Mulligan and his steamshovel to get rid of it!

lol. I just went and pulled up the stuff I have. When I can actually bend over and get down on the ground to dig, I will dig them up the best I can then put a systemic killer on what is left. It will follow the stems down to the roots and kill it off. Any that remain next year I can manage to kill one by one. I imagine your water lettuce is pretty well mixed in with all your other plants so that would be difficult to do. I had raspberries invade my yard one year so as they came up I nipped them off and saturated a cotton ball with the systemic killer and wrapped it around the stem. Kept it under some control. Then the owner (after the idiot renter left) said we could go in and dig up and kill off the plants on the other side of the fence.

I'm trying to get water celery to grow. Have some in a tubby. Can't put it into ponds cause fish eat it so fast its gone in a day. I tasted it and it tastes pretty good so I can see why they like it. My grandson liked it too.
Hate to say it but have another brood of CTF's. Went out with spotlight other AM early and found 4 large ones and today found 4 smaller ones near old pond. Looks like I'll have to buy a large spotlight and try MM method of night hunting. Buggers!!
Bonnie

I opened the large porch umbrella and they were all inside! Told my hubby I'd close it again, wait another few days and have him ready with ziploc bags while I open it slowly. (he's taller than me, so can reach them better) Darn CTF's!

Sounds like CTF season. Is there a time of year they seem to appear?

Summer is their time to thrive it seems. Had been seeing a few of the little green ones that are native so hopefully I can get these large CTF's.

Go get em M Mary. I hate just looking at them. Ug!!!!!

Bonnie

Scored these rocks for free! They'll go into my water fall.

Found this 2 part water fall on Craigslist....Not sure if I'll use it whole (it's about 5 feet tall combined) or use each part separately.

Wow! Very nice!

Wonderful!

Great waterfall. And those rocks! Pretty spendy if you were to have to pay for them. Paying for rocks. Rediculous. lol

WONDERFUL FIND. THEY WILL BE BEAUTIFUL I'M SURE.
GLAD YOU ARE PROGRESSING WITH YOUR POND. LOVE THOSE FLAT STONES. MAKES THEM EASIER TO WORK WITH.
KEEP ON KEEPING ON M MARY
BONNIE

My daughter had her baby last night, so I have a little helper sleeping over for a few nights. Bonnie, you met my little Brayden at your house when we dropped off some fish. He's now a big brother and I'm a grandma again! Schools just about to start, so between meetings, open houses, babies, sleepover buddies, etc....I don't think I'll get much accomplished this week!
Bonnie, I see some koi listed in Clermont on Craigslist...do you know that person?

Congratulations Mary!! Your days sound busy but very full of love and family.

MM -

Congratulations on being a Gramma again! There is nothing like grandchildren is there...

CONGRATULATIONS M Mary. Yes I remember your beautiful grandson.
You are getting something accomplished this week being Grandma!!!

Haven't been on Craiglist for a long time I'll have to check.

Take care and hope mother and new baby are doing fine.

Bonnie

Looked at Craigs list. Can't say I know anyone that would have that many fish.

Also noticed lots of other fish on there plus pond items. Thats kind of unusual.
When I was looking for stuff for ponds I found nothing. Guess it was wrong time.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Bonnie

If you can see through the mess, I finally have all of the cement block walls built along the outside. Here in Florida, you need something to hold the sand back if you have straight wall depth instead of graduated depth.

Wow MM! You have been busy. You will get there. Wish I was there to help!

How deep did you say it was going to be Mary? What sort of footings are under the block or is that not necessary there.