Digging a pond

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Digging a pond
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Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 06 2:42 pm Post subject:
Forgot to mention, if hiring a digger always make sure you get it over a weekend

creeper

Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 83
Location: Vale of Belvoir - Leicestershire

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 06 8:49 pm Post subject:
I was wondering if it would be OK to nip down the local disused overgrown canal and liberate some plant life - there are thousands of bullrushes and other plant life, would this give the pond a bit of a head start?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 06 8:57 pm Post subject:

creeper wrote:

I was wondering if it would be OK to nip down the local disused overgrown canal and liberate some plant life - there are thousands of bullrushes and other plant life, would this give the pond a bit of a head start?

I would suggest if it's local then yes, provided that it's not a special scientific site. It's also good to get some thick mud as that introduces plenty of pond organisms to the new pond.

For the margins some of the packets of wild flower seeds for boggy areas grow very well and you may be able to track down some bulk seeds.

As for water plants, see if there is anyone local who will give you some. I tend to worry about sending plants too far as there can be diseases etc that's best not risking IMHO.

creeper

Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 83
Location: Vale of Belvoir - Leicestershire

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 06 9:11 pm Post subject:
The canal is within a mile of the pond - I did look at bulk wild flower seeds and was stunned to find they cost around �160 a kilo if you want 100% flower seed

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 06 9:19 pm Post subject:
If you have time then sowing a small amount of seed and growing on before planting out should keep the costs down. We've just ordered some plants from a company called "Natural Surroundings" and they sell a wild flower mix for wet soils or a wild flower mix for pond edges (I can provide a list of all the plants if you're interested) and both cost �68 for 1kg or �10 for 100g.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 06 7:28 am Post subject:

creeper wrote:

I did look at bulk wild flower seeds and was stunned to find they cost around �160 a kilo if you want 100% flower seed

The prices TD quotes above are for mixtures as well, 80/20%. But may I ask why do you need 100% flower seed? The grasses in the mixes are usually very attractive and useful aren't they, or is it that you already have enough of them?

Alternatively if you look at some of the aquatic/wildflower nurseries, in the past I have seen that several will give you wholesale prices (something close to 50% discount in one I looked at) for relatively small numbers of each plant - 5 or 10 of each variety for example.

My two worries about bringing in plants from the canal would be (a) permission (even if it is disused!) and (b) if there are any invasive non-natives there, but I suppose you would know your way around the latter. Although if the council are already helping with the grant the permission might be easily got.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 06 8:52 am Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

creeper wrote:

I did look at bulk wild flower seeds and was stunned to find they cost around �160 a kilo if you want 100% flower seed

Oops, yes their prices for 100% are �28 for 100gms. Time to start collecting seed, if it's legal?

creeper

Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 83
Location: Vale of Belvoir - Leicestershire

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 06 9:06 am Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

may I ask why do you need 100% flower seed? The grasses in the mixes are usually very attractive and useful aren't they, or is it that you already have enough of them?

My field has not been ploughed for maybe 100's of years - it still has ridge and furrows from god know when - it is marked on ancient maps of the village - the grasses that exist on the field are local grasses and I don�t want to introduce any outside species if I can help it - hence wanting just some flowers - I was hoping to sow some on my middle filed to get established before getting any livestock on there as well as around the pond and orchard - only snag is that cover an area of at least 4 acres.
As the land has had no pesticides or weed killer on it for over 10 years and I don�t plan to use either I think it may meet the requirements for the �organic� lable.

This shows an extract from an old map showing the ridge and furrows all over the village - I think I've got the only intact ones left

I have been asked by the county archaeology team to preserve the area where the north/south and east/west ridges meet as they don't know anywhere in the county where this junction is not marked with a lane or hedge and they have no idea how one area was separated from the other.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 06 9:10 am Post subject:

creeper wrote:

the grasses that exist on the field are local grasses and I don�t want to introduce any outside species if I can help it

Ah, that's really nice, perfectly understandable and makes sense then to try and get things locally. I have a suspicion that there is some organisation that might be able to help provide local seed for projects like yours. I should imagine they are linked to flora locale? Or maybe that is them...Otherwise, I *think* collecting seed is legal, providing you have permission and it's not something protected like bluebells and probably orchids.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45671
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Feb 27, 06 12:32 pm Post subject:
Just to reawaken this one, I'm looking to get someone in for a bit of advice and maybe a quote but who do i look for? The irrigation companies know nothing ofcreating a pond to feed the irrigation. What are the correct people called?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Feb 27, 06 1:47 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Just to reawaken this one, I'm looking to get someone in for a bit of advice and maybe a quote but who do i look for? The irrigation companies know nothing ofcreating a pond to feed the irrigation. What are the correct people called?

If you're looking at the pond from the point of view of both irrigation and putting in some interesting wildlife possibilities too, then you could do worse than talk to the local BTCV people. We did pond work around a powerstation back with the BTCV group I sometimes volounteered with on Tyneside.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45671
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Feb 27, 06 1:49 pm Post subject:
All the volutaries that I've spoken to have failed to contact me after initially saying "oh yeah that sounds great, we'd definitely be interested"

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Feb 27, 06 1:53 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

All the volutaries that I've spoken to have failed to contact me after initially saying "oh yeah that sounds great, we'd definitely be interested"

Ahh, yes... The classic problem with the BTCV. Many volounteers who want to do lots, but then keep getting excited by new things and wandering off going "Oooh, shiney!". I think that's why I've failed to persuade anyone from the BTCV to come to this site and enthuse at people directly

Most likely the BTCV will charge you for doing this, to pay for materials and running costs, and it won't be cheaper than doing it with a contractor (sometimes is a bit cheaper, sometimes a bit more), but it is a way to get local biodiversity established in a pond very fast; they'll pop off to other nearby ponds they manage, grab something and plant it out. For such habitats that works really well.

Shame you've been having trouble keeping them on board, though

creeper

Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 83
Location: Vale of Belvoir - Leicestershire

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 06 6:14 pm Post subject:

A quick update on the pond.

The last few days/week of rain has done a nice job of filling the pond up, I have now increased the orchard to 54 trees and it comes within 20ft of the pond now.

I have bought some grasses suitible for around the pond as well as a few hundred thousand wild flower seeds to plant on the banks.

Off to plant some nut trees in my nut grove tomorrow while my man with digger works on the lane that provides access to the land to try and drain it, then one day next week I'm having 40 tons of 20mm limestone roadstone delivered to make a hard standing for a couple of shipping containers that will become my store and workshop and a road to them.

I have also sold my current house and bought a new one overlooking the field so everthing is progressing except my bank balance which is taking on a slightly red glow.

Creeper

Windymiller

Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 550
Location: West Wales

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 06 11:18 pm Post subject:
That's quite a pond, I thought mine was big at 16' by 11'. I dug it by hand, until I hit rock at 18", then gave up. The sexton uses a compressor and jack-hammer at the nearby chapel.

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