Today I started on the pond area...

[4390evans]

Its a old burn site and there is so much soil, I couldnt really use it for veg as there has been everything burnt there.

Last year and the year before I just sowed green manure there Phacelia I think it was just till we made up our mind what we were going to do with that bit of land.

So I covered the land from last july till today, Ive dug it over and the soil is beautiful but there is quite a bit couch grass with long runners, I think I will dig it back over again tomorrow and give it a good rake but

where do I go from there?
Should I add some sand to the soil as it is lovely now but its like concrete in summer.

What about these runners, what is the likelyhood of them coming back?

Are they just spread by rhizomes or is it seed I have to look out for too?

Shall I start setting up the pond now with the rocks etc or should I wait?

Thanks guys

[WendyC]

Couch grass spreads with the underground runners you have found. If there is seed, you'd never find it anyway! Why do you want to add sand? I would be digging the hole next. You will end up with quite a big spoil heap to deal with. You'll need a liner of some sort and there's where your sand might be useful, to cover the surface of the pond hole to avoid getting punctures from any stones. Or you can use proper pond underlay or old carpet.

[Lisasbolt]

Are you going to move the soil elsewhere to use? or have you re-thought doing a pond and now might grow there instead?

[Bigmallly]

Are you filling a pond in or creating one. With all that ash in the soil, I'd be tempted to grow some fruit there.

[4390evans]

Ive got a pond mold , it feels like plastic. Its got the levels on for plants etc. I think I will take some of the soil out and shove it on the shaded boarder as I have dug the hole and I read somewhere there should be a slop going into the pond for critters to get in and out.
Do I need a liner under the plastic pond?
I was going to add sand to the soil around the pond to break up the soil for plants I want to put around it, what do you recon?

Is this the right time of year fill the pond etc?

thanks guys

[Bigmallly]

You don't need a liner under a pre-formed pond. I would however keep a bag of sand handy for levelling it up. Put the pond in the hole, place a long piece of wood across the top of the pond If your spirit level isn't long enough, use the sand to build up any low spots under the pond, keep checking the level at different points of the pond. The last thing you want is a sloping pond.

[veggiechicken]

There are a lot of utube videos - maybe worth watching a few before you start!
Here's one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJFakRLUVQs
Years ago, after removing a big shrub, I dug out the hole and put a square preformed pond into it. Its almost level, but not quite. I really should have taken more time over it.

[boatsman]

I have a very small garden and I wanted to set up something with water. Going through the various options I decided to make a fountain. I used a children's plastic paddling pool, sort of shield shape with the long side one and a half metres and the maximum width one metre. the depth is 25cm. I dug out a suitable hole and after placing the pool in it carefully levelled it using sand. I placed a paving stone six cm thick in the centre of the pool for the underwater pump to rest on to avoid drawing sediment into the pump. I covered over the pool with a large piece of galvanized fencing and cut away a section to give me access to the pump for cleaning. The holes in the fence are 12cm by 6cm. I then placed the pump in position. I covered the galvanized fencing with plastic netting. On top of the netting I covered the pool completely with coloured pebbles. Then I filled the pool and connected the electricity. The fountain shoots up about two and a half feet in the air. I have also set up low voltage LED lighting which illuminates the fountain at night.

[SusieG]

Hidden pond

Wow boatsman, sounds lovely!
Now, I know absolutely zero about ponds ..
I'm into my veg, and when we moved to where we are now, the garden was literally an overgrown 'jungle'. So bad, we discovered a summer house tucked away 2 weeks after starting a 'clear up' ...
To my surprise, I unearthed a small pond, complete with electricity and pump wired to it.
I was initially going to fill in the pond, but I think it could look so lovely and also beneficial to wildlife here.

Going to have to do some research into pond husbandry now and settle for a bit less growing space for my beloved veg!
If anyone has any suggestions,tips, ideas, please let me know!

[muddled]

If anyone has any suggestions,tips, ideas, please let me know!

Yeah....make sure it's level

My little pond has a hole so now its little more than a smelly puddle.