Stagnant Wildlife pond

[FlowerpotGirl]

So I found my plot has a wildlife pond. I found out by falling in it! It was completely covered by long grass.

Problem is it smells stagnant. It has big tadpoles and a frog too.

Should I leave it alone or put a plant in to help with oxygen?

Thank you

[Bigmallly]

If it's got frogs & taddies the water balance must be ok, I would tidy it up, maybe replace a bit of the water. Put something round it so nobody else falls in it..............thinking children & wildlife...........oh they're the same thing...............

[Cadalot]

If you are worried you can get solar powered Oxygenators quite cheaply.



I got one off ebay for my comfrey water butt on Plot 1A and another from Power Bee which is better quality for my comfrey water butt on plot 23B

[Verinda]

I've a feeling tadpoles aren't too fussy about water quality. A healthy pond needs a few oxygenating plants and maybe a lily or two, I think about three quarters of the pond needs plant cover but avoid duckweed at all costs, it grows at top speed and smothers ponds in no time.

[Jungle Jane]

They would have used a different pond for their spawn if that one wasn't suitable,they must like it there,well hidden. I used to have a newt,toad & frog here in my little water feature but never tadpoles,they did that in next doors huge pond they used to have. When I used to cut the grass it would take a long time brushing the grass to get the little ones to jump out the way before mowing. Some plants could repel flies,they must have lots of flies around stagnant water & mosquito larvae to eat.

[FlowerpotGirl]

Thanks all. Sorry for the late reply, my phone kept losing signal and I couldn't post. I've brought some oxygenating pond weed (told to be careful as its prolific), but its a temporary measure till Autumn when the residents leave and I can give it a little maintenance. It clearly works well and I have the cutest baby frogs and big tadpoles that I guess are nearly ready to grow legs, so I won't be doing much to it. It has far too much grass that has fallen in it and I think its that that's smelly as it rots.

Going to look at one of those solar powered Oxygenators they look cool.

Thanks all

[FlowerpotGirl]

oh and I saw a Newt! I've never seen one other than on TV before. It was running through the Raspberries towards the pond

[Bigmallly]

Sounds like you may be best leaving the water alone & just tidy round it. If the smell becomes too offensive just part change the water & net out any decaying matter in the bottom.

[FlowerpotGirl]

Here is a before and after. For my own safety I cleared the edges so I could see where was safe to walk. I have now put some planks of wood across the middle as I robbed it of a bit of shade and was keen to give them some back.

They were taken on my phone so not too clear. The before is after I'd fallen in. I'd cleared a little in my descent so you can imagine how overgrown it was before. There is also a pic of the frog who was wondering what I heck I was doing.

[Jungle Jane]

Is there any stones in there or something they can use to climb out of the pond,if a hedgehog fell in it might be difficult to get out?

[FlowerpotGirl]

Yep Although its too murky to see what levels there are in here, I gently slid a stick from the middle to the shallows. There do seem to be two long shelves, so I put a brick on each end which makes a little stair case for hedgehogs

[Gillybean57]

Every time I see a picture of a preformed pond I always feel the urge to ask if there's an escape route for hedgehogs. At the moment I'm pulling out native hornwort and frogbit from my small garden wildlife pond. Would a few bits travel well in the post??? Once my allotment is fenced off and some digging done I'm hoping to make another small pond on there too. Love my frogs