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Wildlife Pond advice please

Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
edited September 2020 in Problem solving
Hello, I’m making a wildlife pond at my allotment plot.

Ive read conflicting advice/instructions as to whether you should put anything inside the pond on top of the liner.

Some sources online suggest that you leave it as it is, just putting plants in on top of the liner material.

Some suggest putting a layer of sand in the bottom.

Others that you should put rocks in to create hiding areas.



I was planning to use some stones to create a little pebble beach on a shallow side for easy access for birds etc. Then using plants and logs around the outside for cover/shelter 

But it’s what you do/don’t put in the actual pond that I’m confused about.

I’d appreciate any advice you can give based on what you’ve done and how that’s worked out long term!

Thanks
East Yorkshire

Posts

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    You have to be careful that anything you put on the liner will not rub or pierce it over the years, especially if you later forget and put something on top, like a plant container. You may also want to scoop out fallen leaves and the general gunge that settles in the pond and stones or logs will make this difficult, too. My pond is not specifically for wildlife, although it is actually teeming with life. We just have naturally occurring mud and muck and none of the creatures seem to find this a problem.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've never added anything to any pond as 'stuff' just generally gets in there on it's own.
    Some people add a layer of sand, to avoid the problem @Posy describes, but if the lining has been done correctly, with good underlay, it should be fine.
    A good quality liner is pretty sturdy, and I've certainly never had an issue with putting containers on the bottom. You generally have to do it quite carefully anyway  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • joe.shimminjoe.shimmin Posts: 214
    Mr Vine Eye, I can answer one of your questions this time! I’ve got 2 wildlife ponds. One is about 1 and a quarter years old and the other I dug this autumn. 

    In the first I kept the water shallow, going from nothing to about 40cm. I stocked with native plants and before I put them in I emptied 5 or 6 bags of kids play sand in - you can get it at Wickes. One reason I used it was to prevent light getting at the liner and degrading it and also so that the plants had something to root into. Also it looks more natural than nothing and I think there’s something to be said for that.

    Here’s pond 1
    You can still see a little liner at the side but this year I hope the grass will creep into the pond edge and cover it. The rocks and planting are great for frogs and minibeasts. I also made a frog and toad home to the side by digging a big hole and filling it with sticks and then covering it again (Further instructions on the RSPB website)

    Pond 2 I again kept shallow, with a low gradient at the sides and then made a deeper section, just to make another micro habitat. I have a log pile, both a showy one at the front and random old wood behind which covers a hedgehog home. I’ve used rocks again and planted the area up but all of that has yet to grow. Soon I’ll start planting up the pond itself. I’ve also dug a damp ditch to the side - read about how to do it on the RSPB website. I have a ‘beach’ area too. I also poured playsand over the liner in this one, partly to hide the edge of the liner.

    Here’s pond 2. Can’t wait to see how it comes on this year!

    I hope the hedge behind the screen will grow enough this year to take the screen down and bring the whole area together.

    Hope this helps 👍🏻
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    They look great @joe.shimmin! I made mine ilast autumn. Can’t find a photo now but I’ve posted them somewhere on here...nowhere near as good as yours but hopefully it’ll develop over time!


    East Yorkshire
  • joe.shimminjoe.shimmin Posts: 214
    It only takes a year for a new pond to start to look mature. No time at all in the scheme of things. Enjoy your pond. I love mine!
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    edited February 2021
    We didn’t put anything over the liner of our pond and it soon naturally developed a thin layer of silt. We havent cleaned out the mud and debris that accumulates on the bottom either as that’s where a lot of the wildlife will live and feed - it’s probably three years since we enlarged and relined the existing pond. I don’t intend to clean it out unless it accumulates to such an extent that the pond is silting up.

    We have got stones and rocks around the beach and low shelves, some of which are nearly permanently under the water. If you’re using a liner then the folds (and wrinkles 🙂) will provide some hiding places for smaller invertebrates.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • grantswain98grantswain98 Posts: 4
    How long does it take for the water to come clear 
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