I need some help with my garden pond. I have been very ill and its got
somewhat ( a lot - I cant see it even) overgrown.

I don't know where to begin. I lost all my frogs/ tadpoles . They did
spawn and I did have tadpoles but they just disappeared altogether.

The pond edges have disappeared under weeds and twitch grass and brambles
but inside is worse. I have an Iris which is now covering over half the
pond. How can I get it out? Its massive!

Obviously I don't want to do too much damage to my "wildlife" - if any is
left. But I have to sort this pond. Help please.

"endymion" wrote in message
...
I need some help with my garden pond. I have been very ill and its got
somewhat ( a lot - I cant see it even) overgrown.

I don't know where to begin. I lost all my frogs/ tadpoles . They did
spawn and I did have tadpoles but they just disappeared altogether.

Perhaps they've left the pond at maturation?

Our frogs and froglets always disappear in early summer, we find them hiding
in clumps of grass and other vegetation and other dark, moist places.

Mary

In article ,
says...
I need some help with my garden pond. I have been very ill and its got
somewhat ( a lot - I cant see it even) overgrown.

I don't know where to begin. I lost all my frogs/ tadpoles . They did
spawn and I did have tadpoles but they just disappeared altogether.

The pond edges have disappeared under weeds and twitch grass and brambles
but inside is worse. I have an Iris which is now covering over half the
pond. How can I get it out? Its massive!

Obviously I don't want to do too much damage to my "wildlife" - if any is
left. But I have to sort this pond. Help please.


Is it a lined pond? If it were me I would ignore the bit thats supposed
to be water until I had sorted the edges and rest of the garden. then arm
yourself with a load of those flexible plastic buckets. Lay in large
quantities of food and drink and ask your friends around for a clear the
pond day.
So long as you start knowing you are going to make a mess and just get
stuck in it does not take too long, salvage bits you want into the
buckets as you go (and any creatures you find) Kids love this sort of
thing and are less likely to puncture the liner if it is a lined pond.
Good luck!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"endymion" wrote in message
...


I don't know where to begin. I lost all my frogs/ tadpoles . They did
spawn and I did have tadpoles but they just disappeared altogether.

Perhaps they've left the pond at maturation?

They didnt make it that far. I know they didnt. They disappeared almost as
soon as they hatched. This is the third yerar this has happened. I will
soon have no frogs( if indeed I havent already lost them). There was a
healthy colony there - about 20 - for ten fifteen years. That was at my
count.

The problem is the Iris I think. Its become so dominant that the frogs
were spawing on top of its roots and I doubt the little taddies could make
it to open water for the roots.
I must get rid of the Iris I think but its so massive, I dont know where to
begin with it. I have tried pulling, shoving and hacking and mde little
impact so far.

I dont want to leave the pond too exposed but I know this cant be good and I
have to tackle it before the weeds defeat me. They seem to be creeping up
at a metre an afternoon at the moment.

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...


Is it a lined pond? If it were me I would ignore the bit thats supposed
to be water until I had sorted the edges and rest of the garden. then arm
yourself with a load of those flexible plastic buckets. Lay in large
quantities of food and drink and ask your friends around for a clear the
pond day.
So long as you start knowing you are going to make a mess and just get
stuck in it does not take too long, salvage bits you want into the
buckets as you go (and any creatures you find) Kids love this sort of
thing and are less likely to puncture the liner if it is a lined pond.
Good luck!

Thank you. Its not a lined pond but I am sure you are right. The pond is one
of those preformed plastic bath like things. I didnt put it in. I got it
with the house when I moved in fifteen years ago. It was established then.
The trouble is all the plants and weeds seems to have just come on so far
this year. The trees which were planted round the pond were about five feet
when I got them. They are now twenty feet. I am wondering if I should give
one or two of them the chop? Get some light onto the pnd - not too much but
some , and some clear water rather than what is turning into a bog garden.

In article ,
says...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...


Is it a lined pond? If it were me I would ignore the bit thats supposed
to be water until I had sorted the edges and rest of the garden. then arm
yourself with a load of those flexible plastic buckets. Lay in large
quantities of food and drink and ask your friends around for a clear the
pond day.
So long as you start knowing you are going to make a mess and just get
stuck in it does not take too long, salvage bits you want into the
buckets as you go (and any creatures you find) Kids love this sort of
thing and are less likely to puncture the liner if it is a lined pond.
Good luck!

Thank you. Its not a lined pond but I am sure you are right. The pond is one
of those preformed plastic bath like things. I didnt put it in. I got it
with the house when I moved in fifteen years ago. It was established then.
The trouble is all the plants and weeds seems to have just come on so far
this year. The trees which were planted round the pond were about five feet
when I got them. They are now twenty feet. I am wondering if I should give
one or two of them the chop? Get some light onto the pnd - not too much but
some , and some clear water rather than what is turning into a bog garden.


I think you have highlighted the problem a small shallow pond + trees =
trouble! the sediment layer in the bottom will have built up and enabled
the iris to grow where it chooses. It may also be the cause of no
froglets as the water may be quite polluted.
I had similar probelems with a sedge in my pond it was in a couple of
milk crate sized baskets but had grown together and was taking over, I
resorted to using an old tenon saw to cut chunks away untill I could drag
it out.
But you need a clear edge to work from so sort out the surrounding area
first. It may be worth considering enlarging the pond and starting again,
my experiance suggests the larger the pond the fewer the problem (but
then I like ponds!)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

endymion wrote:
I need some help with my garden pond. I have been very ill and its got
somewhat ( a lot - I cant see it even) overgrown.
snippy

Charlie's comments are spot on. Clearing cannot be a gentle thing. If you
still have any wild life, put them in a temp home. When pond is cleared,
they will go back quite happily. When you've got things how you want them,
maybe add a fountain to agitate and airate the water.
--
Pete C
London UK

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
endymion wrote:
I need some help with my garden pond. I have been very ill and its got
somewhat ( a lot - I cant see it even) overgrown.
snippy

Charlie's comments are spot on. Clearing cannot be a gentle thing. If you
still have any wild life, put them in a temp home. When pond is cleared,
they will go back quite happily. When you've got things how you want them,
maybe add a fountain to agitate and airate the water.

With much huffing and puffing and hacking and clearing I have cut back the
trees and raised the canopy. I have pulled out two tress and I have removed
the Iris that was covering over half the pond.

I now have a somewhat muddy murky looking mass of water. I have very little
wild life in there. No frogs. No tadpoles, a few newts - not many to mention
given I had a thriving colony of frogs up to two years ago and toads and
newts. The frog spawn hatched but disappeared in 24 hours of getting into
the water.

I fear the culprit for all of this may be a whole colony of dragon fly
larvae which I have found inhabiting the Iris and the pond generally. I
counted at least 30 when I pulled the Iris out. No I have not put them back!

I guess though I have lost my wild life ( frogs, toads etc) now? There wont
be anything to come and spawn next spring. I used to have two resident
frogs in the pond. They seem to have gone too.

I am really heart broken.

I have plans now to try and replant the area around the pond and renew it
all.

On 14/6/08 14:29, in article ,
"endymion" wrote:


"Pete C" wrote in message
...
endymion wrote:
I need some help with my garden pond. I have been very ill and its got
somewhat ( a lot - I cant see it even) overgrown.
snippy

Charlie's comments are spot on. Clearing cannot be a gentle thing. If you
still have any wild life, put them in a temp home. When pond is cleared,
they will go back quite happily. When you've got things how you want them,
maybe add a fountain to agitate and airate the water.

With much huffing and puffing and hacking and clearing I have cut back the
trees and raised the canopy. I have pulled out two tress and I have removed
the Iris that was covering over half the pond.

I now have a somewhat muddy murky looking mass of water. I have very little
wild life in there. No frogs. No tadpoles, a few newts - not many to mention
given I had a thriving colony of frogs up to two years ago and toads and
newts. The frog spawn hatched but disappeared in 24 hours of getting into
the water.

Ours disappeared last year and we're still not sure if it went to a sudden
icy night or a visiting heron which was observed on two successive mornings.

I fear the culprit for all of this may be a whole colony of dragon fly
larvae which I have found inhabiting the Iris and the pond generally. I
counted at least 30 when I pulled the Iris out. No I have not put them back!

Oh!! They're so desperate for habitat all these things. Is it too late to
persuade you to relent?

I guess though I have lost my wild life ( frogs, toads etc) now? There wont
be anything to come and spawn next spring. I used to have two resident
frogs in the pond. They seem to have gone too.

I am really heart broken.

It's more than possible your frogs are merely lurking, watching you wear
yourself out on their behalf! And others will find their way to your pond,
I'm sure. You could always ask someone for some spawn next year, too. We
put spawn from a fishpond into a wildlife pond and it all hatched and we
have dozens of little froglets in that area now. But one of the reasons I
say don't despair is that frogs will somehow always find a patch of water.
I actually found two frogs mating in the tiniest amount of water that had
dripped onto the floor from the washing machine. Nature is very persistent!

I have plans now to try and replant the area around the pond and renew it
all.

Some big leaves will shelter your frogs when they leave the pond and give
them somewhere to hide.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online but not completed - shop to come and some mild tweaking
to do!)

endymion writes

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
endymion wrote:
I need some help with my garden pond. I have been very ill and its got
somewhat ( a lot - I cant see it even) overgrown.
snippy

Charlie's comments are spot on. Clearing cannot be a gentle thing. If
you still have any wild life, put them in a temp home. When pond is
cleared, they will go back quite happily. When you've got things how
you want them, maybe add a fountain to agitate and airate the water.

With much huffing and puffing and hacking and clearing I have cut back
the trees and raised the canopy. I have pulled out two tress and I have
removed the Iris that was covering over half the pond.

I now have a somewhat muddy murky looking mass of water. I have very
little wild life in there. No frogs. No tadpoles, a few newts - not
many to mention given I had a thriving colony of frogs up to two years
ago and toads and newts. The frog spawn hatched but disappeared in 24
hours of getting into the water.

I fear the culprit for all of this may be a whole colony of dragon fly
larvae which I have found inhabiting the Iris and the pond generally. I
counted at least 30 when I pulled the Iris out. No I have not put them
back!

But they're wildlife too ;-)

I guess though I have lost my wild life ( frogs, toads etc) now? There
wont be anything to come and spawn next spring. I used to have two
resident frogs in the pond. They seem to have gone too.

It's not the best time of year to find frogs in a pond. A lot of the
breeding population will have gone elsewhere, and it hasn't been hot
enough for them to want the cool of the water.

We get over 150 frogs in breeding season, but I doubt whether there's
more than 20 round the ponds now.

--
Kay