Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: standfree on June 16, 2009, 16:14
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Hi
I really want to build (or should that be dig?) a pond on my allotment. I know how to go about it and encourage the pond to evolve. Although any advice would be great.
The one aspect I'm concerned about is the 'etiquette' of it! Is is acceptable to build a pond on an allotment? I've never seen one and while I don't mind what others think I'd like to be a good neighbour. In other words will others sneer at the wasted plot taken up by a pond and some frogs rather than growing crops?
So, is it acceptable in general?
Thanks
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there are quite a few ponds on our site of various construction. Mine is an old purple (yes, purple!! ???) bath that I sunk into the ground. I put the plug in and it filled with rainwater over the winter. It is at the back of my plot, out of the way by the compost bins. I just wanted to encourage frogs as they are good predators and so far, every year there has been frogspawn in the pond, along with allsorts of other pond life. Ain't nature great! :)
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I am hoping to install a small pond on my plot to encourage frogs but have never done this before... might pop onto freecycle to see if anyone is digging up a plastic moulded one to reduce costs :happy:
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i just used some silage sheet with carpet underneath ,got plenty of baby frogs in it now ,roll on next year when their fully grown frogs
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee251/philskin/Image16.jpg)
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Nice one.
Right, I'm doing it!
I'm renovating a flat at the moment but unfortunately the bath that was outside for months was uplifted... Yesterday! Just a traditional white bath. Not purple I'm afraid! Where the hell did you get a purple bath or should I not ask! ;)
Thanks for the feedback everyone. :)
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Don't build a pond until you have checked the rules first, they might not be allowed. ;)
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Ive built a pond and the local school that have a plot on our site come to look at it on the odd visit they make to the site. Its not very big but big enough to be full of bug and 4 fish. Its starting to look a touch better now there is some more plant life in there it was very brown and yukky.
Go for it crack on and get digging.
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Cheers Ice.
Without a doubt. Like I said I want to be a good neighbour. But I've not met a soul from the allotment yet! Only got it on 1st of June and every time I've been up nobody has been there...
Funnily enough Rangerkris the allotment is close to 2 schools. Fingers crossed I can get a properly disgusting and filthy pond!
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I left the fish for a while as i added some spawn from one of the ponds at work, the frogs seem to have moved on so i added the fish on Friday last week along with some oxegenating plants and the water is changing fast looking much better.
Most people seem to like the pond but i done it for my 2 children more than anything to keep them interested if we get frogs that will eat slugs its an added bonus :dry:
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Likewise. I have a little girl and hope in a couple of years that she'll be interested in it. Especially the little frogs and Lilypads etc...
Will the fish not eat any future frog spawn though?
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Yes quite possible, but i think having the children more intrested at the moment than frog spawn is more benifical for me and the children at this time. It gives them some thing else to watch and look at while they are there. Its wise to have a cover over the pond aswell as i know my 2 like to play near the pond.
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Nice one.
Right, I'm doing it!
I'm renovating a flat at the moment but unfortunately the bath that was outside for months was uplifted... Yesterday! Just a traditional white bath. Not purple I'm afraid! Where the hell did you get a purple bath or should I not ask! ;)
Thanks for the feedback everyone. :)
someone dumped it on my plot! Ones man's rubbish is another man's gold. :)
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If your not allowed a pond you might be allowed a barrel or sink. After all if your allowed a water butt I can't see why you wouldn't be allowed a barrel or sink.
My parents did something with an old butlers sink which had a few fish in and the odd frog many years back. It looked like they covered it with cement to give it a rough stone look and placed stones and plants before filling with water.
(http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2866&g2_serialNumber=2)
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Disaster!
The council lady I deal with has said I am 'not permitted to build a pond or sink a bath'. She gives no reason but that's that then.
I do like the idea of the butlers sink though. ;) I may sneakily have one of those somewhere!
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Disaster!
The council lady I deal with has said I am 'not permitted to build a pond or sink a bath'. She gives no reason but that's that then.
I do like the idea of the butlers sink though. ;) I may sneakily have one of those somewhere!
A.K.A. 'A sunken waterbutt'! :tongue2: :tongue2: ;) :lol:
edited to add, but can't condone it because 'elf 'n safety might condemn, on the grounds that someone might fall in and drown themselves. ::) Sorry about that Standfree.
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I know Bombers.
What a load of sh*te though! If you're stupid enough to fall into a pond (with a mesh and sign saying 'Danger 2 feet of water') and drown it's natures way of reducing the stupid gene.
I believe it's called 'natural selection'... ;)
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I know Bombers.
What a load of sh*te though! If you're stupid enough to fall into a pond (with a mesh and sign saying 'Danger 2 feet of water') and drown it's natures way of reducing the stupid gene.
I believe it's called 'natural selection'... ;)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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I quite fancy a pond with a old bath I inherited on the plot. One thing that concerns me though is the fact that the water will be stragnant and might start to smell and look bad. Do people with ponds find this. Other than a solar powered pump are there any ways round this.
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mine has been going for 5 years now and it takes care of itself. I've never filled it or cleaned it and every year it's full of life. Just make sure there are a couple of oxygenating plants in it and away you go.
enjoy!
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I was concerned about my new pond (put in end of last year) going stagnent but the advice I got here and from other sources has worked brilliantly. i have crystal clear water in my pond.
i. avoid using tap water - this will turn green and slimey in a new pond. I used as much water as I could nick from a friends pond just to get water with a good culture in it. I do top up with tap water now that I have an established pond.
ii, put plenty of plants in and on the pond. the stagnent/green water is becasue there are too many nutrients or nitrogeon in the water, the plants in the pond absourb the nutrients, plants on top of the water reduce the amount of sunlight into the water and plants surrounding the pond do the same.
you should expect an algee bloom in spring and when you first set the pond up but the above should help.