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  • Results 1 to 8 of 8

    Thread: Plant suggestions to stabilize a wildlife pond edge?

    1. #1
      Amphibiphile is offline Junior Member
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      Plant suggestions to stabilize a wildlife pond edge?

      One edge of my newly-filled wildlife pond abuts an area under a dogwood planted with understorey plants: ferns, hostas, etc. I want that area to grow up to and into the pond, covering the liner. But for now I'd like to get something established fairly quickly to stabilize the soil, which I'll fill right to the edge, and hold back with burlap for now.

      Does anyone have suggestions for low-growing plants (not more than 12"), preferably natives, zone 5, to colonize the burlap? The soil will not be under water, but it will be touching it, and so will be constantly moist from capillary action.

      Chris

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    2. #2
      madeyna is offline Senior Member
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      go take a peek at what is growning at the edges of the natural lakes in your area. My father in law gets all his bog plants that way. He brings them home and debugs them with pp.

    3. #3
      seanmckinney's Avatar
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      turf/sod, however you may want to reconsider the "water by wicking" idea. I tried it around my wild lfie pond with the turf laid over an initial wick of hessian which in turn was laid over the liner flaps. That sounds almost exactly like what you are proposing. The hessien worked well and took about a year to rot but the grass/soil/root-system was too good a wick and would rapidly lower the pond level plus I always got wet knees if I knelt by the pond.

      I would suggest you think of some means of creating a knife edged lip as the top of the sides of the pond and then fold the liner over the top of this lip and down the back of the lip. Then butt the soil, or whatever, up against the folded liner so that the soil or whatever is just above the lip.
      I changed the edge of the wildlife pond to something like that and the idea works well in so far as the liner is quickly hidden by plant growth, however my knife edge is thin plastic 'angle iron' and the edge can flex if 'stood' on and I am thinking of replacing it with, stood on edge, concrete flagstones that have been dressed to create aknife edge along the upper edge of the flagstones

      If you wish to carry on with the water by wicking idea I would suggest that once the pond and liner have settled you trim the liner flaps to no more than 6" wide and cut 1"square holes about once every 6" in the liner flaps. The plants in the soil over the flaps will root through the holes in the flaps into the underlying soil. That serves 2 functions, it anchors the liner and gives the plants a better chance should the pond level drop too much and the wicking breaks

    4. #4
      Bill OTMS's Avatar
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      Here's one good reference. I'll add more later (I hope)

      http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/waterqual...3/426-043.html
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    5. #5
      cindy's Avatar
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      i was going to say call your extension agent. Each county has one and they know.

    6. #6
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      LOL...some counties aren't blessed with natural ponds often. Around here they are dry about 99% of the time anymore. Our closest lake is reportedly only 5%...yes 5% full at this time. Surrounding plants are buffalo grass, yucca and mesquit trees.

      That is why I feel more comfortable with stock tank ponds. They are more natural looking in our area.
      RedNecks R Us

    7. #7
      Bill OTMS's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by cindy
      i was going to say call your extension agent. Each county has one and they know.
      I agree and see if the have a Water Steward/Master Gardener. These folks are trained on ripirian buffers, BMP techniques, water quality and mangement issues.
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    8. #8
      Bill OTMS's Avatar
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      Here's another site:

      http://www.raingardennetwork.com/
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