# Half Barrel Pond



## Deano3 (15 Mar 2014)

Hello all I did my garden last year and not much more to do but been looking and interested in half barrel small pond. loads of examples online but found no journals or how-to videos or anything does anyone have one any info or pics or advice would be great

Thanks dean


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## darren636 (15 Mar 2014)

most barrells won't hold water, so a plastic tub liner can be used or line it with pond liner.  I simply sprinkle a layer of aquatic soil on the bottom to encourage life and then use planted pond baskets for dwarf lily and botumus umbellatus.


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## BigTom (15 Mar 2014)

If you get freshly cut barrels and don't let them dry out then they'll hold water fine. I've set up a couple of them but don't have any photos. Really easy. They might leak for a few days initially but keep topping them up and the wood will saturate, swell and become water tight. 

Just place them on a well drained surface to dissuade rot and plant stuff either in pots at an appropriate depth or in hangers on the side. 

During dry spells you may need to top them now and again to prevent cracks forming in the top but they should seal up again if kept wet.


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## BigTom (15 Mar 2014)

If you can't find freshly cut or lined ones locally then I can recommend the ones from Stretton Oak Tubs who deliver freshly cut watertight barrels.


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## martin-green (16 Mar 2014)

Barrels of any sort / size are NOT good for making a pond. They are however good for making water features from, or filling with water and adding a few plants and wait and see what moves in, but pond, NO!

The main problem with using a barrel is its size or more to the point, lack of size. During the hot times all of the water can be heated which is no good for any wildlife, this also causes water to evaporate, when water in a barrel evaporates the level drops, so the timber that the barrel is made from dries out and so can leak, hence the need to keep them topped up, but if you have any wildlife in the pond you can't top up with neat tap water as the chlorine in tap water may kill any wild life.

If you really want a barrel water feature, the best option is to line it with a pond liner, or only put a few plants in it, *never any fish*.

I should also like to add, that the afore mentioned barrel website also offer barrels for water features with lining, I wonder why...........


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## darren636 (16 Mar 2014)

Mine gets topped up with tank water. Defiitely no fish- plants and daphnia/mosquito larvae only.


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## Deano3 (16 Mar 2014)

Some brilliant info there as I thought I would get so thanks guys, yeah will buy one an get some pond liner and put some plants in there maybe a small water feature, any pics anyone ? Seen some online and just thought would be lovely to do something when the nice weather out 

Thanks again any more pics of info would be welcome


Thanks Dean


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## kirk (23 Mar 2014)

If you good with a saw I recommend cutting barrels yourself the smell of the wood and the alcohol is lavly


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## darren636 (23 Mar 2014)

just set mine up last night.  
botomus umbelatus, baldelia ranunculoides,  ranunculus aquatilis and water forget me not -myosotis.


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## Deano3 (23 Mar 2014)

any pics Darren


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## darren636 (23 Mar 2014)

Deano3 said:


> any pics Darren


its a brown puddle right now
hopefully my baby plants will break the surface this week,
my goldies used to destroy my plants during the spring, so never really got to see my botomus in full flower.


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