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  1. killi69

    Aquarium plants for the pond

    Hi there, great thread! I am really interested in exploring this also and in particular, which plants can survive the winter outside. I grow the following in my ponds; Sagittaria subulata, Potamogeton gayi, Myriophyllum ' Red Stem', Vallisneria spiralis and giant Vallis. All have overwintered...
  2. killi69

    Vallisneria in ponds?

    I have giant Vallis (V. Americana) in my ponds all year round and have grown them in tubs outside for many years. They grow long leaves over the summer and in winter become much smaller. They have not really grown since the winter, so like @zozo suggests, it would be good to get a variety of...
  3. killi69

    Greenhouse Pond

    I also have Fundulus julisia in one of my ponds. They are kept outside all year round and breed well. I used to keep them in tubs for many years - see link in my journal for a bit more info on how I kept them and the Aphanius and Macropodus. Like Aphanius, Fundulus also prefer harder water. My...
  4. killi69

    Greenhouse Pond

    Fantastic project Tyko, I look forward to following this. If you can get hold of them, Aphanius mentho or Macropodus ocellatus can both handle freezing temperatures and hot summers. I have kept both in tubs outside all year round for many years. These tubs heat up quickly in the summer sun and...
  5. killi69

    Journal Our (overgrown) garden pond

    Nice! Like your lilies. Always prefer the simple white flowering ones👍🏼
  6. killi69

    Journal Our (overgrown) garden pond

    Hi Wolf, I think that's Sagittaria. I did the same, in spring I lowered a basket to 80cm hoping to create an submerged version of the plant but it still managed to send short leaves and flowers to the surface! Nice pond, looks like a great wildlife habitat. Which frogs do you get in there?
  7. killi69

    4x2x2 Heated Pond

    That page does looks interesting! It might work then, if that info is correct and they are not confusing it with another species. Our winters also tend to be a lot milder than the German winters referred to in the article. I hope you manageto breed them this summer. Good luck and I look forward...
  8. killi69

    4x2x2 Heated Pond

    Great project! Will be following with interest to see how the plants and fish get on. Not sure of spechtii can handle our long cold winters, even if parts of the pond do not go below 5C because of the heater. They come from northern Vietnam as you probably know. WCC absolutely no problem! Heard...
  9. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    I have been planting almost every day since my last update. While I still could, I dug in one final tub to add the collection (ten sunken tubs in total now) to maximise the amount of Phragmites I can grow outside of the ponds. The thread algae is still an issue but I have been weeding it our...
  10. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks so much Tim, Shangman and Mort!:thumbup: So it was! I just amended and corrected above. I will definitely think a bit more about connecting the drain pipe from the roof to some of the ponds.
  11. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Very interesting Mort! Do you have any pictures? I am trying to imagine how an air pump can create enough movement across a pond. This evening I cleared thread algae from the pond next to the patio and the middle pond (with a rake). I removed algae about two weeks ago, so this was more about...
  12. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    All the pond edges are at the same level, except for the pond bordering the patio, which is a bit lower. As I mentioned, it could be a good way to make sure water levels at either side of walkways remain at the same level, to keep up the illusion the wooden paths are built over larger stretches...
  13. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    I might try that, especially where I extended the big pond at the back. The board walk there hides where both ponds meet. As the extension is a lot smaller than the large pond, and will have a far higher proportion of reeds and marginal plants growing in there, it might be possible that water...
  14. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks Marcel! It looks like the decking walkways go over the ponds but it was far easier to just construct separate ponds. There are six in total. One advantage is that this does help keep the fish separate. Three ponds contain fish. Just have to remember not to move plants from one pond to...
  15. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thank you Tim, Shangman and Paolo. UKAPS members most welcome! I would be more than happy to hosts any visits. Marcel, that looks great! Thanks for all that information. Will definitely try to grow marsh fern on the tree stump. Growing ferns on wood... did not think I would be doing that again...
  16. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks all! Sounds interesting, I should try some water cress. I still have a lot of thread algae. First I thought I would just leave it, in order to minimise losing newt eggs which would inevitably be included among the Elodea which would come out with the thread algae. I was also too busy...
  17. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    A brief update. I am still seeing a lot of newts in all the ponds. A pair of crows have nested in a tree next door and they visit many times each day. They remind me a bit of what I used to do as a child with a net. They walk along the water side, tracing the contours of all the ponds and...
  18. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thank you Maf. I am keen to try Nuphar lutea for their submersed leaves, which are larger and more wavy than the floating ones. They are quite a common sight in canals in many old Dutch city centres where the underwater leaves make a great display, resembling crops of lettuce. Here are some...
  19. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Some of the Elodea growing near the surface looks super healthy with a dark, almost purplish colour whereas a lot of the Elodea elsewhere is pale, thin and all covered with blanket weed. I have a few bowls in the back ponds planted up with Nuphar lutea. I had planted Elodea around the edges of...
  20. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks Tim and Darrel! I am really excited after being out around the ponds this afternoon. I can see the fish much better than last year when they were in the tub. I did release them into the ponds at the end of last summer but it might have taken them a while to gain confidence but today with...
  21. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks Darrel for the suggestions. I grow variegated Phragmites in tubs on my patio (you may be able to see them in a pic earlier in the thread) and they do not grow much larger than this when in pond baskets. probably because they did not get any extra feed and they were not in a pond with...
  22. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks Mort, I won't bother fertilising the Elodea baskets then. That is what I was thinking also - not enough active plant mass. So in my case, I did have plenty of plants in there (masses of Elodea), so either the Elodea is not actively growing this time of the year or they are not...
  23. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Great to see the ponds coming to life again. I have spotted newts in all of the ponds and frog spawn has started hatching today. There is a lot of blanket weed in all the ponds. I need to get more marginal plants in there and more plants which grow earlier in the season, including...
  24. killi69

    Osmocote for pond plants

    Thank you Ceg. That's great to know!
  25. killi69

    Osmocote for pond plants

    Thank you Marcel, that is very useful information. I will go with the second option as those tabs are so much cheaper, even though they seem formulated esp more for flowering plants. My water lilies will appreciate them the most then. I really need to get some Potentilla palustris... I have...
  26. killi69

    Osmocote for pond plants

    Thanks Ceg. What about the difference between the 2 Osmocote products? Do you think I can go for the cheaper one and not worry about the NPK balance?
  27. killi69

    Osmocote for pond plants

    And a second question, for a pond basket measuring 24x24x14cm (around 8L), how many tabs should I insert?
  28. killi69

    Osmocote for pond plants

    Hi there, I am looking into using Osmocote slow release fertiliser tabs for existing pond plants in baskets. These would include submerged aquatic plants like giant Vallis as well as a range of marginal plants. I know the cheapest way would be to add loose fertiliser like Gro More or Vitax Q4...
  29. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    On the subject of tubs, now that I am scaling down the number of tubs I am going to be using for outdoor fish breeding, I will briefly share how I will be utilising them in this new project. I have dug in a number of large tubs along a length of the board walk. The idea is to plant reeds...
  30. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    I was able to buy six large tubs through Ebay but also added a number of disused loft tanks/ cold water tanks to the collection which I found in skips over the years. The larger loft tanks are the same size (50 gallons). Depending on where you live, you may come across them in skips outside...
  31. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Let me share a very brief update on progress with the pathway and decking. Work on this part of the project started in September, after the ponds were constructed. Here are some pictures of my builders in action. I realised I needed more access to the ponds for maintenance and so I...
  32. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thank you Mort and Tim! I found this resource quite useful: a list of fish suitable for outdoors (not all of them all-year round) with indicative lower temperature tolerance ranges compiled by Martin Tversted from Denmark. Especially if you are prepared to take them indoors over winter, the...
  33. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    My fishkeeping hobby used to be all about killifish in aquariums. At an auction years ago, I bought some Aphanius mentho which had been bred outside in tubs over the summer. This got me interested and I began researching various forums (mainly Dutch and German) and finding out about people’s...
  34. killi69

    Journal Our (overgrown) garden pond

    Beautiful pond Wolf. You have got so much going on there. Jealous of the green frogs, wish we had them over here/ this part of UK. Is the Lilaeopsis brasiliensis in a pond basket? What substrate do you use for your marginals?
  35. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thank you both! They do look similar. Hopefully we will find out next year when they flower. Just reading up on them, and apparently both can grow submerged as well.
  36. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Along the edges of the lake where collected some of my plants, I found this marginal, which I quite liked the look of. I planted it a couple of baskets to try out. Does anyone know what it might be? Its pretty vigorous from the look of it.
  37. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks MWood for sharing the info. Love to see those pond tubs. Really like the plants growing on your wall behind as well. I am certainly going to look out for some H. zosterifolia now and will definitely try it in my ponds. I have had A mentho outside for years, in tubs not much bigger than...
  38. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    At the start of the journal, I mentioned that I am following (more or less) the pond keeping principles of Ada Hofman who is known in Holland for advocating the use of oxygenating plants instead of filters in order to achieve clear pond water. I will post more another time but one of her basic...
  39. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks Darrel, that's really good to know. Stick to Equisetum japonicum then.
  40. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Really, Equisetum japonicum in the garden? I did not know that:thumbup: Fantastic, I will definitely add that to the pond&garden list. Thank you for sharing the experience. Do you happen to know it Equisetum is happy with its crown below water? I have read different accounts and if you say it...
  41. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    I am not planning on using any filtration. The plan is very much lots of plants in there from day one, hopefully with a good enough ratio between deeper water (80cm) and shallower shelves with marginal plants and, above all, a low bio load of fish. Definitely no gold fish, or other fish which...
  42. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    These both look great Marcel, two more to add to the list of plants suited to either side of the pondliner. I can see why you like Bog pimpernel so much. Definitely going to try that! I am also on the lookout for different plants to use to hide the edges of marginal baskets which stick above...
  43. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Great to connect with like minded people and know I am not the only one obsessed then. It can feel that way sometimes :thumbup:🇳🇱 Wow, thank you both for the vote of confidence. I really hope I can pull it off and would love to host your visit.
  44. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Much of this project is about the margins. Plants which can grow in boggy conditions but will also thrive in clay soil. Plants that can live with their roots in and out of the water. Aquatic plants that can both live submerged or emersed. Garden - Pond - Aquarium. I find it quite exciting...
  45. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Let me write a bit about the construction of the ponds. In terms of the pond size, instead of going for one or two huge ponds, I went for a multitude of smaller sized ones, offering more space for gardening with marginal planting at the edges. I planned the maximum width of the ponds so that...
  46. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Great, Wookii and Tim. Looking forward to sharing progress with you. Oh yes... cycling around with a net or fishing rod in one hand and a bucket hung onto the steering wheel... those were the days, Holland was such a great place to grow up. Every now and then when I am back home I do still...
  47. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks Darrell for your feedback. I have had this Arundo donax in a pot for about 5 years now. Previous I kept it in one of my tubs, just above water level. It survived but never did that well (only one or two stems and not as tall). This year with all the works going on around the garden, I...
  48. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thanks MWood! Great to hear about your experiences re Heteranthera zosterifolia. I read that H. zosterifolia can take it down to 5C . Have you overwintered it and how do you grow it in your pond? Is it submerged and in in what substrate does it grow? Trying out some some 'aquarium plants'...
  49. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    I spent a few days digging up existing plants and finding temporary homes for them to save them from the digger. The next step in preparing for the pond installation phase was to mark out on the ground the location of the ponds and pathway. I used spray paint on the grass and bricks on the soil...
  50. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Plants on my list include different varieties of Eupatorium, Sanguisorba, Filipendula, Veronicastrum, Lythrum, Molinia, and Miscanthus to name a few. Pinks, purple and white will be the main colours. In order to create the impression of deep pond margins and the gradual transition between...
  51. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    On the question of plants for the garden, as mentioned, I have put together a list of plants which fit in with the 'wetland' theme of the garden (or 'woodland' for around the edges) and will hopefully do well in my clay soil. Back in spring, I went through my wish list to identify which of the...
  52. killi69

    Water meadow gardening

    Thank you Wolf for your comments and tips. While intending to have some drifts and block groupings of certain perennials, on the whole I am quite keen to experiment and try to create some intermingled planting communities. It will be a question of research, trial and error and seeking guidance...
  53. killi69

    Clay soil as substrate / liner for baskets

    Lucky you! That sounds amazing. I grew up in Holland and spent most of my youth fishing along the reed beds, which partly explains why I am so looking forward to having some in my garden. Yes, thank you, will do. I still have lots of bonsai soil/ cat litter I could use for this Thank you for...
  54. killi69

    how to disinfect pond plants?

    Thank you Frederick, great to know how you do this :thumbup:
  55. killi69

    Clay soil as substrate / liner for baskets

    I am building a few ponds next month and was hoping to use soil from my garden as substrate (in pond baskets only) for both marginal and oxygenating plants. I would prefer not to use an inert substrate, especially for the marginals, nor do I want to spend too much on aquatic compost . I have...
  56. killi69

    how to disinfect pond plants?

    Thank you Gill and JPC for your detailed instructions, super useful and much appreciated!
  57. killi69

    Journal Jungle pond project...

    Sanj, this looks truly amazing. Love the scale of it all. I have not been around here for ages. Last time I was, you were smashing it with your stunning tanks. Congratulations
  58. killi69

    Journal Wildlife Pond

    I was not aware Macropodus opercularis can overwinter outside here. Do you have experience of this Gill? I have M. ocellatus which overwinters and breeds outside without any problems but they come from colder regions than opercularis.
  59. killi69

    how to disinfect pond plants?

    Great to know Miranda, thanks for all the useful info! :thumbup:
  60. killi69

    how to disinfect pond plants?

    Thanks Miranda for the tip! What solution of Potassium permanganate would you recommend??
  61. killi69

    how to disinfect pond plants?

    Hi all, I am about to create a water garden made up of a number of ponds. A local fishery has agreed for me to take as many 'weeds' as I like. Its quite a low density fishery and the lake is full of hornwort and last time I was there, I saw lots of Stratiotes also. The water looks very...
  62. killi69

    Budget Pond

    Great project Gill and thanks for sharing. The last couple of years Ihave been focussing my fish hobby more on keeping a number of species outdoors all year round in 60L-250L tubs. These include Aphanius, Fundulus, Notropis and Macropodus species. All of these thrive with the seasonal weather...
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