Creating a garden pond: in 5 steps to your own oasis

Do you want to create your own garden pond? We have provided detailed instructions with which you can conjure up your own paradise in no time at all.

Your garden should get a little update and be embellished with a garden pond? A good choice, because whether small or large, the water sources offer a cozy ambience with a holiday feeling. But before you get down to work, you have to make a decision: pool pond or foil pond? A prefabricated pond with a pre-formed basin is ideal for a size of up to 5 square meters. Anything larger than this should be solved with a foil pond. Incidentally, this can also be created as a swimming pond, but must be structurally approved from a filling volume of over 7000 liters.

When deciding on a pond, one thing is particularly important: if children are often in the vicinity of the pond, a fence or bars necessary, as the danger of drowning lurks even in shallow waters.

When do I create a garden pond?

It is best to create a garden pond in spring when the temperatures are in the double-digit range. This is not just because the Then remove the earth layer more easily and thus can form a pit. Also in the event that you want to create a foil pond, an outside temperature of at least 15 degrees is an advantage, as the foil then easier to interpret because it is more flexible.

Where can I best create a garden pond?

The choice of the pond location depends on your own wishes. If you want birds and other animals to gather around the pond, then you should create the pond away from sitting areas and the terrace. So you don’t scare away the frightened animals. If the pond is to be protected, place it on the terrace.

So that the water does not heat up too much, which would damage the flora and fauna in the pond, Instead, look for a place in the penumbra. Conifers, Cypress family and reed are also ideal for providing shade. There are also plants that you plant in the deep zone to naturally purify the water and automatically keep it cooler.

If you decide on a foil pond, make sure that No trees with shallow roots nearby are located because they can drill through the foil.

How is a garden pond ideally laid out?

Foil pond

Step 1: plan the size and layout

  • Mark out the area in which the pond is to be created for the liner pond or use a hose to mark the outline.
  • Find out from the utility company whether there are cables in the ground in the area that would prevent excavation.

Step 2: excavation

  • You start at the edge and work your way up to the middle. The gradient must not exceed 30 degrees.
  • The following zones must be observed when creating a garden pond: Swamp area, 10 to 20cm – Shallow water zone, 40 to 70cm – Deep water zone, 120 to 150 cm
  • Checks using a Spirit levelwhether the edge of the pond is everywhere at the same height, otherwise flooding can easily occur when it rains.
  • Removes all hard objects in the ground such as stones and roots with one rake.
  • Tip: In order to be able to adhere to the different zones correctly, the pit digs in a step system.

Step 3: fill and lay out the pit

  • Fill the pit with sand.
  • Measure the pond in length and width and add 50 – 60 cm in each case to later add the foil fix and avoid dirt in the garden pond.
  • Lay the pit with you Pond fleece to protect the film from damage.
  • Now lay out the pond liner and smooth it out.
  • Then the edge is with Stones that must be trodden down to hold the film in place.

Step 4: plant and fill

  • Now equip the deep water zone with pond soil and pond gravel.
  • Then a third of the pond is filled with water.
  • Instead of calcareous water, you should prefer to use rainwater or that Filter waterto avoid algae!
  • After that, plants like fairy grass or Thousand-leaf planted in the deep water zone.
  • In addition, the Pond pumps and filters used if you want to build some.
  • Now the pond is completely filled with water.

Step 5: final touches – the shore

  • First, the bank area is planted and designed, for example with reed grass and other stones.
  • When the bank is decorated, the fish can move in.
  • Do you not want to share the garden pond with fish, you want to share it We recommend using it as a swimming pond Filter systemsthat, together with microorganisms, ensure cleanliness – unlike a swimming pool with chlorine.

Basin pond

Step 1: plan

  • After you get one pool have chosen, you mark its outlines on the lawn.
  • Checks for pipes or cables in the ground that could prevent excavation.
  • The pit is then dug according to the shape of the pool and its depth.
  • You start where the pond should be deepest, then the modeling of the shallower zones follows.
  • Removes stones and roots that are an obstacle.

Step 2: filling

  • Now fill the excavated pit with a layer of sandthat is trodden down and serves as a foundation.
  • Now the basin is inserted into the pit and one third filled with water – Before doing this, you should check whether the pool is straight in the pit.

Step 3: fill in any bumps

  • The next step is to create voids between the floor and the pool filled with sand and slurried with waterto avoid sagging later.

Step 4: planting

  • The pond can now be planted.
  • Bags and baskets can be used for planting the pond. you will be filled with nutrient-poor soil and weighed down by sand after planting.
  • Then the edge of the pond is well concealed and decorated with the previously dug grass.
  • Finally, the entire pond is filled with water.

For the lighting in the pond pay attention to the Protection class classification IP – “Ingress Protection”. For the area outside the water, lighting with the classification IP 67 should be chosen. If the pond is to be illuminated from the inside, the value is 68.

Which plants are suitable?

Which plant is suitable for your pond depends on the size. With a small pond, you should avoid large plants. Especially when choosing Pond roses we recommend paying attention to the specified growth size in order not to overload the garden pond. In general, pond plants are always recommended, because they help keep the water clean and help with algae growth.

Algae steal the oxygen, which can be dangerous for fish and plants in your garden pond. Therefore, you always have to remove the overgrown algae and make sure to pay attention to the following when filling the pond:

  • not to use hard water,
  • not too much light and warmth

Large-leaved plants that float on the surface of the water provide shade and are therefore ideal for avoiding algae. It is also important that you never use potting soil as a breeding ground when planting the pond, as it is a pure attractant for algae. If you choose plants, these should be must be hardy how Sweet flag, Swan flower, Cyprus grass, Clover or Frog spoon.

Note: The plants in the pond also have to be taken care of, that is, pruning!

What do I have to watch out for with fish?

If you want a garden pond with fish, you have to pay attention to the water quality. If the animals are to overwinter outside, the pond needs one Minimum depth of one meter. In order for the animals to feel comfortable in the garden pond, they need enough shadeto keep the oxygen level stable. A light wind is also good, as it keeps the water moving and thus supplies the deeper zones with oxygen. Note: In the event that the animals are to overwinter in the pond, must always remain a few centimeters free of ice on the bank so that the gases that form in the water can escape.

Proper care

The fallen leaves in autumn should be removed in springso that they don’t start to rot at the bottom of the pond and cause a bad smell. Regularly hooking or fishing out algae and leaves with the help of a Landing net helpto keep the pond permanently clean.

If you decide on a small prefabricated pond, it should thoroughly cleaned and emptied after a few years of use. In this way, the sludge formed can be carefully removed and the basin can be refilled with fresh water. If necessary, you can also use a pond sludge vacuum, which you can simply borrow from specialist retailers.

What does it cost to create a garden pond?

The prices for creating a garden pond vary and depend heavily on which type you choose. Mini ponds can start at 230 euros. If you decide on a large pond with a lot of plants, they can Prices in the three to four-digit range land. Calculate everything before you put it onso that in the end something is not surprisingly missing and the money is no longer enough.

Sources used: obi.de / schoener-wohnen.de / mein-schoener-garten.de

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