Plants rooting in silicone seal?

[Sunshine]

Hello ..... I haven't been on in awhile. I have a problem and a question. My pond is loosing about 2 inches of water a day. It just started recently. I thought it was the bio filter plumbing, dug it up and it was dry. Than thought it might be the bog. but don't want to shut it off to see because the check valve don't work and don't want it to drain and loose my plants.

Today I was sitting on my patio looking at my pond and thought of something. About 5 years ago, we raised the sides a little. The one corner was a little short, so I added more liner there with silicone. Dried and cleaned it real good before using the silicone. Waited a few days before filling it back up.
I have Isotoma fluviatilis Blue Star Creeper planted around my pond and it hangs over the wall going into the pond. I went to that corner we siliconed and pulled the plant out of the water, it had rooted to the area we fixed.

My question is, can a plant root through silicone causing a hole?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Absolutely! Plant roots (trees) cause damage to sidewalks, walls and building foundations very readily. I have, on one occasion, seen plant roots infiltrate a liner seam that was properly done (allegedly) with seam tape, causing a leak.

 

[Lisak1]

I would say depending on the type of plant it absolutely can. Like @Meyer Jordan said - tree roots have been known to penetrate cement walls or sewer lines. A liner that was already compromised would be no trouble for many plants. Blue Star Creeper is known to be invasive and spreads through an extensive underground root / rhizome system, so I could see it working it's way through the silicone seal.

 

[Sunshine]

Thanks ... I pulled it away from that corner so I'll see if the water level stops when it gets to that seam.

I knew it was invasive, but the roots seem so delicate. Didn't think about it going through the silicone. Well, that would be a better fix than tearing that bog down and redoing it.

 

[Lisak1]

Those delicate roots are sometimes the worst - you can't pull them all up because they keep breaking underground. Nature's way of making sure you never get all of it! Blue Star forms almost an underground web of roots.

 

[Dave 54]

Thanks ... I pulled it away from that corner so I'll see if the water level stops when it gets to that seam.

I knew it was invasive, but the roots seem so delicate. Didn't think about it going through the silicone. Well, that would be a better fix than tearing that bog down and redoing it.

It's acctually been known that roots will seek a source of water be that an underground stream or your pond and as everyone says just look at what roots can do to cement , so yes they can and do

Dave

 

[Sunshine]

Their roots look like hair. I never thought about them going into the silicone. Now, I'm going to have a project to do before winter. I'll check it today to see if the water is down to it. But, as far as it hanging over the sides, it won't go through a solid liner will it?

 

[Sunshine]

Well, it wasn't the plant. It got past the repair on the liner. I put a pole in the water and marked the water line. It went past the tape mark. So, I filled it back up and shut down the bog to see if that is it. I'll know tomorrow. This sucks. The bog was running slow so we put the air hose in the pipe and blew air in it to open the holes in the PVC. Not sure how that would cause it to loose water, but we'll see.

 

[addy1]

Check the edges of your bog With mine, the water got higher in level and I had to raise the edge around an inch, a few years back. As the plants grew and the bog matured the water level raised.

 

[Sunshine]

@addy1 We used blocks to build the bog than put a cap on it. Thinking the water is up to the cap and flowing out in the blocks. The caps are glued on. We bought those black water pipe insulators and pushed them up under the caps than pushed the gravel up against it to hold it there.

So far, looks like it's holding water. Hopefully it will hold til next year. We are going to build it up higher.
Than you !!

 

[addy1]

Great! When I raised my down slope edge of the bog it needed an inch I added around 3 (had a good fold of liner to use) Figured why not be safe, when the plants grow it is hard to check the back edge.

 

[Sunshine]

We were not that smart to fold extra liner. No, we were so sure of our project, we elected to cut it off...lol We bought the cheap Lowes pond liner. Next year, we will be folding extra liner.

 

[addy1]

I learned that lesson the hard way a while back, never cut liner unless it is a huge amount.