Inherited pond, minimum maintenance question

[ProfileX]

Hi everyone, I bought a house with a huge concrete pond that was neglected for years, no fish just frogs & hundreds of pounds of cat tail reed roots (photos here). I decided to completely clean it & start over, the roots were so dense it took a long time and had to use the winch on my Jeep but with help I eventually cleaned it all out and was able to see the condition.

No major cracks and it holds water surprisingly well, with the spring rains it filled back up and the frogs & tadpoles are back. Part of me would like to make this beautiful and take up a new hobby, but right now I just don't have the time or motivation to spend money on it. Maybe in a couple years when I retire.

Right now, just looking for advice on the bare minimum to keep it from becoming a disaster again. Details:
- Roughly 10,000 gallons, kidney shaped concrete (think swimming pool)
- Deep end is 6' and gradually becomes 2' at the shallow end
- No filters, pumps or electricity (it's about 300' from the house)
- I bought a pool net & I've been cleaning it once a week, lots of debris blows in from surrounding bushes & trees
- I bought some cheap goldfish & koi just to see how they do, not sure I want to get more or feed them frequently
- The frogs are a really small species & slow, I didn't think they'll eat many fish as long as they're over 3"
- The winters get down to 30⁰ at night

Basically looking for advice on the bare minimum maintenance i could do to keep it from getting too dirty or becoming an eyesore. I'm not willing to run electricity or spend thousands of dollars on this yet, but I am willing to add specific plants, large stones, loaches, check pH, add chemicals, etc.

Thanks!

 

[snoozer]

Just a couple of ideas. I would put in a few water lilies to provide surface coverage. I have mine growing in large hanging baskets so that I can hook them out when needed. The neighbors always look at me funny when I stop and grab the dead baskets in fall. The fish will nibble at whatever algae starts growing in the pond as well as bugs and tadpoles, so feeding can be held to a minimum. Keep ahead of the cat tails so they don't take over again. Good luck and enjoy the pond.

 

[j.w]

Just a couple of ideas. I would put in a few water lilies to provide surface coverage. I have mine growing in large hanging baskets so that I can hook them out when needed. The neighbors always look at me funny when I stop and grab the dead baskets in fall. The fish will nibble at whatever algae starts growing in the pond as well as bugs and tadpoles, so feeding can be held to a minimum. Keep ahead of the cat tails so they don't take over again. Good luck and enjoy the pond.

Great idea using those hanging baskets for lilies!

 

[ProfileX]

Just a couple of ideas. I would put in a few water lilies to provide surface coverage. I have mine growing in large hanging baskets so that I can hook them out when needed. The neighbors always look at me funny when I stop and grab the dead baskets in fall. The fish will nibble at whatever algae starts growing in the pond as well as bugs and tadpoles, so feeding can be held to a minimum. Keep ahead of the cat tails so they don't take over again. Good luck and enjoy the pond.

Great info thank you. If you have any pictures of the hanging baskets with lilies I would like to see them, I'm having trouble visualizing something that looks good. Are you saying your lilies die every fall and you replace them in the spring?

 

[sissy]

maybe just a pump with a fountain head or an aerator to keep water moving . Water can go stagnant fast and will smell and weed seeds can blow in again .Since you think it was a pool did you find any evidence of a pool filter or any thing on a breaker that says pool

 

[ProfileX]

I'll eventually buy a pump & aerator but right now I haven't decided to spend any real money. It was always a pond, never a pool, never had a filter or electrical running to it.

 

[bicepeak]

First thing.....do not reintroduce cat tails. They will quickly overtake everything and you will be back where you started. I suggest pickerel plants instead. They grow large quickly , but are easier to control. They also come in a dwarf size.

 

[BarbAZCA]

Just a couple of ideas. I would put in a few water lilies to provide surface coverage. I have mine growing in large hanging baskets so that I can hook them out when needed. The neighbors always look at me funny when I stop and grab the dead baskets in fall. The fish will nibble at whatever algae starts growing in the pond as well as bugs and tadpoles, so feeding can be held to a minimum. Keep ahead of the cat tails so they don't take over again. Good luck and enjoy the pond.

I have a water lily in my pond. I don't take it out in winter. It comes back every year. I know they are supposed to be re-potted every couple years but it is down 2' and too heavy to get out. It gets to 90+ in the summer and 30- in the winter where I live-the mountains of AZ.

 

[BarbAZCA]

First thing.....do not reintroduce cat tails. They will quickly overtake everything and you will back where you started. I suggest pickerel plants instead. They grow large quickly , but are easier to control. They also come in a dwarf size.

I had that problem with cattails - wish I'd had a jeep to pull them out. Seems like the roots would go right through concrete and cause problems when removing.

 

[bicepeak]

I had that problem with cattails - wish I'd had a jeep to pull them out. Seems like the roots would go right through concrete and cause problems when removing.

Yeah... I had to flip back the flat rocks surrounding my pond and discovered mass root systems that were a real pain to remove. Fortunately, they did not go through the rubber liner so no permanent damage.

(P.S. the dwarf varieties were just as bad)

 

[ProfileX]

I suggest pickerel plants instead. They grow large quickly , but are easier to control. They also come in a dwarf size.

Great, I read that pickerelweed (pontederia cordata) does well in hardiness zones 8b & 9a where I am, so I'll order some today, thanks!

 

[ProfileX]

I have a water lily in my pond. I don't take it out in winter. It comes back every year. I know they are supposed to be re-potted every couple years but it is down 2' and too heavy to get out. It gets to 90+ in the summer and 30- in the winter where I live-the mountains of AZ.

Thank you, I've never planted lilies, I'll use some guides like this one:

How to Plant Water Lilies

Learn how to plant water lily in six easy steps from The Pond Guy. We’ll cover what you need to start and how to care for your water lily through each season.

www.thepondguy.com

I live in the mountains of San Diego, so what you described sounds perfect. Do you know the species name or can you send a photo?

 

[BarbAZCA]

Thank you, I've never planted lilies, I'll use some guides like this one:

How to Plant Water Lilies

Learn how to plant water lily in six easy steps from The Pond Guy. We’ll cover what you need to start and how to care for your water lily through each season.

www.thepondguy.com

I live in the mountains of San Diego, so what you described sounds perfect. Do you know the species name or can you send a photo?

 

[BarbAZCA]

Joey Tomocik. Large yellow flowers and variegated leaves. The photo is from the first year. I purchased it from a local provider a few miles from me - in the high mountain desert. This year it started sending up pads at least six weeks ago and the first flowers two weeks ago. Provides shade for goldfish and spreads across more than half of the six foot diameter pond. It is in a pot 2' below the surface in the calmest part of the pond across from the waterfall.

 

[sissy]

hate to say it but anything you grow in a pond will take over it fast and make work for you . But at least floating plants are a little easier to keep up with water lettuce for shade and water hyacinth for sun . You can just pluck them out and throw them in your compost pile lillies can get aggresive roots also . I grew some of the divided ones in a mesh planting bag in my upper small pond and the roots were horrible to get loose by fall . It was one big mass of heavy roots . This year I am going to try to pull them every 2 weeks to root trim them