Misbehaving bog

[Bluerooster]

I went out to find that the pond was about as empty as it could get barring a hole in the liner. The leak was quick to show it's self. The bog has apparently settled and the water is overflowing the side, and out of the pond. Also, need to dig out plant roots, which have caused some other leaking troubles. So, today, I get to re-situate the bog, and get it back to flowing properly.

 

[Tula]

Oh dear, sorry this happened. We haven't yet cut the liner around our bog and I'm nervous to, as I've read several accounts of bogs settling.

 

[addy1]

It happens I had to add height as more plants grew, more roots, pea gravel settled etc. Had a slow leak last summer, the plants had grown a nice mass of roots up and over the edge and water seeped right out.

Added two inches to the back down slope edge. And this is with the entire front edge having areas for the water to seep over.

 

[GBBUDD]

i had the same issue with the bog growing so well and so much the water level increased so fast and so much the sides quickly became too low and the water was overflowing the sides. i had to add extensions onto the liner as Murphy's law would have it the main bog was the only place i didn't have a ton of overlapping material "edpm" my recommendation is to have at least 8 inches or more from your Known water height in the bog to start and if it's anything like mine 4 inches will be consumed in the first year .

 

[mrsclem]

Wish this thread was started 2 years ago! My bog started overflowing last year. I do have about 6-8" of liner but since the bog is a raised wooden box, there are nail holes that need to be patched.

 

[Lisak1]

We had a similar issue with our bog, so bog builders BEWARE! Ours didn't overflow and the liner was still fine, but our gravel did settle quite a bit, After the first year we had to add a good bit more to the top. I like my bog to have a few inches of water over the gravel, but more than that and it can be challenging to get some plants to grow as the water depth might exceed their preference.

 

[addy1]

Mine sank, since it is so darn big I added some bags of pea gravel here and there. I have some areas that I built up above water level and some below water level. I also have a "river" down the middle of the bog to help alleviate the built up roots water diversion issues. Over the last 7 years I have done nothing but groom plants, did build up the back down slope edge about 4 years ago and have one low spot to build up. The dirt berm I build ages ago has sunk a bit over the years, which sinks the support of the bog edge. Which as deer walk on it snacking on plants causes a bit of a tiny leak.

I would never go back to using man made filters. My bog keeps the ponds crystal clear, string algae free. And no maintenance except yanking plants.

 

[Lisak1]

And no maintenance except yanking plants.

Which is just gardening anyway - and I'd much rather thin plants out of a gravel bog than the ground. So easy to deal with!

 

[addy1]

Which is just gardening anyway - and I'd much rather thin plants out of a gravel bog than the ground. So easy to deal with!

No kidding I just yank and toss over the edge. Once a year I do a good purge, at the end of the season, ow it is just to keep some room for water flow.

 

[mrsclem]

Restarting both my bogs this week. We still haven't had any real winter and the koi are looking thin so going to start giving them a little wheatgerm food.

 

[addy1]

My hogs are nice and fat, munching hornwort all winter and whatever else is in the pond. I am thinking of turning on the bog this week. I might stick a light bulb under the covering of the pump, if the power went out the pump could freeze if we get a cold night. It never has gone out but why take the chance. External pump.

Everything is budding and growing, it was 16f this am though.

 

[Lisak1]

If I could change only one thing about our yard it would be to add another 100 feet or so to the back. I'd love to be able to have a place to dump trimmings and what not. I compost a lot of it now, but only have so much space. I've had to get pretty creative over the years to keep most of the organic waste in my yard instead of sending it off with the trash. My older neighbor next door (himself fan avid gardener, but one of the MiracleGro, spray the weeds with RoundUp types) used to give me the side eye when he would see me dumping my grass clippings in my bushes. He was sure they would stink and just lay there. 30 years of dumping grass clippings and all I have is nice dark, rich soil. Never a smell, breaks down into almost nothing. Same with all of our leaves - I got a leaf blower/vacuum that chops and bags my leaves and those all go in my garden beds. I wonder at the people who think it makes sense to pay for leaf bags, bag them all up and then send them off to be disposed of. Use what nature gives you!

Not sure what any of that has to do with a sinking bog - haha! Suffice it to say BIG BOG FAN HERE !

 

[addy1]

We are lucky, almost 4 acres, some of it wild woods, ours, that I just take my tractor and dump trimmings in. I end up with piles that are 10 feet tall and it all just disappears.

Lines approximate, purple is where I do most of my dumping

 

[GBBUDD]

so glad i dont have 4 acres hell id probably have a motocross , heliport , and i would probably have a pile of boulders 6 stories tall

 

[Jhn]

so glad i dont have 4 acres hell id probably have a motocross , heliport , and i would probably have a pile of boulders 6 stories tall

Have a 1 acre yard for the business, have about 8 dump Truck loads of rock in the yard at the moment.

Now if I can just keep my haulers drivers from dumping the rock so it rolls into the river as it comes out. Don’t need my barge sitting on a 3000lb. rock. Going to get a few dump truck loads of round river rock ranging in size from 30-3000 lbs from him for a project.