Rigging up a net

[bagsmom]

My black gum tree is doing its usual trick -- dropping leaves early. It has begun! My pond is about 9 x 12 and it has lots of tall plants in and around, including elephant ears and lotus.

I ordered a big net -- 28 x 28. I'm thinking I'd like to rig the net up on some sort of tall "stakes," more like supports. Maybe something in the shape of a tall T. I could have the net above the height of the tall plants and let the excess netting drape down. On the viewing / sitting side of the pond, there are only very low plants. So the net would swoop down at an incline.

Has anyone done anything similar? I know it won't keep every leaf out, but it will help. The pond is also under my neighbor's very old, very large oak tree. IT hangs onto it's leaves till January!

Just wondering what I should make my supports out of. I'm thinking PVC?

 

[cas]

I don't know how heavy your net is, but I have a 14' x 14' net supported by green bamboo stakes. The net is really pretty light and doesn't need much to keep it elevated above the plants. In the picture you can see the stakes between the bridge and the pond and going up the hill.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

If you expect a heavy leaf drop, PVC may not be strong enough to support the weight, especially if the accumulated leaves get wet due to rain.
Don't you have a skimmer?

 

[bagsmom]

@cas -- your pond is so pretty!!!!! How do you keep the netting on the top of the bamboo stakes? I would think the bamboo would just go right through the holes in the netting.

 

[bagsmom]

If you expect a heavy leaf drop, PVC may not be strong enough to support the weight, especially if the accumulated leaves get wet due to rain.
Don't you have a skimmer?

Meyer, I do have a skimmer but I've noticed that many of the leaves get detained in the floating leaves of the pond plants and don't always make it to the skimmer. With all my decorative rock work, a lot of leaves get stuck in that too. My hope is that some of the leaves will slide down the inclined net, where I can blow them away from the area. If any leaves stay on the net, I'd try blowing them off, so they wouldn't accumulate too heavily.
I have a little long handled "grabber thing" that I have fun pulling stuck leaves out with -- but I have a feeling I won't be able to keep up after a while!

 

[Nyboy]

Cas ditto on pretty pond. I really like brick edging between lawn and flower bed, must make mowing much easier.

 

[EricV]

I suspend my net on garden flag holders: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1279234 like these. I didn't have problems with leaves since they tend to blow off the net, but it was not enough to hold up to heavy snow. If you need something taller, you can check into shepherd's hooks for hanging plant baskets.


I'm thinking this year when winter comes to put a PVC support in the center of the pond to keep the center higher than the edges

 

[cas]

How do you keep the netting on the top of the bamboo stakes?

I put black tape on the very top of the poles - just enough to make the top thicker than the holes in the net - the net is 3/8" mesh - so it holds the net up. In this picture you can see the tape and net better. I also used landscaping staples to secure the net at the bottom. The net is sloped so the wind will blow the leaves off of it. As Meyer said, if you are expecting a whole lot of wet leaves at once, this setup probably wouldn't hold up.

 

[brokensword]

emt conduit is pretty inexpensive and sturdy. Plus, there's a plethora of parts you can use to assemble into the shape you want. And if you get a pipe bender, you can skip elbows, etc.

 

[mgmine]

I lay the net on the water and stake it, it sinks a little below the surface and you can hardly see it. When there are leaves in the net I scoop them off.

 

[Faebinder]

Here is mine.

 

[sissy]

I used plastic pipe it is cheaper an easy to cut and made a hoop house from mine for shade .But window screening over sides of pond was done with electrical plastic pipe .Iy has a fluted end to except more pipe to make it longer .

 

[Tula]

@cas , your pond is lovely !

I've netted and covered my pond with a solar cover in the winter. In my experience, the PVC pipes, didn't hold up to wet heavy leaves, or certainly snow and winter winds. What did work was long boards, they're pretty thick....I realize it isn't pretty, but it works !

 

[cas]

Yes, my winter set-up is a lot different!

 

[bagsmom]

Of course -- I've ordered my net and figured out what I want to do.

Then the husband says: What about acorns?
Arrrrggghhh!