Small trees/large shrubs for bog filter?

[addy1]

Thalia is another tall plant. I had one in a window box bog and it grew to over 8'. It does bloom but can't remember what the flowers look like.

I have one in a lowes bucket in a shallow part of the stream. Kitty litter and a blue bucket with a ton of holes. It stays there all winter, very little of it under water, freezes and comes back every spring. Right now growing and yes it gets really tall.

 

[GBBUDD]

Again roots only shoot out as far as is the canopy on average and yes i know what your getting at i also planted a red bud right up close and personal but i also placed protection between the tree roots and the liner

 

[GBBUDD]

But as anyone who has had there sewer line get clogged maples ": full size" and willows are notorious for seeking out these lines and growling into the joints of pipe. and your talking dwarf species

 

[gello22]

I'm one of those fools with a shade pond. Far right 30' clump sugar maple, middle 30'+ autumn blaze maple, left edge 25' ash tree. even with a 15gallon skimmer basket it still means lots of netting with a heavy fish net and tea colored water until the end of June, but when down on the lower deck you wouldn't know we had neighbors.

So far no roots directly through the liner however this weekends job is to find the feeder for the root growing though the joint between the skimmer and liner. (under the cedar slats under the stairs) pond was put in May 2013.

 

[gello22]

I assume the roots will also find any seamed liners as well.

 

[combatwombat]

@gello22: Looks awesome! The more I research how tree roots grow, I think you're right. Trees don't poke holes in liners. They find holes that already exist and exploit them—like the seam between your skimmer and liner or an imperfect weld in a seamed liner. They may also send surface roots that will go over the liner and, as they increase diameter, will push the liner down causing a low edge. Or maybe as they increase diameter along the edge of a liner, stretch it beyond its bursting point.

But the idea that a tree will say, "Look, a pond! Let's poke a hole!" seems almost impossible. I think people find tree roots in a hole in their liner and assume the tree put it there when it was already there and the tree just moved in after finding the moisture outside the liner.

 

[GBBUDD]

unfortunately the liner sweats and when that happens it's bait for the tree's and the roots just go right through it. look at what it takes to dig a hole and tree roots do that without steel and you don't think they can puncture a thin rubber liner. heck it grows right through non woven fabric with ease. no where will you find that it stops live roots only that it is protection for hard dry roots

 

[GBBUDD]

The seams are also a vulnerable point as the lip if the roots hit that spot they can lift the joint with ease. Look at your driveway or your neighbors who's tree roots have lifted the asphalt people think roots are not much to worry about in many ways . well after 40 years in construction i beg to differ and i can show you the dollars that have be spent or root damage to sewer lines drive ways even a gunnite pool though that looked like spotty workman ship to begin with. thats why i always caulk my seams at least you then stand a chance the weakest point of the root being the very tip may grow right past the seam