Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Small Island

CJ, my experience is accidental, when I started to fill the pond 2 small Islands popped up and their held in place by the roots from the trees I cleared out of the gully, how's that for luck.
The ground in that section of the pond was wet and boggy and the soil up here is pretty thin.
As I've mentioned before, all around the Islands are plenty of fish,insects,frogs, not to mention the occasional Herron, but I think they're after the frogs cause it drops off into 5 ft. of water.

Have you thought about wrapping the mesh around the entire frame, creating two layers? I would be afraid that the mess will pull away from the frame. this happened on netting I put over my kids sandbox. It was a mess until I wrapped it above and below the frame.

Brian, you have a good point, maybe put the peatmoss and dirt in, then zip tie a layer of fencing over it, but I would have to cut holes in it to put the plants in. If you started everthing from seed then you wouldn't have to make any holes.
I think with the height of the noodles and pipe on the outside it should keep the dirt and plant mass together, but if my pond was subject to high wind and wave action I would definitely put a layer of fencing over the top.
I'm also planning to put pvc across the frame to give it more strength.

The first plant I put on the natural floating Islands I have was a pickerel weed. 2 years ago I got a scrawny half dead pickerel plant at the Lowes garden section, It was on sale for 3 bucks (I'm kinda cheap), so I got it to put on one of the islands. Later that summer I gathered about 8 pickerel plants from the lake nearby and put them on the Islands.
All the plants survived and grew well like everything else growing on those Islands.

Here's that scrawny little plant after 2 years.

Pickerel weed is pretty!

That picture is of a floating island? That looks great! What do you do with the islands (or the one you are making) in the winter? I would think they would have problems with the ice.

Those natural Islands are smart, they sink in the late fall, I guess because the gases help keep them up when It's warm, in the spring they pop up again. during the winter you can only see some of the tall cattails sticking up. The Islands stay in place cause of the roots of the trees that use to be there.
I'm gonna leave the artificial Island in next winter to see how it holds up.

Those are smart islands. You are lucky to have something like that naturally in your pond.

Would you believe it if I told you I planned it that way.

If you look in the background of the pond you can barely see some of the Islands taller cattails above the ice. The picture was taken March 25, still 12 inches till full, and open along the bubble hose.

I decided to reinforce the frame with 3/4" pvc.

I dug up some pics of the natural floating Islands to show how gases help hold them up and they sink when the water gets colder.

Early Sept.


Early Nov., they've sunk a little over a foot.

Very neat natural floating islands. So they sink to the bottom in what 3-4 feet of water?

blair, I don't think they sink to the bottom, their in about 4-5ft of water and appear to sink 1-2ft before they freeze in.
As soon as we have ice out I,m going to check their depth, maybe next week, we just got a couple inches of snow up there and they're predicting cold temps. all week.

IMO, the most bang for your buck comes by planting local native species that are already established in or near your pond. This decreases mortality and tends to attract more critters due to natural relationships within the ecosystem/community. On the other hand, if the wife wants flowers...don't argue with her. This might disrupt your own human community.

Yea Richard, like the saying goes, if the wife ain't happy nobody's happy. She really doesn't care, but said she would like to see more color on the pond. Right now were thinking cardinal flower, bee balm, monkey flower, and aster.
I don't mind putting some colorful flowers on the artificial island cause the natural islands have plenty of pickerel weed, cattails and other bog type plants.
If this small island works out I'm gonna make another one bigger and use flexible pipe to give it a more natural irregular shape.
Now just waiting for ice out and warmer weather.

They calling for snow in the Adirondacks tonight? I was going to head up to our hunting cabin in PA this afternoon and fish the creek this evening and tomorrow in between work up there, but with the 2-4 inches of snow they're calling for tonight and 1" of rain they're calling for tomorrow, I decided to pass...

CJ, It's suppose to be in the 20's every night for the next week, not to mention the snow tomorrow, I was hoping for early ice out this year, but not to be.

I guess Punxsutawney Phil lied this year... This is my least favorite time of year. I just want winter to be over, those rare days here and there when we get into the 70's is just a tease and I am in VA far from northern NY weather!

I checked the floating island on friday and measured the depth to the stump on the island, it was 19 inches lower than during the summer when it's above the water.
Ice is gone now and it should start surfacing soon.

Island 2 days ago.

Large Pickerel weed under water.

Just wanted to check to see if you have launched your new island yet?

Coach, I'm planning on launching the ss minnow this weekend, I've been busy finishing my electric otter fence and waiting for warmer weather cause I didn't want any frost killing the plants.
If I get it done I'll post pictures when I get back, I'm gonna look for some water loving plants tomorrow.

I got the artificial island launched this weekend, put 70lbs. of peat and dirt in it and floats great, I'm still looking for flowering water plants for it, Lowes was suppose to get some in this coming week, when I get them put in I'll post pictures.

Great! I am planning on building one this summer. I look forward to the pictures.

I did make some small additions of foam noodles to the island which will be shown in the photo's.

Looks great. Can't wait to see you posting pics of some monsters out of there.

Thanks RB, but I've got to lick the winterkill problem first, hopefully this will be the year.