Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Easy PVC Tree Structure

In Ellis,Cty (Texas) our ponds are still suffering drought conditions. I was interested in Brettski's idea of PVC trees and this weekend was able to attack due to the depth of the water. I used 4" rubberized septic pipe for the trunk, I offset the holes to the side and slid the whole thing over T posts I had banged in. Worked like a charm. No concrete, no bucket and a lot less work, I think. Will only work in the shallower areas however. Final test will be this spring (after we have filled) and maybe they will be covered with big crappie...........I will keep you posted

This sounds like a good post-fill modification to PVC tree installation.

That is a Ray Scott method adaptation. Good job !

Here is a concept to think about. Drive a post ( PVC or metal or hard wood 2in. dia. )into the pond bottom in deep water (12 + feet) so the post extends 2 feet above the full pool level. Make your structure items so they will attach to a 4in. pvc collar or metal ring and balance them side to side. Tie trot line rope to the collar or top of the structure so the rope will run up the post. Put the collar over the post and lower it to the depth you want (seasonal) and tie it off to the post. Raise it up or down as you like and you will always know where it is because the post is there. Later raise the structure to the surface add some fresh wood branches or whatever and lower it back. You can even stack them and have structure at different levels at the same time. Get creative. One of my adaptations of the Ray Scott idea.

Here is another. Same post method but no collar. Take xmas trees and remove from 10 to 50 % of the branches and tie small trot line string to the top or middle or bottom to the tree depending on how you want them to hang from the post. Think about what you want first. Then tie them in sequence to the post so the string runs up the post. Example - in 12 ft of water have the first tree ( 50% branches on a 6 ft tree) tied with the line 12 in down from the top of the tree with a 6 ft string and tie it off to the post 2in below water level. The tree will water log and sink to a standing position 1 ft off the bottom covering the 11 to 6 ft depths. Next take a couple trees ( 6ft 60 % branches) and tie them in the middle by weight with a 5 ft string and tie them to the post 1in underwater. They will sink and hang in a horizontal position at 4 to 6 ft deep. Then take a fat short xmas tree ( 4 ft 70 % branches) and tie the string to the bottom of the tree with a 1 ft string and tie it to the post at water level . It will sink bottom up from 5 to 1 ft . Thinner standing cover from 11 to 6 ft for predators with cover over them ( shade) at 4-6 ft not so thick horizontal cover for intermediate sized bait fish followed by thicker cover near surface for small bait fish. Think it out and design what you think best.


.

don--i like your t-post tree idea--sounds simple and easy enough---will try that in pond i am planning on building---should save me much time and effort---how many of these would you put in a 2.5 to 3 acre pond? thanks

Depending on their size no more than 1 or a couple together (to make 1 structure) per acre. So in your case 3 structures spread out around the pond. Try to cover the water column from 10 to 2 feet deep. Leave the real shallow areas 1-3 feet for shoreline cover like fallen trees , brush (xmas trees)piles , pallets or rocks.

When I came on board with the PB forum, Bob Lusk answered a post that I made WRT initial pondsite excavation. Within Bob's answer, eloquent and chock full of info as always, he mentioned that whatever decisions I make will have an effect on the next 4 generations, min. Amongst his many wisdoms, this one stuck. As a result, I am trying to do everything, within controllable reason, to consider who will be enjoying my work when I am a long past memory. I have had people tell me "what do you care, you'll be long gone". That's not an acceptable posture for this project. This is why I am doing my best to do things that will last the longest.
Donmorgan is right, it will be a little easier to pound in a tee post. I applaud his engineering...it makes sense. I considered the same, but elected to use the buckets with concrete. Why...what's the diff? In dollars, nothing. In labor, gotta pour the bag of concrete in with water and mix it; then move it into final position. The T-post has to be sledge-hammered in. The only difference, and this is gonna sound silly, was that I believe that a mass of concrete will still be there in 50 years and a T-post may not. Should I be allowed past St Peter, I wanna be looking down when the new owner says "man, whoever built this thing really knew what he was doin'". This thought satisfies me.

I think the concrete will last longer too, Brettski. A T-post has a half-life of 20-30 years above ground. The part right at the surface rusts the fastest. I'm not sure how long they'd last submerged, but I 'd still put my money on the concrete.

Now for post pond fill structure addition, I may be using the T-post based trees myself some day.

Why use either ? Use a piece of 2 inch pvc. Dig a hole put it in add a small amount of concrete in the hole including inside the pvc. Then you have a permanent post to put the larger dia. pvc as described above over. No more work with many more options including when the pond is full.

how about this idea--decide on how tall you want your "trees" based on area of pond you are placing them and how deep you want to set them in the ground---cut 2 inch pvc to appropropriate lengths and predrill a hole in the 2 inch pvc in the top and above ground level then set the 2 inch pvc in hole with concrete as mentioned above---thru the holes in the 2" pvc tie a matching 4inch drain pipe to the outside of the pvc at the top and bottom using either pull plastic ties or copper wire---then asemble your branches in the 4 inch drain pipe--should be easier to haul and assemble it all at the "tree" site??

I intend to simply drive a bunch of 3' long, 3/4" PVC pipe "stickups" into the ground. I guess I will place them in arrays of around 10' long and 4'-5' wide, spaced about 18" apart. It will simulate a bamboo grove or grass. I really don't see the need for horizontal limbs. Since the pipes are not structural, even ultra-cheap polyethylene should work fine.

am about to have construction begun on 2.5 to 3 acre pond--am considering trying a little of both tree and stake bed methods--with the stakes i was wondering about them loosening and coming out over time. have you seen this done and how well it holds up? the "trees" using either t-posts or "concreted in" pvc pipe shouldn't come loose over time. so much to think about structure, places for fish to bed, dock, stocking, etc. hope the pleasure after all that is worth it--am sure it will be.

The easiest PVC structure to make is with old lawn furnature. They are common and free. Just tie a bunch of them together, put a weight on them and you have it.

I may have missed this thought early on in this topic. but for depth adjustment I was trying to figure away to have the pvc post set then have the tree truck{pvc} slide over it, then have a float at the surface that you could lengthen the rope to raise or lower the structure to the desired depth in the water, or as the water level lowers due to dry weather the structure would lower to maintain the desired depth.

Question for you guys using these PVC "tree" structures. Have you had any problems with algae growth on these structures over a period of time?

I've had artificial christmas trees in my pond for a little over a year and they currently look like one big algae mass.

Ype pvc will grow the alge, that is good that kicks off the food chain. It should be as matted though on pvc as it would be with dens Chirstmas tree.

Thanks for the reply Greg but did you mean to write, It should NOT be as matted though on pvc as it would be with dense Christmas trees.