So I am in the process of building a pond, and I have several old stumps left over from when I had the land cleared. Mostly oaks. I've put several down in the pond already.
My questions:
1. Is it ok to put a few green stumps in the new pond from freshly pushed over trees, mainly oaks?
2. Would it be ok to put an entire green tree down in the pond. The tree I want to put down in it is about 3 ft in diameter and probable 40ft long, thats whats left of it. I would like to put it in long ways with the stump part in the deep end and have the rest of the trunk part of it sticking out of the water and upon the bank. Making a log for turtles to climb on and a shade for fish to get under.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Hey, Bfree. Welcome to Pond Boss!
I'm not expert by any means, but until they come along I'll put in my 2 cents.
First of all, I think it's okay to put in a green tree. My pond has a bunch of pine trees that were taken down then carefully placed to create cover. Pines aren't the best, they are very acidic and, being soft wood, deteriorate faster than hardwoods such as oak. So in my opinion, you're fine with green hardwoods.
Second, it matters where you place the trees. In the middle of deep water they may be rarely used by the fish -- especially if they are below the summer thermocline. In very shallow water they may be weeded in during the summer and attract few big fish even when they aren't.
In my pond, fish whisperer Bob Lusk recommended that the root side of the tree be placed so that it just broke the surface against the shoreline when the pond filled. The tree top was put on the bottom in 10 or so feet of water and anchored with dirt so it wouldn't float away. Floaters aren't used much by the fish and they can clog up spillways.
Small fish need dense cover to survive. So if you wish to help them out, you might put the treetop near the shore so they can use it. In my case, Bob was thinking bass fishing. The tree trunk is great for attracting big fish, and also is much easier to pull a lure thru without getting hung up!
Hope this helps. Best of luck!
