Easy Pond in a Pot is Perfect for Small Spaces

The sound of water is soothing. The sound of trickling water is even more soothing and the sight of fronds waving in the breeze and a glimpse of gold or white fish can be thrilling to the senses. Few people, however, have the space or the means to develop a large pond with all the trimmings. Not to worry. A few simple steps is all you need to enjoy a little water feature built out of a pot.

Watertight Container is the First Requirement

You have several options for your water-tight container and they can be available fairly inexpensively at warehouse locations like Costco or a flower nursery. A half-barrel or a large heavy plastic pot with a dark interior works well. It is essential that the container is leaf-proof with no drainage hole in the bottom. The dark-color of the interior will discourage and/or mask the growth of algae. Even small containers will work but a container that can hold at least 20 litres of water is ideal. Of course, the larger the container the more choices you will have for aquatic plants and for fish.

Building Up the Pond

Creating your little water feature is easy to do. Follow these few steps and enjoy for the rest of the summer. Apartment dwellers should remember that each litre of water weighs one kilogram so you should check with your building management to ensure that your balcony can handle the additional weight.

• Choose a spot for your pot-in-a-pond. If you want to fill it with plants and fish you will need at least six hours of sun exposure each day. Once filled, the container will be impossible to move.
• Make sure that the surface where you place the container is flat so that the water will remain level once you have filled the pond.
• Fill the planter with water and let it sit for a couple of days to allow the water to warm up to ambient temperature.
• You can build up some bricks at the bottom of the container so that plants can be placed at different heights and fish have an interesting environment to swim in and safety spots to hide from marauding cats, raccoons and herons.

Time to Add Some Plants and Fish

Floating plants such as water hyacinth and water lettuce can be tossed into the pond and left on their own. Both are tropical plants and should be discarded onto the compost heap at the end of the season.They are both aggressive plants and absorb huge amounts of excess nutrients from the water, ensuring cleaner, clearer water. They also shade the pond and offer hiding spots for fish. According to Canadian Ponds Online water hyacinth or lettuce should be controlled as they are very aggressive. 50-70% coverage of the pond is ideal. Just pull out the excess plants, they will come away easily, and throw them onto the compost.

Adding a tall, spiky plant like dwarf papyrus to the mix will create interesting textures and heights. There are plenty of different plants to choose from. If you choose a water lily, make sure it is a dwarf variety. Papyrus needs to grow in soggy soil so make sure that it remains in the container you buy it in. Tie the container to a brick so that it doesn’t float around. Submerged plants help to absorb excess nutrients and fish wastes.

Common goldfish come in a variety of colors such as gold, white and black. Some have multi-colored patches while others are solid. Do not feed them once they are in your pond. They can survive well on insects and nibbling on the vegetation.

Water Pump and/or Fountain

You can add a little water pump (some are available for as little as $25.00) to keep the water moving and thereby discouraging mosquitoes from laying eggs or hatching. If you have goldfish in your pond, they will take care of the mosquitoes. A little statuary fountain is nice if you have the room but not necessary at all.

Maintaining Your Pond

Don’t be worried if your pond turns cloudy from algae growth after a couple of weeks. This should clear up once your mini-ecosystem of plants, water, fish and sunlight balances itself.

According to Better Homes and Gardens two-thirds to three-quarters of the water surface should be covered by plants to control algae from forming.