Needed equipment
- Spade, also suitable for children
- Shovel, also suitable for children
- * PVC tank, minimum diameter 70-80 cm, minimum depth 40-80 cm
- Non-woven fabric
- Wheelbarrow
- Stones and logs
- Sand and soil
- Water
* tank option: If you use it instead of the PVC sheet, simply remove any stones and woods once the excavation is finished, put a layer of sand (if available) and place the tank. Finally fill the edges between the tank and the excavation with the resulting soil.
Maintenance
- Check that the water level is not too low, especially in summer; this could compromise the balance of the pond and the presence of animals.
- In autumn you have to clean the pond: remove the leaves and reduce the aquatic vegetation if it has grown too much (both on the edges and in water). Floating species, for example, if present in excess can subtract light from submerged ones.
- In winter avoid complete freezing of the surface, possibly providing some tap water.
- Do not make any action in the spring, because you may disturb the animals during their reproduction and egg-laying period, with the risk that they will leave the pond.
Realization
- Choose a flat area of the wild garden and work a little the soil to level it if necessary. Remove any stones, woods and what could affect the stability of the tank.
- Lay a layer of sand on the bottom if available, or one of non-woven fabric.
- Place the tank.
- Proceed with filling with water, following the same rules as in the previous example.
- Put some sand on the bottom of the tank, and place stones and woods to allow the animals to get out.
- The tank is not buried, so it has high edges that make it difficult to access some animals, especially amphibians. It will then be necessary to put stones around the edge, in order to create continuity with the surrounding environment and give way to the animals to be able to easily enter the water. It is then possible to cover some rocks with the soil, to allow the development of vegetation.
- In addition to the soil, place stones and trunks around the edges of the pond. They help the access of amphibians and also the creation of shelters.
Useful information
Let nature take its course! The best choice is to wait for the colonization of the pond by plants and animals in a natural way. DO NOT introduce animal species from the environment and in particular DO NOT introduce fish and alien species!
