A huge tree grows beside a backyard pond, providing shade and a place to rest while watching the water ripple at the end. What this image leaves out is when you are ready to pull out your hair over the maintenance caused by building a pond also near a tree. There’s potential danger and annoyance caused by digging in a tree’s buffer zone. Digging away is essential to avoid harming your pond, wildlife along with the tree.
Falling Leaves
Leaves and needle droppings are a major hassle in a pond. Depending on the size and application of the pond, it might not be practical to pay for it when leaves are falling in prosperity. If not skimmed out frequently, leaves sink to the bottom of the pond and build up. Oxygen has a tricky time making its way down to the bottom of the pond, which permits hydrogen sulfide to build up beneath the layer of leaves. With any stirring, the toxic gas is discharged, harming aquatic life. If you do not keep out the leaves or skim regularly, you may end up with a cloudy pond, dead fish along with a muck of slimy leaves to scoop. If you are not ready to skim frequently or cover your pond, then construct your pond approximately 100 feet from the nearest tree to stop leaves from blowing into the water.
Danger to Trees
Trees have large root systems which spread far and wide. Digging deep near a tree may cut to the main root system, weakening it or possibly killing it. You may not see these consequences for up to five years, so don’t assume that a tree which looks healthy when you first dig will continue being that way. To ascertain how far off is secure to dig, measure the width of the trunk, in inches, at approximately arm’s height. Multiply the diameter from 1.5 to get an concept of how many feet the main roots extend. As an example, a trunk with a diameter of 20 inches, multiplied by 1.5, means crucial roots extend 30 feet. The exception to this rule is when dealing with wetland trees, like willow (Salix spp.) , whose roots can extend up to 100 feet. Digging in any buffer requires great care and also you need to attempt and avoid it.
Pond Lining
Even when you’re outside of the buffer zone for major tree roots, smaller roots produce their way much further and will still reach towards your pond. Trees growing in standard soft dirt have roots extending two to three times the height of the tree. Those in clay dirt extend even further — five or more times the height. Even though the roots are far-spreading, trees are not generally damaging in nature and frequently get a bad reputation for destroying water heater and pipes linings. What is true about trees is that they’ll take advantage of a fantastic thing. When there’s a place they could get water readily, the roots will seek it out and use it. Tree roots will take advantage of tiny flaws and split a lining open that is weak or has small holes. To avoid this, make sure you buy a high-quality lining ranked at 45 mil.
Wetland Trees
Moisture-loving trees, like willows, utilize a lot of water and seek it out aggressively. In case you have one of these trees inside root-reaching distance of the pond, then it’ll be glad to consume your pond. Even though this is not a major concern for a huge pond, water levels in small ponds can drop dramatically in the event that you have a wetland tree nearby. Monitor water levels and hope to have to refill during hot weather or droughts.
Alternate Plans
If you’ve decided you still want to have trees near a pond, but do not need to harm existing trees, you are able to plant a new tree nearer to your pond compared to the buffer zone of a tree that is established will allow. Maintain a distance of approximately 20 feet from the water’s edge so that the root processes do not erode the pond borders. Two options for this are the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and weeping willow (Salix babylonica). They do not have excessive leaf drop, are not as thirsty as several wetland plants and provide shade.