Creating shadow for my future duck pond

Discussion in 'Designing, building, making and powering your life' started by Veganbill, Feb 20, 2012.

  1. Veganbill

    Veganbill Junior Member

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    I intend to have a duck pond in a few years. I want it shaded from the merciless hot summer sun as I am in southern Turkey. I am also in the mountains where temperatures can drop to -8 Celsius in winter. Should I plant a tree on in middle of pond for future island? Maybe I could cover whole pond like an umbrella this way. Any ideas on this or types of trees.

    If I put a mulberry, is it bad for the water if fruits fall in it?

    Should I use a nitrogen fixer?

    Should I put a tree to attract birds instead?

    I would love some input on this. My ducks will eventually walk around freely on 1 hectar. I never had any ducks and wonder how many ducks I will need. I will have many fruit trees on that hectar of land. I already planted a couple of dozen of mulberry trees.

    I am asking early because I know I'll need to plant the tree many years before I make the pond and get the ducks....

    Thanks
     
  2. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    I wouldn't be too concerned about a tree dropping mulberries. I'm pretty sure the ducks would clean the dropped fruit up, and so would any fish in the pond.
     
  3. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    Is there a reason you don't want to shade the water with water plants?
     
  4. Veganbill

    Veganbill Junior Member

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    No reason. I want layers and layers of vegetation. Of course I'll have water plants. I also want bamboo if I can ever find some. In middle of summer it gets really hot on my land, almost desert like heat. I am surrounded by wheat fields but slowly but surely everybody is planting orchards. I have to get my permaculture food forest going for them to have a good example. :)
    So basically I know I need water plants but a big umbrella type tree hovering above the pond looks great in my mind right now, like a tree of life. But mulberry is so slow. I am thinking of a autumn blaze maple for esthetics. Would look striking and would grow fast enough.

    Still not decided though
     
  5. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Mulberry slow? It must be a feature of the different climate. My mulberry tree went from knee high to above head height in one year, and thick. In the second year I have had to prune it hard to keep it small enough to be able to reach the top branches, and I need to do it again soon - it'll be 3 years old this Easter.
     
  6. Veganbill

    Veganbill Junior Member

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    I had heard that mulberries were slow to grow, but around here I hear a lot of weird stuff. Thanks for the info. I just planted 30 mulberry trees and will plant more this coming weekend. Planting all along my road on both sides, dreaming of grafting them together one day to form an arch. Maybe I should do this for pond also.
     

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