My Permaculture Pond Story

I started making this pool at the end of 2020, if I'm not mistaken in October. When it completed, I'm satisfied, it's beautiful and there is a water feature at the back of the house. A sense of peace when the water sounds. This pool is part of the component that I plan to have in my Permavillage. Originally to be used as Azolla pond. But when the azolla is placed, the rainy season all the azollas disappear because they are splashed out by the heavy rain. This means that the azolla is not suitable for this pool. I have to think to use other means. So we put the fish first. Below is a picture at the end of 2020.

 

After a few months, I watched the water go down and down. The longer the shallower. There must be something wrong with this. The scenery that was originally beautiful has become bad. Feeling bland when you see a beautiful pool damaged in a short period of time because the process to complete the pool is not easy and tiring. I noticed weed roots penetrating the pond. It should be that the water is getting less and less water, apparently there is a leak from the bottom of the pond due to the hole produced by the sharp weed roots.

As a result the pool was damaged. At first it felt like I wanted to poison the grass, but it was against my principles. I have to think of another better idea. I don’t want to use concrete because it becomes a permanent structure. I want it to look original and natural.

When something like this happens, don't give up quickly, we are looking for another solution. But make sure it is not the same solution because the result will definitely be the same. A more natural solution is to look for clay and resurface the pool, but there are no clay sources, far away and may consume a lot of capital. For this time, I tried to use bentonite clay (a natural material) to retain water.

 

 So among the lessons I learned from the construction of this pool. Do not rush to add water. Make sure we plan exactly the steps of our work so that it is right.

Cerita Kolam

Aku mula buat kolam ni pada akhir tahun 2020, kalau tak silap pada October. Mula siap memang puas hati sbb cantik dan ada water feature kat belakang rumah. Rasa damai bila bunyi air. Kolam ni adalah sebahagian komponen yang aku rancang mesti kena ada di Permavillage aku. Asalnya untuk dijadikan Azolla pond. Tapi bila letak azolla, time hujang tengok-tengok semua azolla hilang sebab tepercik keluar. Maknanya xsesuai lah letak azolla utk kolam ni. So letak ikan dulu. Bawah ni gambar pada hujung 2020.

 

Selepas beberapa bulan, aku tengok air semakin turun dan turun. Makin lama makin cetek. Pasti ade something yang tak kena ni. Pemandangan dah xsecantik dulu. Tension pun ada bila tgk jadi mcm tu.... Ya lah, nak korek bukan main penat juga. Then aku mula nampak ade lalang yang keluar dari tengah2 pond dan tepi. Patutlah air boleh keluar, rupanya dah ade kebocoran akibat akar lalang yang tajam,

Kolam ni rosak bila akar lalang punch pondliner. Terasa silap aku tak racun dulu....Tp aku ni anti racun..Erm...macamana nak buat tu eh.... Idea asal utk pakai concrete, tp ubah sbb xnak ade permanent structure dan supaya nampak lebih organik/natural. Jd aku pakai pond liner(plastik hitam khas utk kolam). Bawah pondliner aku letak used canvas sebagai lapisan utk halang liner daripada kenal batu2 tajam yang mungkin boleh juga mengakibatkan kebocoran.

Bila berlaku macam ni, Jgn cepat putus asa, kita cari solution lain. Tapi pastikan ia bukan solution yg sama kerana hasilnya pasti akan jadi sama juga.  Solution yg lebih natural adalah cari tanah liat dan resurface kolam tp xde sources tanah liat, jauh dan mungkin makan modal byk lg.. Utk kali ni, aku cuba utk pakai bentonite clay(bahan semulajadi) utk retain air.. Kita tgk hasil mcmana 

 

 So antara pengajaran yg aku dapat daripada binaan kolam ni. Jangan terburu-buru masukkan air. Pastikan kita rancang betul-betul steps kerja kita supaya ia betul2 menjadi. Ni kalau dah letak air, nak patah balik baiki memang penat dan melecehkan.