In the pond community, there is an age-old debate regarding whether or not to use rock and gravel in your pond.  Ask a pond enthusiast what their stance is and they are bound to provide you with a long-winded, yet well-supported, definitive answer. We are pro-pond gravel and here are five reasons why.

Hold Your Liner in Place

First and foremost, installing gravel over a pond liner helps to hold the liner in place, just like how you can use a rock to keep a napkin from blowing away at a picnic. If you don’t use rock and gravel, air bubbles can form underneath. This can lead to your pond liner bubbling up over the surface of your pond, creating an unappealing formation in the middle of your beautiful water feature.

Gravel Enhances the Ecosystem

Gravel can attract healthy bacteria to your pond by providing a habitat for beneficial microorganisms. These minute organisms become food for fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects as well as bacteria and algae that live on the rocky shore. These bacteria can then help break down decaying plant matter and fish waste, turning it into usable plant nutrition.

Without gravel, this decaying plant matter and fish waste will simply pile up on the bottom of your pond, creating an icky, slippery layer of muck. Reduce the amount of muck in your pond by installing rock and gravel. You’ll find that your pond will require less maintenance then as well!

Pond Gravel Naturalizes the Pond

In addition to being an essential ingredient to the overall ecosystem of your pond, rocks and gravel help to create a natural feel for your entire water garden! They can be used to naturalize a water feature, create waterfalls, and increase the biological activity in and around the entire pond.

Prevents Slipping

If you are a pond owner who likes to wade into their pond, whether it be to trim aquatic plants or get up close and personal with your fish, then you are probably aware of how slippery your pond liner can become. It is much safer to enter your pond when there is a layer of rock gravel to step on.

Gravel Protects Pond Liner from the Sun

Just like how the color of your furniture may begin to fade when placed in front of a window for too long, your pond liner is also susceptible to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Increase your liner’s longevity and protect it from the sun by utilizing a layer of rocks and gravel.

 

Gravel not only helps to support the ecosystem of your pond, but also protects your liner, makes your pond safer to walk in, and enhances the natural feel of your entire water garden. Next time you are asked about gravel and its importance, use this five reasons to support why you are pro-gravel too! Contact us for more information.