Greenhouse cover

[frloplady]

This year we decided to put a greenhouse over the pond.  Last year my pond was 37-38 and under 8-10 inches of ice.  I didn't like not being able to see the fish.  We have talked about a pond cover before.  Hubby got some hoops that were on close out at a local irrigation store so we went with those and this is what we got.

We needed to put a bend in the end of the pipe.  We don't have a pipe bender...or do we??  Farmer ingenuity!

Insert pipe


Start walking around the truck in a wide circle


Viola!  bend is in the end of the pipe!


hoop attatched to top of pipe pounded into the ground.

All the hoops are up.


The challenge of course is how to span the pond safely (it's 13-14' feet wide in most places) and get the middle purlin screwed in.
Hubby is into ham radio and he just happened to have a section of tower he'd not put up yet... plenty strong, not what I would walk across the pond on, but he was quite comfortable with it. 

As you can see our weather was deteriorating quickly.  You can see where the tower set overnight during the snow we got


DH said it wasn't bad working on the tower piece when he was over the part of the pond that had the slush floating..a bit more unnerving over the area where it was open water!

Plastic on, end closed off


The other end isn't quite as pretty as the vortex tanks stuck out.  Didn't even take a picture..

Here is the chief of the crew/supervisor and the one that makes sure people take their work breaks (see the stick under him? PLEASE throw the stic for the doggie..I mean supervisor)



Waterfall before the cover was on...  Pond water temp was 34 




Temp is usually 40-43 in the pond.  We've had 2-3 weeks of freezing weather.  Maybe 3-4 days above freezing.  Today it's above freezing, 33  and snowing.

The cover has so far withstood a 4-5 inch covering of snow.  It slides off during the daytime if it warms even a little.  I have a propane cannon heater I could fire up in there if needed that would take the snow off in a matter of a few minutes. 

Not sure what is going to happen to it this summer...that is a DH discussion that I'm not going to yet.  I'm just happy it's up and the pond isn't all ice.

[croft]

frloplady, that greenhouse looks very sturdy, I'm sure it will withstand anything this winter will throw at you. Hopefully the disassembly in the spring won't be too bad!

[tranquility]

Mary you and hubby did a great job.....can you just remove the plastic and put shade cloth on it for the summer?
Lawanna

[Jerry]

Great job!
I need to bend some pipe too.  I was going to have an awning co. do it, but I think your method will work fine. Now to spot someone with a truck!

The shade cloth for the summer will work well.  My research shows a 30% shade factor will do

[Jerry]

Mary, let me know what material you used.  Pipe ID etc.  Was it aluminum and what lengths were available?
Thanks

[frloplady]

I should clarify..the pipes were already hoops, we just needed the end "straight" to go into the stand pipes in the ground.

Jerry it's the type of pipe that would be used for chain link fence.  I'd guess at ID of 1-1.25.  I can ask hubby on that when he is in later.

When the irrigation company was doing these we could have gotten them in any width/length we wanted.  They have discontinued doing it.. I wanted their pipe bender!!!

I don't need shade cloth in summer.  The pond gets a lot of shade already.  Temp was at the highest 78 last year.  Not unreasonable at all.

The only way I think I can get those pipes to go away in summer is to do what I've wanted to do for a few years already.  Build a winter greenhouse specifically for them, about 5000 gallons, partially raised above ground in a "koi house" kind of building.  Similar to what you see in Japan with the 1 slant roof.  The south wall then could be totally glass/plastic all the way to the high end of the slant roof.  LOTS of solar gain.  I think I could afford to possibly even heat that at least a little bit.  I have a Bio-Wave filter that would be easy to move from the big pond to this winter pond keeping most of the available bio going.  Great q-tank/pond for new incoming fish in summer.

Hey I can dream can't I??  Hubby is handy enough this really isn't a total impossibility..just mostly 

[Jerry]

I am sure you guys will accomplish it.  I see pipe benders at Harbor Freight, but i'd sure like to see someone bend pipe before i do.
You said your pipes had the curve already. i have never seen that.
How's the apple Pie?

[Vickie]

I cover my ponds with 2x4s across the ponds,  and put plastic over 2x4s.Then I put some bricks on top of 2x4's to hold plastic down. I cover all but 1/3 of pond and put blocks to hold plastic down on sides of pond. I have a pond cam to veiw my koi on my tv in the winter.

[frloplady]

I have the pond cam to Vickie, but haven't ever set it up.

Why do you only cover 2/3rds of the pond?  Do you get snow?