Tips on Creating An Amazing Koi Garden

Owning a Koi pond garden delights all of those that get to experience it. Whether you are adding Koi to an outdoor pond garden that is already in existence or you are building a pond garden specifically for Koi, you need to consider several important factors.

When most people think of a garden, they think of plants. There are several different kinds of gardens and they are all rewarding in their own way. But, what the typical garden lacks is made up with a Koi garden. This type of garden mixes several different elements and molds it into a health, thriving system. A Koi garden typically consists of three major parts; the pond, Koi fish, and plant life.

The depth and size of the pond is extremely important. A pond that has a depth of at least four feet will provide enough room for Koi to thrive. Water at that depth also provides Koi with protection from dangerous predators like cats and raccoons.

Because Koi can grow to large sizes is another reason they need space. Larger ponds allow the possibility of adding more Koi once you feel comfortable in caring for you garden. Once you have planned how large your pond will be, consider where you are going to place your Koi garden. The best place is out of direct sunlight.

Although placing a pond under the shade of a tree provides your garden protection from flying predators, it also allows debris like leaves to fall into the water. It will also have to be in a spot that will avoid it from coming into contact with pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Even a small amount of the average lawn chemicals can destroy Koi fish.

Unfortunately, plants and Koi fish do not co-exist well. But, that does not mean that you can’t have any plants at all. Koi fish can sometimes give their owners a hard time when it comes to keeping them in ponds with potted plants. They will sometimes “dig” in the soil or it is possible for the larger ones to knock the plant over which may lead to a messy pond and can create annoying problems for the owner.

This problem can be solved by placing netting over the tops of the pots, to keep the fish from digging in them. Or you can place pea gravel, and then larger river stones on top of the plants. That will keep Koi from invading the pots. Koi will also forage the bottom of the pond munching on the plant’s foliage.

Lilies are a great choice of plant for your Koi garden. There are several different varieties to choose from. Some lilies do very well is shallow ponds while others thrive in deeper water. Although they are not known as oxygenating plants, they provide shelter and shade for Koi.

By considering your Koi garden as a whole rather then just the plants or just the Koi, your Koi garden is sure to be beautiful and thrive for many years to come.