Choosing and establishing plants for ponds

Consider the following when selecting plants.

How deep is the water? This will be a factor in establishing plants and their survival over winter if you live in colder regions. Some species need a minimum depth of 2 to 3 feet to grow well.

Is your pond permanently installed in the ground or is it a small tub that will be moved inside in the winter? In this case, even tropical plants may be an option.

Will you drain your pond in the winter? If you intend to drain your pond, you should consider plants that can spend the winter in a basement in a dormant state.

How much sunlight does your pond receive?

How large is your pond? If your pond is small, consider dwarf species. Purchase plants from a reliable vendor. Remember to include some oxygenator plants such as elodea.

Emergent and submergent plants should be planted into pots. A wide assortment of pots is available, from plastic baskets to pulp planters.

Choose pots that are large enough for your plants.

If using baskets with numerous perforations, line the basket with burlap or 2 layers of newspaper to keep the soil from falling out of the holes.

Fill the container about half full with a mixture of good garden topsoil. Do not use potting mixes or peat moss. These are too light and will float out of the pot. Adding aquatic plant fertilizer to this bottom layer of soil is recommended for some species. Follow directions on the label for amount.

Place the plant on top of the soil and fill the container with topsoil within one inch of the top.

When planting water lily rhizomes, make a mound of soil in the middle of the pot. Place the rhizome at a 45 degree angle. The crown of the rhizome should be toward the center of the pot. Cover the roots with soil, but not the crown.

In all cases, add a layer of gravel to the top of the pot. This will help keep the soil from floating out and prevent fish from digging in the soil.

Slowly place the pots in the pool to keep soil from floating out. Place pots on bricks to get the desired height.

Floating species can be placed directly into the pond with no other care needed.

Plants should cover 50 to 70 percent of the water surface. Native plants usually do not need fertilizer. For some exotic water lilies, limited fertilizing once yearly may be required. Check with your nursery on care of plants and how deep to place potted plants. Be aware that over fertilizing may cause unwanted algae blooms which can rob the water of oxygen.

Continue.....