PLANTING AND CARE OF WATER PLANTS
FLOATING
PLANTS
Planting floating plants can be as easy as tossing them into the water, but if the water flows too rapidly for the plants to stay in one place, they will not do well. whenever possible, get them caught up in some of the existing plants or in an area where they will not be vulnerable.
SURFACE PLANTS
Lotus are related to water lilies, but with an important difference in the root system. Water lilies have rhizomes while lotus have elongated tuberous roots. Choose a sunny location preferably without flowing water, proportional to the variety of lotus to be grown. Lotus plants produce long runners over the course of the season and have the capacity to run away from their pots. for this reason, give the plant the deepest pot that you can. The pot should be arranged so that the top of the container is 6-12 below the surface of the water. Using amended soil, fill the container to within 3 or 4" of the top. Cover the soil with 2 - 3 of sand, and slowly fill the container with water. Follow that with at least 2" of black lava rock and cap that with the rest of the sand. Lower the container into the water and set the tuber ONTO the substrate, embedding it slightly in the sand and weighing it down with stones. Burying the tuber into the soil may cause rotting because of bacterial activity in the soil.
Choose pre-sprouted plants for the best chance of success. The first several leaves will float. These are followed at some point by emergent leaves. New soil may not require supplemental feeding for the first season, whereas second year plantings will require feeding. Using a 12-8-8 at first, followed by 3-12-12 to force flower. Dead leaves would be removed about 1" about the water line. Every two or three years, pots should be re-worked, i.e., emptied, cleared of dead tubers, get new soil, etc.
Water Lilies may be planted in trays or pots. Trays are useful in shallow ponds. Kitty litter trays work well for small ponds and larger trays, of course, work well for larger ponds. Cover any holes with a layer or two of newspaper. Add enough unamended soil to the bottom of the pot to reach slightly above the holes. On top of this add amended soil. If the plant has long roots, try to involve them with the soil as it goes into the pot. This avoids lumps of roots that may rot before they grow.
Place hardy lily tubers so that they sit at about a 30 degree angle at the top of the soil with about 2/3 of the tuber in the soil and the growing tip protruding slightly above the top of the soil. If the pond has koi in it, stop the soil about 3" from the top of the pot, add a thin layer of sand (1/2"), then a thick layer of 1/2" to 1" crushed cinders or lava rock. Tamp the pot in the ground a couple of times to squeeze most of the air out of the soil, lower it into the pond slowly to let the remaining air escape. If the plant is shorter than the water is deep, it will usually reach the surface within a couple of days. Hardy lilies will grow in anything up to about 5' of water.
Marginal or Bog Plants may be grown in pots or trays. Trays need no holes because the soil is able to breathe through its comparatively large surface area. Plants will grow to a size that is directly proportional to the size of the pot, with a given soil mix.
Cover the holes in the bottom of the pot with a single layer of newspaper. Pre-moisten the soil with a small amount of water.
Fill the container 1/4 cull with soil for bog plants. Place aquatic plant into the container, spreading the roots as you do. Continue to fill with soil, shaking the pot gently to ensure that the soil is evenly distributed among the roots.
Fill the container to within two inches of the top rim. Gently tamp the pot on the ground to remove any trapped air. Cap the top of the potting with sand.
DO NOT BURY THE ROOT STOCK OF THE PLANT.
If the pond has koi or goldfish in it, stop the soil about 3" from the top of the pot, add a thin layer of sand (1/2"), then a thick layer of black lava rock. Tamp the lava rock down to tighten it. On top of the lava rock, add another layer of sand to seal the surface. If there are no koi present, sand alone will do the job. A 2" thick layer is fine.
Tamp the pot on the ground a couple of times. This squeezes most of the air out of the soil, which ensures that minimum soil will get blown out into the water as the air escapes into the water, and the pot is less likely to tip over in the first few moments after having been lowered into the pond. Merely lift the pot a few inches off of the ground and drop it. Lower it into the pond slowly at first to let more of the remaining air escape and you are done.
Submerged or Oxygenating Plants can be planted the same as the Bog Plants.
Planting floating plants can be as easy as tossing them into the water, but if the water flows too rapidly for the plants to stay in one place, they will not do well. whenever possible, get them caught up in some of the existing plants or in an area where they will not be vulnerable.
SURFACE PLANTS
Lotus are related to water lilies, but with an important difference in the root system. Water lilies have rhizomes while lotus have elongated tuberous roots. Choose a sunny location preferably without flowing water, proportional to the variety of lotus to be grown. Lotus plants produce long runners over the course of the season and have the capacity to run away from their pots. for this reason, give the plant the deepest pot that you can. The pot should be arranged so that the top of the container is 6-12 below the surface of the water. Using amended soil, fill the container to within 3 or 4" of the top. Cover the soil with 2 - 3 of sand, and slowly fill the container with water. Follow that with at least 2" of black lava rock and cap that with the rest of the sand. Lower the container into the water and set the tuber ONTO the substrate, embedding it slightly in the sand and weighing it down with stones. Burying the tuber into the soil may cause rotting because of bacterial activity in the soil.
Choose pre-sprouted plants for the best chance of success. The first several leaves will float. These are followed at some point by emergent leaves. New soil may not require supplemental feeding for the first season, whereas second year plantings will require feeding. Using a 12-8-8 at first, followed by 3-12-12 to force flower. Dead leaves would be removed about 1" about the water line. Every two or three years, pots should be re-worked, i.e., emptied, cleared of dead tubers, get new soil, etc.
Water Lilies may be planted in trays or pots. Trays are useful in shallow ponds. Kitty litter trays work well for small ponds and larger trays, of course, work well for larger ponds. Cover any holes with a layer or two of newspaper. Add enough unamended soil to the bottom of the pot to reach slightly above the holes. On top of this add amended soil. If the plant has long roots, try to involve them with the soil as it goes into the pot. This avoids lumps of roots that may rot before they grow.
Place hardy lily tubers so that they sit at about a 30 degree angle at the top of the soil with about 2/3 of the tuber in the soil and the growing tip protruding slightly above the top of the soil. If the pond has koi in it, stop the soil about 3" from the top of the pot, add a thin layer of sand (1/2"), then a thick layer of 1/2" to 1" crushed cinders or lava rock. Tamp the pot in the ground a couple of times to squeeze most of the air out of the soil, lower it into the pond slowly to let the remaining air escape. If the plant is shorter than the water is deep, it will usually reach the surface within a couple of days. Hardy lilies will grow in anything up to about 5' of water.
Marginal or Bog Plants may be grown in pots or trays. Trays need no holes because the soil is able to breathe through its comparatively large surface area. Plants will grow to a size that is directly proportional to the size of the pot, with a given soil mix.
Cover the holes in the bottom of the pot with a single layer of newspaper. Pre-moisten the soil with a small amount of water.
Fill the container 1/4 cull with soil for bog plants. Place aquatic plant into the container, spreading the roots as you do. Continue to fill with soil, shaking the pot gently to ensure that the soil is evenly distributed among the roots.
Fill the container to within two inches of the top rim. Gently tamp the pot on the ground to remove any trapped air. Cap the top of the potting with sand.
DO NOT BURY THE ROOT STOCK OF THE PLANT.
If the pond has koi or goldfish in it, stop the soil about 3" from the top of the pot, add a thin layer of sand (1/2"), then a thick layer of black lava rock. Tamp the lava rock down to tighten it. On top of the lava rock, add another layer of sand to seal the surface. If there are no koi present, sand alone will do the job. A 2" thick layer is fine.
Tamp the pot on the ground a couple of times. This squeezes most of the air out of the soil, which ensures that minimum soil will get blown out into the water as the air escapes into the water, and the pot is less likely to tip over in the first few moments after having been lowered into the pond. Merely lift the pot a few inches off of the ground and drop it. Lower it into the pond slowly at first to let more of the remaining air escape and you are done.
Submerged or Oxygenating Plants can be planted the same as the Bog Plants.
WATER
GARDEN PLANTS
Floating Plants float freely on the surface of the water and can be placed in all areas of the pond. They grow quickly and require periodic thinning. by shading the water with their leaves, they reduce the amount of light needed for algae to grow.
Examples of floating plants are Water Hyacinth, Water Lettuce, Sensitive Plant and Parrots' Feather.
Surface Plants have their roots in soil and leaves on long stems that float on the water's surface. By blocking sunlight, they also inhibit the growth of algae.
Water lilies are surface plants. Tropical or hardy, they are easily grown and make great plants for the average pond or container water garden. Other surface plants include Lotus, Water Hawthorne, Variegated Four-Leaf Water Clover and Yellow Floating Heart.
Submerged or Oxygenating Plants are plants whose leaves remain submerged under water, rarely protruding above the surface. They may root in soil or float freely. these plants are importnat in maintaining the quality of the water in the pond. they produce oxygen for use by both plants and fish. By utilizing nitrogen produced from decaying plant material and fish waste products, they deprive algae of nutrients.
Submerged plants include Hornwort, Cabomba, Anacharis and Jungle Vall.
Marginal or Bog Plants prefer their roots and lower parts submerged. They may be planted in the shallow areas of a pond or in very moist soil at the edge. In the pond they compete with algae for available nitrogen.
Black Taro, with its large burgundy to black heart shaped leaves contrast well with the tall sword-like foliage of Sweet Flag or variegated Sweet Flag. Other interesting marginal plants include Zebra, Corkscrew and Horsetail Rush, aquatic Canna, purple or pink Pickerel Rush, variegated Water Celery, Cardinal flower an dDwarf Cattail.
Floating Plants float freely on the surface of the water and can be placed in all areas of the pond. They grow quickly and require periodic thinning. by shading the water with their leaves, they reduce the amount of light needed for algae to grow.
Examples of floating plants are Water Hyacinth, Water Lettuce, Sensitive Plant and Parrots' Feather.
Surface Plants have their roots in soil and leaves on long stems that float on the water's surface. By blocking sunlight, they also inhibit the growth of algae.
Water lilies are surface plants. Tropical or hardy, they are easily grown and make great plants for the average pond or container water garden. Other surface plants include Lotus, Water Hawthorne, Variegated Four-Leaf Water Clover and Yellow Floating Heart.
Submerged or Oxygenating Plants are plants whose leaves remain submerged under water, rarely protruding above the surface. They may root in soil or float freely. these plants are importnat in maintaining the quality of the water in the pond. they produce oxygen for use by both plants and fish. By utilizing nitrogen produced from decaying plant material and fish waste products, they deprive algae of nutrients.
Submerged plants include Hornwort, Cabomba, Anacharis and Jungle Vall.
Marginal or Bog Plants prefer their roots and lower parts submerged. They may be planted in the shallow areas of a pond or in very moist soil at the edge. In the pond they compete with algae for available nitrogen.
Black Taro, with its large burgundy to black heart shaped leaves contrast well with the tall sword-like foliage of Sweet Flag or variegated Sweet Flag. Other interesting marginal plants include Zebra, Corkscrew and Horsetail Rush, aquatic Canna, purple or pink Pickerel Rush, variegated Water Celery, Cardinal flower an dDwarf Cattail.
Be sure to
purchase your plants from reputable suppliers. It is never a good
idea to obtain plants from the wild. Many water plants found in
the wild are rare and protected by law. By removing them from
their natural surroundings, you may endanger their survival and damage
the delicate balance of the surrounding ecosystem.