planting pond plants

planting pond plants

Koi Pond Supplies > Choosing and Planting Pond Plants

Choosing Pond Plants (cont')

In the first part of choosing and planting pond plants you got some good tips. Here are some more ideas from Brett Fogle.

Don't smother your pond with plants, however. Start with half the surface area, and don't let them cover more than two-thirds to three-quarters at their growing peak. Overcrowding stresses them out, and hey - it just looks bad!

Don't let the terms "hardy" and "tropical" throw you when choosing plants for your pond. Just remember that these terms refer to the environment in which the plant has originally been adapted - and not to whether it can be thrown across the room or how well it looks in a fancy mixed drink.

Hardy pond plants, as a rule, can handle cold temperatures and frost. Of course, this is relative to your USDA agricultural zone, found here: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. Ask your plant professional or check the plant's label before taking home that plant that does great in Hawaii, but not so great in Maine.

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Tropicals, on the other hand, pretty much hold true to what they're called: They will take a nosedive if temperatures get much below 70 degrees, turning into a messy mush if it freezes.

But, ah, Grasshopper, there are ways to save even those hardy plants that aren't quite up to a northern blizzard, as well as those tender-toed tropicals with which you've fallen madly in love.

Bury hardy pond plants, pot and all, into a south-facing part of your yard and cover with a thick, warm blanket of mulch. Or put them into a garage or basement, making sure they're kept wet and have good air circulation.

Tropicals, on the other hand, need light and moisture year 'round. If you don't have a greenhouse, place tropicals in your sunniest window and keep misted, several times a day if possible, to provide the humidity they crave in order to flourish. "Grow lights" do a fabulous fake of the sun, however, and many tropical pond plants thrive under them.

Let's click on for Brett's final insights and planting pond plants tips.

Planting Pond Plants