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FAQs on Pond Plant
Care
Related Articles: Pond Plant Care, Pond
Maintenance, Spring Pond Maintenance, Winter Maintenance,
Related FAQs: Pond Maintenance, Spring Pond Maintenance, Winter Maintenance, Pond Maintenance, Spring Pond Maintenance, Winter Maintenance,
Some plants are fine in small quantities, but can
quickly grow out of hand. Including the Duckweeds in this
group.
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Aquatic Gardens
Ponds, Streams, Waterfalls & Fountains:
Volume 1. Design & Construction
Volume 2. Maintenance, Stocking, Examples
V. 1
Print and
eBook on Amazon
V. 2
Print and
eBook on Amazon
by Robert (Bob) Fenner |
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Nymphaeaceae Repotting Question 11/23/14
Greetings Crew,
I was wondering if I could repot some water lilies by simply
transferring existing containers (2gal pot) to a larger grow bed,
opposed to removing old pots.
<Yes; can be done; though better to re-pot, cut away old/dead parts...>
The lilies are sending out runners thru drain holes in pots. The new
grow bed is loaded with fertile soil. Just wondering if the smaller pots
will stunt growth or will plants escape from pots just fine?
<I'd remove the Lilies from their existing pots>
Ideally I would like the lilies to grow as large as possible. Thanks for
the great site. Aloha Brandon
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Floating islands on dam after killing some water lilies
1/9/16
Hi
I found some information on your website about our problem. After using
roundup on some of our water lilies,
<What?!!!!! No!!!!!>
we now have an ugly floating island.
The terrapins love it, and we see lots sunning themselves on it. However, it is
not a pretty sight and we would like to somehow remove it. The problem is that
the area is hard to get to with machinery. One suggestion on the aforementioned
information was to pull the island out, but this will be too difficult.
<Wade or float in w/ a snorkel mask, cut the dead pads off underwater about a
foot>
The water is otherwise healthy apparently, as evidenced by the frogs and
terrapins, and lots of visiting wild life. If there is no other solution, can we
grow something on it to disguise it?
<Remove the dead parts>
My daughter is getting married and wants to have the wedding at home so I would
like this area to look
its best. It is far too deep to get in and try to manually put it out. If
this is a viable option, what would you suggest?
We also have recently had a lot of yellow bladderwort trying to take over and
this particular variety is not pretty. We have been pulling it out by hand from
the banks.
<This is the best approach to its control for now. If/when you happen to be
draining the pond... bleaching it; we can/will talk>
Kind regards
Victoria
<Bob Fenner>
Victoria
Fertilizing mistake in pond = overabundance of string algae
due to phosphates 5/15/09
Hello, WWM Crew!
<Anita>
I really need some help with a "newbie" ponding mistake.
<Ok>
My 500 gallon pond is just under 1 year old and contains goldfish and
plants. I live in zone 5, Northeast Ohio.
I planted a few new marginal plants about 3 weeks ago in aquatic
planting media (NOT clay) and fabric planters. Well, the string algae
starting growing and showing up like crazy, taking over the pond and
choking out the submerged plants (hornwort, Anacharis).
<Happens in such settings... newly unestablished ponds...>
I found out (the hard way!) that you cannot fertilize plants that are
planted in aquatic media and fabric planters, as the fertilizer tabs
leech into the pond, resulting in SUPER HIGH phosphate levels, which
string algae just love!
<Ah yes>
Here is my dilemma: My phosphate levels are at least 10 ppm
<Yowzah!>
(the test kit tops out at this level). 2 days ago I added 1 dose of
Phos-Out, and the level did not change. Yesterday afternoon, I
performed a 30% water change and added another dose of Phos-Out. I
tested the water again this
morning, and the phosphate level is still 10 ppm.
<... time to...>
What is the best, safest and quickest way to lower the phosphates?
<Take some water out, remove the fishes, dump all and re-pot the
plants>
I did take the fertilized plants out of the pond, and I was planning on
flushing them with water to (hopefully) get rid of the remaining
fertilizer tab.
<Oh! Good>
On a positive note, I hope posting my mistake keeps someone else from
making it.
<I as well>
Thanks very much in advance for your help!
Sincerely,
Anita
<As stated, the best course of action here is to simply dump, rinse,
re-fill the basin... and change out the potting medium, use less
soluble source of nutrient for your plants. Bob Fenner>
Pond gravel 4/28/09
We have an outside pond and my wife and I cannot agree if we should
leave the bottom just natural using the liner or should be put a layer
of pea gravel down.
<No on the gravel... is more than just a mess... becomes a
bio-hazard in time...>
We will have different pond plants
<Put these in blind pots... per what is archived on WWM>
as well as goldfish. My wife read that it is a bad idea to have gravel
and I say it is just the owners preference. Please advise. thanks.
<It's a poor idea I assure you... mulm, detritus, gunk gets in
and over... makes cleaning a very much harder chore. I strongly
encourage you to skip.
Bob Fenner> <<Mmmm, RMF may have mis-read... I would not put
gravel down, but something "softer" as an underlayment...
Carpet is best, but there are commercial products made as well to place
twixt the ground and liner... At any length, sharp rock and roots need
to be removed that may come into contact with the liner.>>
Mesh baskets for pond plants? Hi WWM crew, thanks for your
past advice. <Howdy> I have two ponds with water lilies and a few
other plants. What is your opinion on using a mesh
baskets? Some people say that it leads to healthier
plants since the roots have easier access to nutrients in the water,
but I have also heard that the soil just leaches out into the pond in a
very short time. What is the truth? <I have seen
and on a few occasions used these, but by and large am not a big fan
for exactly the reason you state... they leak whatever mix of soil et
al. is in them. Consider the circumstances that these plants live in
"in the wild"... no mesh baskets, no ready flow of water
through their root areas. Bob Fenner>
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Aquatic Gardens
Ponds, Streams, Waterfalls & Fountains:
Volume 1. Design & Construction
Volume 2. Maintenance, Stocking, Examples
V. 1
Print and
eBook on Amazon
V. 2
Print and
eBook on Amazon
by Robert (Bob) Fenner |
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