Caring for Aquatic Plants
Aquatic plants are the workhorses of the water feature -- they deserve a little TLC.
Aquatic plants are both a beautiful and a functional feature of your water garden. And although they need very little from us to thrive, there are steps we can take to keep them under control, make them perform better, and enhance their beauty.
Water Lilies
Most ponds have or should have water lilies. Water lilies root on the bottom of the pond. Their stems grow to the water surface where a leaf or "lily pad" or bloom will emerge. Tropical water lilies buds and blooms will grow well out of the water like the photo above.
Water lilies can take over a pond so they should be potted.
Unless you want one giant root system on the bottom of your pond, keeping lilies under control in a pot or plant bag is best. However, that does mean they will need to be repotted every two to three years. Check out our video below. We will show you how to pot a water lily.
To bloom their best, Water Lilies should be fertilized.
Let water lilies have their day and put on a show! There's no better plant for enhancing the look of your pond. But in order to do that, they will need a little assistance. Use either a once a year fertilizer stake or monthly pond tabs. You will be so glad you did!
Marginal Plants
Marginal plants or shallow water plants are the natural filter of your water feature. While they are growing and thriving they are also consuming nutrients that would other wise feed string algae.
Plant them at the appropriate water level.
The most common issue with marginal plants are that they are planted too deep. Think of the water just as you would dirt on a terrestrial plant. You wouldn't plant the foliage below the dirt would you? As a rule of thumb, the crown or foliage of the plant needs to be above the water level for it to thrive. Many times shelves in ponds are built as safety shelves and they are too deep -- an area 4-6" deep works best.
For less maintenance, don't pot marginal plants.
If you have a gravel area that you can plant the marginal directly in, bonus! If you must plant your marginal plants in a pot, you will need to repot them as they become larger. Other wise they will stop growing and become root-bound -- essentially halting their filtering ability.
Marginal plants will get all the nutrients they need from the pond water. A good trimming in the fall or spring to remove all the decayed foliage will get them a good start to the growing season.
Floating Plants
There is not much needed for floating plants other then keep an eye on them. They will over produce like crazy! Make sure they do not cover more than 50% of your water surface. Just pull out the excess and discard or add to a compost bin.
To keep them from floating into skimmers, use our floating plant ring. This is also a great way to provide quick cover for fish.
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| Under this water lettuce is a ring to keep these plants in one spot. |
Find all your aquatic plants* and aquatic plant products
at our store location or online store.
*Aquatic plants are sold only at our physical store.
*Aquatic plants are sold only at our physical store.
Stop in and visit. We are happy to help with all your plant needs.
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