Still need help, Questions about Pond Plants............

I hope NO one thinks I want them to spend time researching something
for me. After all we all have time limits, and almost every question
asked on this board COULD be researched by the person posting if they
knew where to go and had the time to do it. I just wanted some of the
abundant knowledge the "Pond People" have gain from their time with
their gardens. I just don't have any, as my pond doesn't even have
water yet. LOL. But when I can officially join "The Pond People" by
having some pond care knowledge I will reply to others who don't have
the time to first figure out if what they are asking is important and
then where to look for the answer. Not all of us are computer savvy
either, my husband is a google master, but I take awhile to find the
right search words. Thanks for the tip, Ouida

On 10 Aug 2005 13:26:25 -0700, "Ann505"
wrote:

I hope NO one thinks I want them to spend time researching something
for me. After all we all have time limits, and almost every question
asked on this board COULD be researched by the person posting if they
knew where to go and had the time to do it. I just wanted some of the
abundant knowledge the "Pond People" have gain from their time with
their gardens. I just don't have any, as my pond doesn't even have
water yet. LOL. But when I can officially join "The Pond People" by
having some pond care knowledge I will reply to others who don't have
the time to first figure out if what they are asking is important and
then where to look for the answer. Not all of us are computer savvy
either, my husband is a google master, but I take awhile to find the
right search words. Thanks for the tip, Ouida


Here's a site i like for plants:

http://www.azgardens.com/

some people have complained about them, I've had good luck.

When you get into books, my current all time favorite is "encyclopedia
of Water Garden Plants" by Greg Speirchert and Sue Speichert.

Border's book store sometimes has very inexpensive water garden books,
a good excuse to go to the store.

The main function of potting aquatic plants in a heavy soil is not so
much for fertility, as to provide the plant with stability, to anchor
them. Quite a few aquatics put out considerable top growth through
their season, it does not take much imagination to see the yacht like
foliage of a handsome iris sailing briefly into the sunset to sink in
the deepest part of the pond one windy day, when a suitable breeze
whisks a small pot from it's moorings

Any ordinary heavy soil is fine, any mix of clay, sand and heavy loam
will work for most aquatic plants. The main function of potting any
aquatic plant is to anchor the plant and to protect the vital feeder
roots while they establish and get a good grip.

Many aquatics main source of fertility is foliar feeding, they rely
rather little on roots other than to anchor them, typically the
waterlilies and submerged aquatic plants such as hornwort, anacharis,
water poppy, water poppy etc

Any heavy dark loam, sand, clay combination will work well for
aquatics, stuff that stays where its put in a pot. Fairly easy to find
if you don't mind using a shovel... If you dig down a foot deep in an
area where soil is fertile and deep and take soil at about that depth,
that usually has the best fertility and consistency

One caution, make sure the organic content is low within a pot.... any
leaves or roots are likely to decompose fast in water, within the
confines of a pot that is likely to get a bit yacky, creating a
chemical reaction where acidic levels can become strong enough to
'burn' roots

A school of thought on fertility I'm following is mainly mineral rich
(clay with a dark loam), fertility poor early in the year, adding
fertility by liquid feeds to the water as algae's diminish, if it looks
like blooms need a nudge (which they don't usually)

Evidence for me of the 'school of thought' working was indicated here
this year by a shy blooming waterlily variety (Aurora) forming blooms a
lot faster than it is supposed to. The minerals get the root structure
up to speed, without the grief of algae blooms diverting and locking up
pond fertility (pet theory)

Regards, andy
http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html
----------------------------oo--------------------------------

Ann505 wrote:
realize that the plants are not in "water", but soil So can I just
take these plants and shake all the soil off then put in my pond? It
seems they would die? I did find a list of plants to try. Also what can
I use as "soil", pond soil is very exspensive, 6.47 for a small bag?

Ann505 wrote:
Well not too many people posted to my last question, but thank you to
the three who did However I'm still confused, I went to look for pond
plants at Walmart and home depot as someone suggested, and I now
realize that the plants are not in "water", but soil So can I just
take these plants and shake all the soil off then put in my pond? It
seems they would die? I did find a list of plants to try. Also what can
I use as "soil", pond soil is very exspensive, 6.47 for a small bag?
I also have just a few questions about my filter, what else might a
place like home depot call a Bulkhead fitting? I just couldn't find it,
maybe this is the wrong kind of store?? The person I asked said that he
hadn't heard of it?? And I didn't see anything there like the online
picture. About the lava rock, I got a bag of this today and it's very
small like gravel, and very heavy? It's the only one they had, but I'm
not sure how this would stay out of the sediment area of the filter?
Sorry for the confusion, but I'm very new to this and have no clue when
it comes to pond plants. Ouida

On 13 Aug 2005 03:35:07 -0700, "devil dog"
wrote:


Ann505 wrote:
Well not too many people posted to my last question, but thank you to
the three who did

I'm sorry you didn't get what you were looking for on the first try,
but how you post a quoted message? It looked old to me and I usually
ignore such messages. It would help if you limit the number of
questions in a message too. Put new subjects in new messages because
people tend to overlook the parts they don't address and it becomes
lost as the thread changes.

However I'm still confused, I went to look for pond
plants at Walmart and home depot as someone suggested, and I now
realize that the plants are not in "water", but soil So can I just
take these plants and shake all the soil off then put in my pond? It
seems they would die? I did find a list of plants to try. Also what can
I use as "soil", pond soil is very exspensive, 6.47 for a small bag?

Depends on the plant as to how well it will adapt to "wet feet".
Some don't, canna is tough and you can shake the dirt off and tie it
to a rock or put it in a bucket/net/ bag of rocks and place it in
water to a depth just over the root. Other plants require more TLC
and some like water hyacinths are floaters and just tossed into the
water. I like parrot feather as a filter plant because it grows year
round for me and I start it by placing a few cuttings in a 10" flower
pot filled with river pebbles and put the pot on the bottom of the
tank. I start a new pot in the fall and by spring the 4x8 pond is
covered.

Soil in my pond usually comes from one of my flower beds, but a pond
planting medium depends on who you want to listen to. Everything
from kitty litter to stone is used by different people. Some swear
by clay for lilies and others tie lilies to a rock and toss them in.
(Fish will eat the new shoots so don't do this in a pond with fish.)

I also have just a few questions about my filter, what else might a
place like home depot call a Bulkhead fitting? I just couldn't find it,
maybe this is the wrong kind of store?? The person I asked said that he
hadn't heard of it?? And I didn't see anything there like the online
picture.

I bought my bulkhead fittings online because my local building supply
houses didn't carry them either. Do a Google search for bulkhead
fittings and you can probably save some money, but here is a place
that has most anything you need for ponds. I went to the bulkhead
search:
http://aquaticeco.master.com/texis/m...ch/mysite.html

Since bulkhead fittings are so expensive some use NPT (national pipe
taper) threaded fittings and GE Silicone sealant on smaller pipe
sizes. I have 4" PVC and spent the money for bulkhead fittings.
No regrets.

About the lava rock, I got a bag of this today and it's very
small like gravel, and very heavy? It's the only one they had, but I'm
not sure how this would stay out of the sediment area of the filter?


Sounds like you may have gravel. Lava rock is very porous with air
spaces in the rock and is light for it's size compared to gravel or
stone. A 5 gal bucket of gravel or river rocks will weigh around 80
pounds. You won't be able to get 80 pounds of lava rock into a 5
gallon bucket.

Lava rock although providing a lot of area for helpful filter
bacteria to attach, has a couple downsides that plastics don't. It
sheds, and it is more difficult to clean. I avoided it and perhaps
someone who uses it will answer your questions if you start a new
header something like "Lava rock questions" and try to explain how you
are using it.

Sorry for the confusion, but I'm very new to this and have no clue when
it comes to pond plants. Ouida

Most of us here are open to new ideas about plants and there are many
that benefit the pond. My lilies are grown in large pots with garden
soil and stones covering the soil to keep the fish from vacuuming
through the soil looking for edible delicacies. I fertilize them and
doubt they reduce the pond nutrient load, but they do cover a large
area and provide shade for the fish and help keep the water
temperature down during summer. There are other potted plants that
some find beneficial, but I think of them as shade or decoration.

Floating plants are probably the most beneficial nutrient removers
because of their fast growth and nutrient requirements to support
growth. They grow and absorb nutrients produced by fish waste and we
toss them out when they become too numerous thereby removing nutrients
from the pond.

There are also the so called "oxygenators" plants that live underwater
and contribute to the reduction of nutrients and produce oxygen. (My
favorite is anacharis.) All plants produce oxygen when they
manufacture food using sunlight, but when the sun goes down they use
oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide. Since they grow more slowly
than floaters and don't do as well with floater since the sunlight is
reduced by the floaters above them, I favor the floaters. I still
keep a 10' pot of stones to anchor a few anacharis, simply because I
enjoy looking at the plant and especially their tiny bloom, that pops
up on top of the water.

Regards,

Hal