Aquatic Plants
Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-726 -- More Projects »
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Plants in the pond are hard working. They help prevent the growth of algae and provide coverage for fish.
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Many types of aquatic plants can be used to cover a pond, but they perform different functions. The key is selecting the right combination of plants.
Deep-water plants include water lilies (figure A). They prefer full sun and a water depth of at least 12 to 15 inches. If the pond is deeper than that, set pots on bricks or plastic crates to raise them to the proper depth. Besides their exquisite blooms, water lilies' pads provide shade coverage that helps keep the water cool and slows the growth of algae.
Oxygenators are another category of water plants that are submerged. Hornwort is one oxygenator that resembles a weed (figure B). Since it doesn't have roots, just throw it in the pond and it will submerge itself. Fish use hornwort and other oxygenators for a spawning medium or a place to hide. Water gardener Soni Forsman recommends to add just one clump of oxygenating plants per one to two square feet.
Floaters, like water hyacinth (figure C) and water lettuce, provide surface coverage for the pond. Even more important, they have root systems that absorb excess nutrients in the water, essentially acting as a water-filtering system.
Marginal plants (figure D) provide height and texture with striking foliage and interesting flowers. They typically sit on the outside edge of the pond in shallow water (figure E).
Some popular varieties of marginals include sweet flag (Acorus) (figure F), Iris (figure G), pickerel rush (Pontederia cordata) and Lotus (figure H).
Making Your Pond Sparkle
With regard to pond maintenance, remove all spent blooms and dead debris. To help keep the pond clean, Forsman uses barley straw (figure I) because it decomposes in the water and helps inhibit the growth of algae. Also prevent algal growth and provide coverage for fish by covering about 60 percent of the pond's surface area with plants.Many water gardeners want a pond that is crystal clear but that's not always the best environment for fish or plants. Forsman's method of checking for cleanliness is to put her hand in the water about 12 inches deep. If she can still see her fingers, then the water is perfect.
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