Planting the Pond
Goals:
To make the pond attractive: (color, texture, variety)
To avoid stagnation: (Oxygenating plants and/or a pump)
To control algae growth: (reduce nutrients and cover surface 60%)
To minimize maintenance with a naturally balanced ecological system.
Plant types:
Waterlilies - provide surface cover and beautiful blossoms.
Lily-like aquatics - provide surface cover and color interest
Lotus- provide beauty and add a vertical dimension to the garden.
Bog plants (emergent) - add color; some add a vertical element; some spread
and provide surface cover; some will
send roots into the water to reduce the nutrient level.
Oxygenators - as they grow they add oxygen and remove nutrients.
Floaters - draw nutrients from the water and provide surface cover.
How many???
Calculate pool size:
average width_______x average length_______=_______sq. ft.
Multiply by 2/3 or .60 to determine sq. ft. to be covered
Quantitiy---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------sq.
ft covered
_______________......................Waterlilies occupy (average) 9-12 sq. ft......................________________
_____________..“Floaters” multiply fairly rapidly but don’t skip, algae grows rapidly too!..______________
_______________....................Some emergent bog plants will spread also....................________________
_______________................................................Other................................................._______________
________________................oxygenators - add one plant for every 1-2
sq. ft................_______________
(They need sunlight to work so try to locate them in open water)
____________Snails (particularly the Japanese trapdoor snail) will consume
decaying plant ______________
material and filamentous algae. Allow 1-2 sq. ft. each