Making a Water Garden

Water plants are no more difficult to plant than garden plants. To restrain soil and to make the plants easier to maintain and, if necessary, remove for overwintering, water plants are usually planted in containers. You can buy plastic baskets made for the purpose or use regular plant containers or plastic dishpans (bore some holes for drainage). After filling the pond, let the water sit for a week or so before adding plants, so that chlorine in the water can dissipate.

Good garden soil, preferably on the heavy, clayey side, works well for water plants. Remove undecomposed organic matter, and don't add organic amendments such as peat and compost, which break down and cloud the water. Don't use potting soil or soilless mixes.

1. Planting a Water Lily-
   Fill a container with about 10 qt. of soil, pressing it firmly in place. Line open-lattice baskets with burlap to prevent the soil from floating away.
2. Hardy water-lily rhizomes are usually shipped dormant. Trim damaged roots and place the thick rootstock horizontally in the soil, the top of the crown and new leaf shoots, if any, exposed. Hardy water lilies spread in one direction from the rhizome, much like irises do, so place the rhizome near one side of the container to allow for subsequent growth. Insert tropical lily tubers vertically in the center of the container; the soil should cover the base of the stems but not the crown.
3. Spread a layer of pea gravel, 1/2-inch thick, to keep soil from floating free and to prevent fish from disturbing the plant roots. The crowns of hardy lilies should remain exposed.
4. Soak the soil with water from the pool. Lower a hardy lily into the pool until the soil surface is from 6 to 16 inches under water (no more than 2 feet deep). Don't put tropical water lilies out until the water in the pool has stabilized at about 70°F. To lessen the shock of transplanting, you can lower tropical lilies gradually into the pond, so that their developing foliage stays on the surface. Stop when the plant reaches a depth of 6 to 12 inches

Other plants-
Shallow-water plants and bog plants are planted in containers much the same way as you'd pot up a begonia for the patio. Use heavy soil, as described above, spreading gravel on the surface to prevent soil loss. Most of these plants will do well on a shallow ledge with the soil surface under several inches of water; others may be planted with the soil surface at or even above the water. Free-floating plants don't need soil to anchor them. Just toss them in (gently); some can be anchored in soil if you want to confine them to a certain spot.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE-
Like any container-grown plant, a water plant needs regular feeding; timing varies according to the plant and the type of fertilizer. Special tablets formulated for water plants are easy to apply just push them into the soil.

Water plants attract certain pests, and you'll have to decide how much damage you can tolerate before controls are warranted. If your pool contains fish or other wildlife, most pesticides are out. You can control aphids on water lilies (or other plants) by knocking them into the water with a well -directed spray from the garden hose. Zap caterpillars with the biological control Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt); encourage birds and beneficial insects. Good hygiene keeps down pest and disease problems, and helps keep water clear and inviting. Remove diseased and damaged plant parts as soon as you see them. Keep water clear of leaves and other debris.

Within the first several months your pond is likely to bloom with algae. As the plants mature and shade more of the water, the bloom should subside. If not, try adding some oxygenating plants, which compete with algae for nutrients, or fish, which eat algae. As a last resort, you can try chemical controls-be sure to find one that won't harm other plants or fish.

Plants hardy for your region can be overwintered in the pond if it doesn't freeze to the bottom; the layer of ice serves as insulation. Cut back foliage after a killing frost and place plants on the pond bottom. Fish can also overwinter under the ice, but you'll need to maintain an unfrozen area with a pond deicer to allow gases harmful to the fish to escape. If the pond might freeze to the bottom, remove the containers and cut away all growth above the soil. Cover each container with moist newspaper, enclose it in a plastic bag, and store where temperatures stay below 40°F.

Related Posts:

Comments Name Title Comment To prevent automated Bots form spamming, please enter the text you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.