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Choosing Pond Plants
A pond without plants is like cake without icing. Pond plantsfight algae, give fish a hiding place against predators, andbeautify our own little slice of paradise to plunk down in at theend of a tiring day. Don't smother your pond with plants, however. Start with half thesurface area, and don't let them cover more than two-thirds tothree-quarters at their growing peak. Overcrowding stresses themout, and hey ? it just looks bad! Don't let the terms "hardy" and "tropical" throw you whenchoosing plants for your pond. Just remember that these termsrefer to the environment in which the plant has originally beenadapted ? and not to whether it can be thrown across the room orhow well it looks in a fancy mixed drink. Hardy pond plants, as a rule, can handle cold temperatures andfrost. Of course, this is relative to your USDA agriculturalzone, found here: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. Ask your plant professional or check the plant's label beforetaking home that plant that does great in Hawaii, but not sogreat in Maine. Tropicals, on the other hand, pretty much hold true to whatthey're called: They will take a nosedive if temperatures getmuch below 70 degrees, turning into a messy mush if it freezes. But, ah, Grasshopper, there are ways to save even those hardyplants that aren't quite up to a northern blizzard, as well asthose tender-toed tropicals with which you've fallen madly inlove. Bury hardy pond plants, pot and all, into a south-facing part ofyour yard and cover with a thick, warm blanket of mulch. Or putthem into a garage or basement, making sure they're kept wet andhave good air circulation. Tropicals, on the other hand, need light and moisture year'round. If you don't have a greenhouse, place tropicals in yoursunniest window and keep misted, several times a day if possible,to provide the humidity they crave in order to flourish. "Growlights" do a fabulous fake of the sun, however, and many tropicalpond plants thrive under them. Marginal pond plants ? those that grow around the edges, ormargins, of a pond ? can be either hardy or tropical. Some hardymarginals are cattail, plantain, and rush. Tropical marginalsinclude taro, spider lily, and water hibiscus. Of course thereare legions more to lust after in both hardy and tropicalmarginals. Place marginals with their pot tops one to six inchesunder water. Very tall plants, like cattail, can be moved as deepas a foot beneath the surface one they've gotten full-sized. Water lilies, however, like their water deep ? between 18 and 30inches ? after starting the season in the 6"-12" shallower end.This gives them a nice, springtime shot of sunshine to get goingagain. And when the plant pro recommends those funny-looking potswith all the little holes in them, go for it. Pond plants poketheir toes (roots) through them to develop tiny,nutrient-extracting feeder roots. Meshing with one another, theseroots provide stability and protection against wind, kids, pets,and adults that have a tendency to stumble into them. Fertilize pond plants when they need them. "Ha!" you say. "Andwhen is that?" Well, go back to your plant pro, the Internet, orthe plant label you so wisely saved. Each plant may havedifferent requirements, but one rule of thumb: Plants need muchmore fertilizer in warm-weather months than when it's cooloutside. So go have fun with your pond and your plants! Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and severalpond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthlynewsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter andreceive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining,just visit MacArthur Water Gardens>****************************************************************
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