How to Pot Water Lily Plants

The Pond Plant Girl Store

Water Lily Planting Instructions
Water Lily is easier to grow than most may think. An important rule to remember before planting any aquatic plants is that large fish (such as koi) and turtles will destroy your plants and eat them down to a nub. Therefore, water lily and other pond plants must be protected from destructive pond life. Water depth may be 18 inches to 5 feet deep. The prime depth for water lily is 2 feet deep. For best flowers, full sunshine is a must.
Natural Earthen Ponds: If planting in a natural earthen pond straight into the ground under the water, pot your lily in a biodegradable container, such as a cow pot. See www.cowpots.com . The water level should never go below 18” deep. So, if planting in a natural earthen pond, be certain to plant at a level where the water will still be deep in the summertime. Pot your lily and simply drop it into the water. Even if the water is 5 feet deep, the lily will continue to grow until it reaches the water surface.

Container Ponds and Water Gardens
Pot your water lily in a 1 or 2 gallon no-holes container. Place aquatic fertilizer at the bottom of the container and fill container with loam. The crown of the lily may be slightly exposed. Tropical Water Lily must be planted at the edge of the pot with the growing tip pointing toward the center of the pot. A slight 45° is recommended (slight angle) but is not an exact science. So, do not worry about exact measurements. Hardy lily may be planted at the center of the pot. If you are not sure if you have tropical or hardy, a good rule is to plant your lily tuber at the edge of the pot like a tropical water lily.

Over Wintering Tropical Water LilyIf you are in a cold region where your pond freezes solid, it is best to over winter your tropical water lily indoors. Here is a link from my water garden expert and friend that will help you succeed: http://www.oregonaquatics.com/Overwintering%20tropical%20lilies.pdf

Potting LoamA perfect recipe for potting loam is 1 part decomposed granite (DG) and 1 part bagged steer manure. Keep in mind that water lily are big feeders. However, too much fertilizer or too much steer manure and the lily plant will expel the unneeded nutrients in the water; which may cause added algae growth. DG can be purchased at any sand and gravel yard. I do not recommend purchasing bagged aquatic plant medium. It is far too expensive and is also too light weight and will make a mess. If you do not have access to DG, I am happy to ship it to you at cost in a flat rate mailer.

Growing Large Lilies
To produce large lily plants and large flowers you must have a pond that is at least 3 feet deep. Use a dark colored 20 gallon Rubbermaid tub (such as black or dark blue). Place a generous amount of fertilizer at the bottom of the container. Fill with potting loam and carefully sink down inside the pond. The pot will be very heavy. So, you will need 2 or 3 people to help sink a large potted lily.

GARDEN BLESSINGS,

GAiL

How to Grow Water Herbs

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How to Grow Mare's Tail

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Q: Hi! I am in South Florida, zone 9/10. Our pond levels increase and decrease with the rainy season. Would this plant be attached in soil or does it float? Would it live through a 2' pond level increase? And is this an ok time to start them here?

A: Mare's Tail can float, but similar to parrot feather it is not defined as a floating plant. It grows best potted, but will survive if it is submerged as you described. If allowed to float, Mare's Tail will lay flat floating on top of the water surface and then the tip will eventually rise up out of the water about 3". This is how I grew several plants last summer.

Although Mare's Tail is cold hardy zone 7 it will also grow in hotter zones, such as 9 and 10. In hot climate zones, it is good to start this plant in late fall and in the wintertime. Also, keep in mind that caterpillars love to munch on its leaves, so you will need to watch out for that!

How to Grow Water Lettuce in Winter

The Pond Plant Girl Home Page


Water lettuce requires plenty of sunshine...
But in the wintertime, water lettuce has special needs. I presently keep my water lettuce and my water hyacinth in shallow plastic containers inside a greenhouse protected from frost and freeze.

Growing Water Lettuce Indoors
In cold winter conditions water lettuce can be wintered over indoors in a sunny window. However, it needs warmth and humidity. This can be accomplished with a Water Garden Light Box; such as the one pictured here. This light box was simply made with an aquarium located in a sunny window covered with clear plastic wrap (to keep in the humidity) and with mirrors inserted inside the aquarium to reflect the light. (The mirrors were scrap mirrors I obtained for free from a glass and mirror company.) The mirrors were inserted on the bottom and on the left and right sides of the fish tank. I tried growing water lettuce the following year without mirrors, and the plants did not survive.

Florescent Lighting
A florescent light must be placed on top of the aquarium to create heat and humidity. A grow light can be used to replace the florescent bulb and can be purchased online or at any hydroponics store. .

Growing Water Lettuce Outdoors
In the wintertime, if water lettuce is grown outdoors in a pond, it needs to be protected from freezing temperatures and covered with plastic or a Hoop House. However, it will also need a fan to circulate the air to prevent mold and mildew.

Here are some helpful links about growing water lettuce:
How to Grow Water Lettuce

Build a Water Garden Light Box

Questions?
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at gail@pondplantgirl.com

How to Grow Water Lettuce

The Pond Plant Girl

Growing Water Lettuce
There are 2 types of water lettuce, Ruffled and Jurassic (also called the Amazon and the African). The Jurassic grow very large (as in the picture) and the ruffled is a smaller water lettuce with ruffled edges.

Water Depth and Quality: Water lettuce grows best in shallow non-moving water that is 1-2 feet deep. Although they are a free floating pond plant, they grow nice and large when their roots can reach down to the soil below and feed on the nutrients in the soil. The water pH should be 6 or 7.

Plant Maintenance: Caring for water lettuce in the warm spring through fall seasons is fairly easy. Cut back any decaying leaves. If you end up with a bounty of water lettuce, DO NOT toss it in a public waterway. There is a HUGE fine for plants dumped into public lakes, rivers, creeks, and streams. Water lettuce is a natural mulch. Instead, simply toss the extra plants in either a mulch pile or pile up under fruit trees. Your plants will LOVE you for it because the water lettuce contains fish emulsion that was absorbed while in the pond.

Hot and Cold Seasons

Summer Sun: Water lettuce normally thrives in any climate during the summertime. However, in very hot and desert climates the intense heat of the sun can fry the plants. I am located in zone 9 where it gets up to 115 degrees. The water lettuce that grew the best were the ones that received morning to noon sun.

Wintry Conditions: Frost is a killer. When water lettuce freezes it does not recover. When there is a threat of frost or freeze, water lettuce should be covered or brought indoors. However, remember that they do need sunshine during the day.

Water Lettuce Enemies

Mildew: It is wise to cover your pond to protect the water and plants from freezing. However, covering your pond will also promote mold and mildew growth on your water lettuce plants. This is also a killer and your water lettuce will simply rot away. If you plan to winter over your water lettuce. An indoor water garden lightbox is a good choice, or install a fan to circulate the air and keep the mildew away.

Aphids: It is also wise to "water" your pond plants each day, even though they grow in water. Bugs such as aphids will attach to your plants. By watering down your water garden each day, this will wash the bugs away and give the fish a little treat too.

How to Naturally Control Pond Algae

You Can Control Pond Algae The Pond Plant Girl

Q: We have a ¼ acre pond (approx 5-6 ft deep in the center). After the heavy rains we had about a month ago, our pond filled up to the top, but we had complete coverage of green algae on the surface. 2 weeks ago we burned a bunch of tree limbs right on the edge of the pond bank and the rains from last weekend flowed through those ashes into the pond. We didn’t see any algae after that… does the ash have an effect on the algae or will it just return? How much should we add? Will it harm catfish or other fish? I want to get rid of the algae, but would prefer to do it naturally, safely and inexpensively as we want to restock the pond with fish. Can you provide tips, thoughts and ideas for us?

A: Wood Ash: Wood ash is heavy in potassium, and normally increases algae growth, however nitrogen and phosphorus are usually more limiting factors for algae growth. A couple of ways that potassium could control algae growth are: 1) An overdose of potassium could temporarily poison the algae, although in the long run it would should make the problem worse; 2) Potassium is used by some aquatic plants to promote growth. The idea is for the other plants to out-compete algae. If there are other aquatic plants in the pond, particularly submerged plants, this might explain the algae control.

Fertilizers: If fertilizer get’s into the pond from rain runoff or if there are heavily fertilized plants in the pond, this can also increase algae growth. Water draining into the pond from a nutrient source (such as a cow pasture, fertilized crops, or lawn) can also be the cause.

Algae Season: Fall and Winter is the time of year when algae growth declines due to cooler temperature and daylight.

Pond Sediment: Large amounts of accumulated organic sediment on the pond bottom can promote algae growth.

Location: It is difficult to know what is primarily responsible for algae growth in large ponds. Different parts of the country have different algae issues. Examining the water source for the pond is a good start. In parts of Iowa and Kansas, well water often contains so many nutrients that it will kill fish unless treated. Heavy levels of metals in the water will also kill plants.

There are several natural (ecologically friendly) means of controlling algae, but they are not cost-free, and this is especially true for larger ponds:

• Using a plant bog filter is best, but this requires a bog area about 10% the size of the pond with the appropriate plants and gravel, and recirculating water from the main pond through the plant filter at least twice daily for large ponds (more often for smaller ponds).

• Planting water lilies in the pond, with a 50 to 70 percent surface coverage, will help shade the pond. This lowers the water temperature as well as blocking some light, and helps control algae. It will not be complete control, and is best used in combination with one of the other methods, but it will help a lot, and help the other methods be even more successful. They would want to pick out large growing cultivars that still bloom well (the blooms are just for pleasure, not algae control).

• Adding submerged aquatic plants, such as anacharis or hornwort, will help outcompete the algae for light and nutrients. However, anacharis and hornwort will take over a pond and can become a menace. Dwarf Sagittaria is another good choice. It will grow like a short grass on the bottom of the pond, rooting into the soil or gravel, and will not get very tall. It will absorb nutrients and will compete with the algae. Unless a lot are purchased, it will be several years before they will have a significant effect in a pond that size. I recommend planting them at least a few months before koi are introduced. Koi will dig them all up and eat them if they are not well established. If established, they will still be a part of the koi’s diet (which is very nutritious for the koi), but the plants should grow faster than they are consumed.

• Many people have had good results with a bacterial product such as Ecological Labs P/L. It comes in a gallon quantity and needs to be put in weekly until the algae is under control; then monthly for maintenance.

• Barley straw has been used effectively, although the degree of control is probably less than using MicrobeLift P/L.

• Using a color dye is very effective. Color dyes are plant based and safe for animals and people. The colors used are blue or black. Many people prefer blue, because it is the color they think of around water (tropical beaches, swimming pools, etc), but black is actually a much more natural color for freshwater ponds. Black blocks light more, and does not break down as fast. Mud bottom ponds absorb the dyes faster than liner bottom ponds, but in a deeper pond, dyes will last long enough to make a difference. Large ponds need dye on a monthly basis. The black color probably won’t be noticeable unless you are swimming in it. Fish will still be visible when they come up to the surface (it would take a lot of black dye to make fish invisible at the surface). If you have waterlilies, an advantage of the black dye is that it creates a highly reflective water surface, which is great for viewing or photographing water lilies. (Denver Botanic Gardens and Longwood Gardens, among other botanic gardens, use black dyes in their ponds). We sell the blue or black dye as a liquid in various sizes, although only the gallon would be cost-effective. We are also going to be importing the black dye from China as a powder, which is by far the most cost-effective way to use it in a large pond. We use the black powder in our own production ponds for algae control, as well as control of submerged aquatic weeds.

• While it is not quite as eco-friendly as the other methods mentioned, using copper for algae control is fairly nontoxic except for invertebrates and amphibians. While simple copper is more toxic and goes out of solution quickly, chelated copper releases slowly, and much less of it is used, making it the best copper treatment (especially for trout, which are more copper sensitive than most fish). We sell a double chelated copper (F-30 algae Control, by Diversified Waterscapes), which is better than single chelated copper, because double chelated works well in both low and high pH water conditions.

• There are also several granular peroxide-based treatments, which I consider to be natural in how they approach algae control. We carry ones by BioSafe, Ecological Labs, and Winston. While there are large sizes of these used for large ponds, I do not consider them to be as cost effective as other methods for large ponds, and they are a short term solution, as the nutrients from the dead algae stay in the pond and will probably eventually be used to grow a new “crop” of algae.

Reference: Oregon Aquatics

Pond Potting Soil Loam and Containers

What do I use to plant pond plants?
It's a toss up between using baskets or no-holes containers. Baskets are great, because they allow the water and fish nutrients to flow through and reach the roots. However, it can work so well that the roots will grow straight through the the basket mesh. I choose to plant with no holes containers, because it offers more control.
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The best pond plant soil mix is not found in stores.

Mix together:
1 part Decomposed Granite
1 part Steer Manure Blend

Where to purchase the mix...

Decomposed Granite (or DG) can be purchased at a sand and gravel yard. Most locations will deliver right to your home or business. Heavy soil is necessary for root structure, growth, and for a clean pond. Light and fluffy potting soil will not work, because particles will float to the water surface.

If you do not have deomposed granite available, a good substitute is a heavy rocky soil... such as top soil mixed with small pea gravel or aquarium gravel. Heavy clay soil mixed with small gravel will also work. Plain clean kitty litter (not the type intended for oil spils and with no purfumes or fillers) mixes well with the soil and is a good substitute for pea gravel. The ingredients can be purchased at any large hardware garden nursery center.

Steer Manure Blend can be purchased at any garden center such as Lowe's or Home Depot. You can purchase prepackaged pond plant soil, but it is light weight and is the consistency of kitty litter. Light weight soil also spills easily and will not hold down plants such as water lily.


Which fertilizer is best?

Buy cheap pond plant fertilizer and you will achieve cheap results. I use a commercial grade 13-13-13. For the home I recommend Highland Rim or Laguna pond plant fertilizer. Fertilizer can be tricky. Too little and the plants will not bloom as much as desired. Too much and the plants will expel what they do not use into the water. The result will be algae that spreads across the pond within one week. However, there are algaecides that are safe for fish and plants and will counteract this problem. Water hyacinth will also help (but not cure) a severe algae attack.

How to add fertilizer:
1. Apply fertilizer apply at the bottom of the container
2. Add soil
3. Add the pond plant
4. Then and then the remaining soil

Fertilizer helpful tips: The best time to fertilize is in early spring; such as March or April. If you are using a container with holes, line the bottom of the container with newspaper to prevent soil and fertilizer from spilling out. By the time the paper decomposes, the fertilizer and soil will swell and remain in the container. Be sure the tender roots do not touch the fertilizer. Never add fertilizer straight in the water. This is a recipe for disaster and will create a huge green sludgy bog. Also, only use fertilizer designed for pond plants. Other fertilizers will not be as effective and are prone to harm both fish and plants.



Find out more about pond plants and where to buy big and healthy plants at http://www.pondplantgirl.com/.

Growing Star Grass

Q: I have been dabbling with a small pond for awhile but definitely not too knowledgeable on plants. What kind of pot do I use to plant this in for the pond? Diana

. A: Star grass is a full sun, zone 7 pond plant and grows well in shallow water and out side the pond too. Any kind of pot will work well. I like to use ceramic or Terra Cotta pots in the pond, because it allows water to seep through the walls... but it all depends on what kind of look you are going for. If you want to keep it contained without the roots growing through the bottom, then a no-holes pot it needed. You can also plug the holes of a regular black nursery pot with a plastic bag at the bottom, then fill with sand, gravel, or loam etc.

Thanks! This was good food for thought. GAiL

How to Grow Pond Plants in the Shade

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Pond plants typically grow best in full sun, but what do you do when you have a pond in a shady area?
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There are many plants you can grow in a shaded pond, but if you are looking for flowering plants your options are limited. There are a few things to consider before chosing your plants...


Shaded Ponds
A good rule for any pond in limited light is choose plants that are cold climate hardy for zones 3-6. Plants that are hardy for colder climates do better in complete shade. You can grow water lily and water iris in the shade, but they may not bloom.
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Plants that grow well in shaded ponds:
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Cattail, Rush, and Reeds
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Red Stem Parrot Feather

Water Clover
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Water Hawthorne (picture above)

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Partial Sun Ponds
I have a very successful pond located in filter light under an apple tree. The same "complete shade" rule applies for filtered light ponds. Choose plants that are zoned for cold climates 3-6. Depending on how much sun your filtered light pond receives, you might be able to grow blooming pond plants.
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The plants in my partial light pond grow very tall, because they are stretching up toward the light. This made for some very unusual water hyacinth this year, that looked more like pickerel rush. It is also important to remember to add a professional grade fertilizer, such as Highland Rim; which promotes healthy growth and flowers too. I have used several different kinds of fertilizer and found this is the absolute best to use.

Plants in My Partial-Sun Pond:

Water Lotus - Water Poppy - Water Hyacinth
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Primrose Creeper - Water Mint - Pennywort

Fairy Moss - Pickerel Rush

Red Stem Parrot Feather (left)

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Morning Light Ponds
Pond that only receive morning light will probably not produce flowers. Most pond plants require 4-6 hours of sunshine per day in order to produce flowers. If you want to grow water lily, a good choice would be the night blooming tropical water lily. You can grow water hyacinth and water lettuce in morning light ponds in the summer season.

Morning Light Pond Plants

Frogbit (picture above)

Red Stem Parrot Feather

Grasses, Rush, and Reeds

Pennywort

Water Mint

Fairy Moss

.More Partial Sund Pond Plants: For a complete list of partial sun plants with pictures available see: Cold Climate Plants zones 3-6. Some plants are available all season long (such as pennywort and water lettuce). Others are available starting every February and March.

Contact Me for more information at: gail@pondplantgirl.com

Your comments below are always welcome!