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.
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. . . 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.
Home Page - Pond Plant Girl Store - Garden Articles - Videos - Easy Projects . Pond plants typically grow best in full sun, but what do you do when you have a pond in a shady area? . 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. . . Plants that grow well in shaded ponds: . Cattail, Rush, and Reeds . Red Stem Parrot Feather
. 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. . 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 asHighland 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.
.. 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.
.More Partial Sund Pond Plants:Fora 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.
Water Temperature Growing water lotus from seed is easier than you might think. Water lotus seed should be started in the late springtime when the water temperature is at least 70° F warm. . . STEP 1 - Where to Buy Seeds Water Lotus seeds can be purchased on eBay. If you purchase on eBay be sure to purchase from a seller inside the United States. American seeds have a higher germination rate. Most eBay seeds come from Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. From my experience, half of these seeds end up being duds. I call them "floaters" because that's all they do... float and then rot.
Buy American It is possible to get FREE WATER LOTUS SEEDS from the Garden Web online. All you need to do is pay for shipping. Make sure your seller is actually a water gardener with American grown seeds. I say this, because seeds from Asia have been on the shelf for an extended period of time and their germination rate is low. Also, there is a good chance that although your seller might be from the United States that he/she could have purchased imported seeds. Contact me for more American sources for seeds: gail@pondplantgirl.com
What to look for when shopping for water lotus seeds
1. Look for the lotus "crown" in the picture if possible. This will let you know if the seller knows the difference between a water lily and a water lotus. (see pic on left)
2. If picture has a flower and leaves floating on the water surface then it is NOT a water lotus plant. It is a water "lily" plant. If the picture does not appear to be a lotus but a lily plant instead, then the seller does not know his/her plants and probably buys in bulk from Asia.
3. If the ad states that you will receive 100 seeds for a low dollar amount, then it is NOT water lotus seeds.
STEP 2 - Preparing your Water Lotus Seeds The weather and water temperature is warm and you are ready to plant your water lotus seeds. The first thing you will need to do is to scar your seeds. This involves filing off the pointy tip of the seeds down just 1 layer. I use a large 12" metal file - which seems to work best and is the easiest method. Scarifying the lotus seed is important, because the seed will not grow otherwise and will possibly rot. After the seed has been scarred, soak the seed in a tall container of water - such as an empty clean plastic soda bottle. Change the water daily until you are ready to plant your water lotus sprout.
STEP 3- Day 1 to 3 After the first day of soaking your water lotus seed, it can swell to almost twice the size and resemble a black olive.
STEP 4 - Day 4 to 5 On Day 4-5 you should see some green growth sprouting from your water lotus seeds! Continue to change out the water each day, but be careful as to not disturb the growth. Continue the process until your seedling is about 6 inches long.
STEP 5 - Day 12 Pick a Pot: A no-holes 3-5 gallon lily pot is the best choice. You can also use a black 3-5 gallon bucket. Black is important, because it helps to retain heat and helps to keep the seedlings warm.
STEP 6 - Planting Outdoors By this time your water lotus seedling should be large enough to plant outdoors. You must wait until the weather outside is warm and the water temperature is at least 70°. It is possible to start water lotus seeds indoors in an aquarium located in a sunny window. Only use small minnows in the water as gold fish will eat young sprouts.
STEP 7 - Anchor the Seeds Before planting the lotus seeds, it is a good idea to form an anchor so they will not float to the surface of the water. This is easily accomplished by wrapping regular modeling clay lightly around the seed. Do not use Play Dough. Modeling clay that does not dry out (the kind that comes in a brick) should be used. Gravel can be used over the top of the soil medium, but it is not as effective.
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. STEP 8 - Potting Planting medium should be 2 parts regular clay soil mixed with 1 part river sand. Do not use concrete sand. Lotus needs little soil to grow. Allow for about 6 inches deep of loamy soil. Carefully lower the pot into shallow water no more than 18" deep. I grow mine in 6 inches of water. In cold weather zones, deeper water might be necessary for frost and freezing control.
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This is how your baby water lotus will look once it is planted. The large round leaves are the lotus. The small are frogbit.
STEP 9 - Fertilize After One Season Do not fertilize during the first year of growth. No matter how good of a fertilizer you have, this will fry the tender sprouts. There is enough in the large seed itself to sustain healthy growth for the first season of growth. During the second season, fertilize with a good quality "water lily" fertilizer tab.
This is a pic of a second season lotus that is ready to bloom. Lotus that is allowed to grow wild will grow up to 4 feet tall. This lotus is smaller, because it is potted in a small container. . . .
. . .. . . . For more information about fertilizing, lotus care and how to mix loam see:
