Planting Instructions for Pond Plants

Water plants add interest and contribute to the health of the pond.

Whether your pond is just a place to keep your goldfish or an elegant fountain, enhance its beauty with the addition of a few water-loving plants. Water plants add interest to the pond. There has never been a better time to get started. With a little forethought and planning, your water garden becomes the envy of the neighborhood.

Healthy Water

Plan to cover about 50 to 60 percent of your pond's surface in plants. Most pond plants enjoy full sun, so don't crowd them. If your city uses chloramine to purify its water, purchase a product designed to remove chloramine from your garden shop. In areas with chlorinated water, allow the pond several days of sunlight before adding plants. Add a bucket of water from an established pond to add the right types of microorganisms needed for a healthy pond.

Placement of Plants

Place small bricks in different parts of your pond so that you have level places to put plants at different depths. Some plants want to be completely submerged while others prefer to be near the water's surface. Aquatic plants prefer denser soils than most other plants. A rich soil with a good deal of clay will hold together much better underwater than traditional garden soil. If your pond has a fountain or other water feature, avoid placing your plants too close as the falling water may damage delicate leaves.

Submerged Plants

Put a few submerged plants in the deeper regions of your pond to provide plenty of oxygen for fish. In addition to oxygenating the water, these plants clean your water and reduce cloudiness. Fanwort, with its broad fanlike foliage, is a favorite of small fish who take shelter from predatory birds and the harsh rays of the sun. Anacharis is very hardy and acts as a nutritional supplement for fish. Make sure that all your deep-water plants are fully submerged and resting on the bottom of your pond.

Surface Plants

Plant flowering plants such as lilies and lotuses 6 to 12 inches below the surface. Plant shore plants like dwarf papyrus and miniature cattails so that the surface of the pond is level with the soil in their pots. Lilies and cattails are heavy nitrogen feeders, so gardeners that feature them rarely have to worry about green algae growth. Floating plants like water hyacinth add a lovely finishing touch to the garden.

References

• Cornell University Department of Horticulture; Eco-Gardening Fact Sheet #17; Marvin Pritts; 1997
• University of Illinois Extension: Planting Aquatic Plants
• University of Illinois Extension: Container Water Gardening
• Colorado State University Cooperative Extension; Selecting Plants for the Water Garden; Judy Sedbrook; January 2010