Planting Containers

There are various planting options available and a large range of baskets and containers. Invasive, creeping plants will require solid pots as opposed to the traditional mesh basket. Advantages include the deterrent of blanket weed that loves to attach itself to the mesh holes and any escaping foliage and rhizomes. You will also benefit by maintaining a full pot of soil. It’s only too common to be cleaning out your pond only to find planting baskets with starved out plants desperate to get their roots back in the soil that has been washed out. On this note it is quite essential to line all mesh baskets with Hessian Squares as a soil erosion preventative. More popular nowadays are the flat-pack Aqua planters and Planting bags type planting option, Ideal for containing soil and very adaptable to uneven Marginal shelving.

Planting Soil

We recommend aquatic soil, specially formulated with the correct balance of nutrients, for growing aquatic plants. Its heavy content helps keep the plants and their containers upright and in the original chosen place, preventing them from blowing over in strong winds. Don’t dig up your own garden soil unless you want unhappy, starved out plants or risk of contamination from your neighbour’s cat!

Duckweed Problem?

Lemna Minor, more commonly known as duckweed, is an extremely invasive tiny floating plant, often covering the entire water surface. A commonly asked question is how do I get rid of it? You may have tried time and time again and think that it is an impossible task. Let me assure you that it’s not. We have eradicated it from our entire nursery. It requires a lot of time, patience and perseverance – for badly contaminated ponds it’s often easiest to discard all plants, baskets and rocks, remove the pond liner, wash it thoroughly and leave it to dry for a few days. Monitor your pond daily and remove straight away any bits that may have gone unseen. Prevention is far esier than treatment. We are proud to be owners of a duckweed-free nursery!

Blanket Weed and Green Water

Another frequently asked question is how do I get rid of blanket weed? Scientifically known as filamentous or string algae, during the spring and summer blanket weed can get so out of control it literally chokes pond plants. There are various solutions and preventions to the problem. Blanket weed can be controlled to a certain degree by literally pulling it out regularly (daily). A better remedy is a product called clover leaf blanket weed answer, which adjusts the water chemistry. Introducing daphnia (water fleas), live tropical fish food purchased from aquatic retailers, will mass-produce and leave you with a lovely clear pond.

For green water we recommend you try using green water barley straw, a more natural way of adjusting the water chemistry. Again, prevention of problems is better than cure. The right type and amount of plant growth, and approximately two thirds of surface area covered in floating plants, combined with nitrate removing submerged plants will create the correct eco-balance, cutting down on sunlight and discouraging all types of algae growth – achieving excellent results.

Fertilisers for Pond Plants

Natural ponds, streams and lakes have their own nutrients and eco-balance. However, in fibreglass or lined water gardens, too many nutrients can be a problem. We therefore recommend you use our aquatic soil, which is especially formulated with the correct balance of nutriens for plant growth and at the same time maintaining clear water.

Overwintering Aquatic Plants

With winter fast approaching your pond plants will benefit from a bit of tender love and care. When all plant growth has died back you may simply remove it, cutting water lilies, marginals and bog-garden plants back to about 6 inches. We do not recommend you cut back anything that is evergreen.

Correct Water Depth for Aquatic Plants

On numerous occasions customers and visitors have arrived at our nursery, unfortunately to discover that the depth of their water garden – that they have spent days slaving away over digging – is unsuitable in depth to house the plants that they would like to purchase. Others have dug the whole pond to one deep level without any deep shelves. A few customers have even dug their pond so deep that they have left our nursery disappointed and empty handed. We recommend you have three different levels. Marginal shelves should be 7-9 inches deep; make your pond shelves extra wide in places with interest curves, unless of course you are going formal. Your pond level should then drop down to about 12-16 inches to house deep-water plants and small water lilies, and drop again to 36 inches to house some submerged aquatic plants and large water lilies.

Encouraging Wildlife

There are several measures to be taken in order to attract wildlife to your water garden. Densely planted ponds, streams and surrounding areas will create a haven for wildlife. To encourage dragonflies we recommend that you plant a range of iris, pontaderia and other rush-like plants. Gentle sloping sides or beach areas are ideal for young amphibians to climb out of as well as making a safe place for birds and animals to drink.