WHY PRUNNING WATER PLANT IS IMPORTANT
Water plants are integral addition to ponds. Apart from the aesthetics – making a pond look alive and lush, water plant serves a lot of other purpose. If you are lucky that your fish (koi or goldfish) accept having water plants in the pond then it is important to understand that just like your fish, water plants need the same love and care your show your fish.
Plants have the following use in a pond:
- Provide shade
- Provide Aesthetics
- Allow for uptake of excess nutrient in the pond; This is one of the most important attributes of water plants in ponds. All living organism produce waste especially your fish due to the amount of fish food you are feeding them. These wastes are usually Toxic in the form of ammonia (NH3). When ammonia load builds up as a result of inadequate or overwhelmed filtrations system (link this to choice of filter), it damages fish organs leading to death.
However, with adequate filtration in place, this is converted into less toxic Nitrate. Now this is the tricky part; When Nitrate load starts building up, it also becomes toxic to fish though Nitrate load threshold is a lot more than ammonia’s. It can still become a problem down the track. This is why it’s important to test your water.
This is where plants come in. Plants can make use of ammonia directly but they do love Nitrate. They take out excess nitrate by using as nutrient to grow. So, the more Nitrate, pending if growing conditions are good for the plants. Conditions like;
- Pond depth – Know what depth best suits your plant
- Sunlight – Some plants are full sun while some are part shade or shade lovers
- Root system not bound by pot size – Make sure your plant root and not choking with the pots.
Compare these plants
To these plants
In the right conditions i.e. right water plant soils, exposure to light, fertilizer, good amount of nitrate levels in the pond. Water plants will be lush and ‘happy’.
Excess nutrient also leads to algae bloom in the warmer months.
Nutrients like Phosphate are big by product of living things. String algae loves this nutrient thus without a means to keep this nutrient minimised out of their reach, most ponds that don’t have established plant, filtration setup and are exposed to sunlight develop string algae problems.
- Plants can also be use as bog filters: This is done by allowing water to run through a grow bed of plants. Plants filter the water using their root network as mechanical filters and taking out Nitrate in the process (Chemical filtration).
Insert picture of bog filters
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PRUNE WATER PLANTS?
The more nutrient plants have access to, the more they thrive which can lead to problem when they are over grown and become root bound especially if they are in pots. Its best to know what individual plants need.
Pruning encourages plant to use up more nutrient. The more plants are pruned during the going season (if needed), the more they take up excess nutrient in the pond which is good for the overall pond health.
Some plants need to be prune in:
- Spring – plants like Arium lily
- Summer –Most water plants can be pruned in summer, ensure that you don’t over-cut back plants. Only cut plants back if it’s necessary.
- Autumn – Some plants can be cut back as well in autumn; plants like Redstem thalia and Iris.
- Winter – All living things slowdown in winter including plants, avoid cutting plants in winter. So, ensure you prepare your plants for winter by carrying out all necessary pruning before then.
Seek advice from our team to help guide you through the process. Contact us. Insert different type of water plants.
Note that when a pond is set up, it might take a year for the plants to get fully established.
FERTILISING PLANTS
Just like garden plants, ponds plants can benefit from addition of external fertiliser. It is best to use slow-release fertiliser for water plants not normal garden fertiliser you get from garden shop. Slow-release fertilisers are pack with essential nutrients and slowly supply water plants over extended periods.
Slow-release fertilisers do not affect water conditions (when applied appropriately). For best result, insert the fertiliser directly into the root system of water plants.
For more information, please contact us.