What Everybody Ought to Know About Over Wintering Aquatic Pond Plants
How To Prepare Your Aquatic Pond Plants For Winter
The cold long days are nearly here and the light sunny days are coming to an end. Another busy season in the life of your garden pond is coming to an end. Fall is the time of year to prepare your aquatic pond plants for next spring. You should stop fertilizing about 6 weeks prior to the onset of frost. Please note that this article is intended for pond keepers who live in the cold northern states of the USA and northern Europe.
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Floating aquatic plants
Species such as Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) need to be removed from the pond and kept secure indoors, in frost free, light shade. If you see any shoots them separate them and float them in shallow water above 7 Celsius.
The Water Soldier (Stratiotes aloides) will drop down to the bottom of the pond, prior to the winter frost, where the water temperatures are warmer. This attractive floating pond plant likes still or slow moving chalky water.
Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae ) and Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) form buds that sink to the bottom of the pond, ready to rise again in spring as a new plantlet. It is best however to place the Frogbit and Water Chestnut in muddy water in a warm and secure green house or shed; pond snails consider the nuts and buds to be an irresistible snack.
The Water Hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is not the favourite of many pond keepers but it has its advantages. It will help to prevent the development of green pond algae and string algae, as it competes for the nitrates and phosphorous in the pond water. It also produces a very attractive flower. Remove it from the pond and plant it in ordinary compost in a warm greenhouse that is frost free. Over winter at over 10°c.
Water Lily pond plants
One of the most beautiful of all aquatic water plants is the water lily species. They need a bit of tender preening and grooming through October. It is advisable to remove diseased and mottled leaves from the lily tuber, to prevent the leaves from falling off and polluting the pond floor. Remember that organic matter rots on the pond floor, producing ammonia and carbon dioxide. It is advisable to leave the water lily alone as this pond plant does not like to be disturbed.
Pioneering marginal pond plants
These varieties such as Bog Bean (Menyanthes trifoliata), Spearwort (Ranunculus flammula), Spearwort (R. lingua Grandiflora), Parrots Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum syn. proserpinacoides), Reed Maces (Typha angustifolia and Typha latifolia) will need to be cut back before they try to escape from the pond altogether. These adventurous pond plants grow rapidly. The same applies to other fast growing reeds and rushes. Examine the baskets to see which plants have become best friends and bonded together. You will probably have to do a bit of separating and replanting here. If you want to this job can wait until spring.
Tender
Marginal Pond Plants
In July remove exotic marginal aquatic plants such as the yellow and spotty leafed Zantedeschia elliotiana, Z. pentlandii and the pink tinged Z. rehmannii from the pond and store them in a green house. They should be kept under greenhouse staging that is well above freezing. Bring them to life again in February.
Exotic
Aquatic Water Plants
Species such as Canna hybrid lilies, Arum lilies and Lobelia cardinalis will need to be removed and potted in compost. Store them in a green house that is safe from the cold frost. As an alternative Arum Lilies can be moved towards the bottom of your pond, where the winter water temperatures are higher. The best time to prepare these exotic aquatic plants is at the end of September.
Tall reeds and rushes are in their element in the cool fall temperatures, often developing attractive russets that sway with the fall winds, adding subtle movement to what would otherwise be a still environment. Cut these grass like aquatic plants back to about a third of their original size but beware not to let the russets spread to all four corners of your pond. Wildlife and pond fish will love the remaining grassy pond plants, using it as a safe haven from herons and other predatory birds.
Fairy Moss (Azolla filiculoides)
is susceptible to cold frosty weather. If you decide to over winter it then
place it in a bucket of water and store it in a frost free greenhouse or
shed. Make sure that it sees the light of day however! This aquatic water
plant is a favourite snack of Koi and is often grown outside of the pond, to
be used as a food source for their Koi.
Many thanks to Peter J May for much of the information on this page ...
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