JohnnyB60
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:59 pm
Location: Southern CA High Desert

Help! New Pond Plant-Don’t know what’s next

Ok I just bought these plants picture below and this is exactly what they look like from opening box. They don't look like they are going to make it.
I bought 2 Vallisneria, 1 Giant Sensitive Plant and 1 Water Poppy.
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I can’t just throw these in the pond like this and I need to know what to do with them. I'm just so disappointed because I was expecting something completely different.
Should I try to grow them in a bucket first?

evtubbergh
Green Thumb
Posts: 532
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 6:52 am
Location: South Africa

If your pond is set up, has been running for a while and is healthy you should be able to grow the plants as long as they are not damaged. A bucket will not provide the nutrients needed for the plants to grow.

Google each variety and find out what they need to grow - some need more/less sun, deeper/shallower water etc.

Use aquatic clay to plant them in baskets. The clay is not like normal soil that just floats in the water; it sticks together. The basket allows water movement around the roots. I use anti-weed fabric (not plastic) to line the baskets to keep the clay in, fill with clay and plant the plant then top with gravel to keep it all together. You can usually get this stuff at a pond shop or the pond section of a nursery. Anything planted in a basket gets a little bag of bone meal wrapped in weed fabric and tied with string and buried in the centre to stop it from leaching out.

Those plants actually look fine by the way with the exception of the second one on the bottom on the right, but plant it anyway. Don't plant them too deep in the clay; look that up too. Now that I look at the picture again only the top 2 have proper roots so I think they can be planted.

Where did you buy these that you hadn't seen them before?

You could message Koilady as she has been very helpful with my pond issues.

JohnnyB60
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:59 pm
Location: Southern CA High Desert

Thanks for the reply, I found some information on YouTube about making a planting basket with fiberglass window screen and made something for the top two plants. I found a bag of very old Aquatic Planting Media that I bought probably 10 years ago and put it around the roots. I'm hoping that it will still work.

The bottom two plants were the most expensive and one is broke in half. I don't know what to do with them. I almost bought more, but the ad said no more than two in a 10 Sq ft area so I guess these have a long way to go. I also have an old basket and I guess I’ll just let them float in the basket until they grow some roots. That is if they ever do grow roots.

My pond used to be full of plants that I bought locally planted in baskets and all I had to do was set them in the pond. That place went out of business many years ago and I had to order these on line. I never bought plants online before and these came rolled up in plastic bags in a cardboard box.

I don't think they are for the novice pond owner, but I guess they would be OK for the professional.
https://www.pondplantsdirect.com/pond-pl ... poppy.html

evtubbergh
Green Thumb
Posts: 532
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 6:52 am
Location: South Africa

So I see the problem. They sent you small plants because they are easier to post. Don't worry, they will grow or die the same as if you bought them big. And I don't meant to be negative; I mean that even a large plant might not make it if conditions are not right.

I see the broken bit is dead but the plant it broke off seems healthy. Give it a chance. They will grow faster than you think.

Good luck!

JohnnyB60
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:59 pm
Location: Southern CA High Desert

evtubbergh wrote:So I see the problem. They sent you small plants because they are easier to post. Don't worry, they will grow or die the same as if you bought them big. And I don't meant to be negative; I mean that even a large plant might not make it if conditions are not right.

I see the broken bit is dead but the plant it broke off seems healthy. Give it a chance. They will grow faster than you think.

Good luck!
Thanks for your help

Greener-Garden
Full Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:24 am
Location: Arizona

Since I'm in both the planted aquarium and pond hobby, this is what I would do. This is just an idea so it might not be for everyone.

Set up a small grow out aquarium with aquasoil and co2. Plant you new plants in the aquasoil. Run running for about 10 hours and day, while all at the same time diffusing 5-8 co2 bubbles per second into the water. Your plants will recover fast and grow at alarming rates, especially your val.

JohnnyB60
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:59 pm
Location: Southern CA High Desert

Greener-Garden wrote:Since I'm in both the planted aquarium and pond hobby, this is what I would do. This is just an idea so it might not be for everyone.

Set up a small grow out aquarium with aquasoil and co2. Plant you new plants in the aquasoil. Run running for about 10 hours and day, while all at the same time diffusing 5-8 co2 bubbles per second into the water. Your plants will recover fast and grow at alarming rates, especially your val.
Thanks, I give that a try in the late spring. All the new plants have died and the water is a little cold now.
The nights have been dropping close to freezing and I will probably throw in the winter pond heater this weekend just to keep it safe for the fish.
Actually I'm so frustrated with it that I've been thinking of getting rid of it all together.
I don't know what has happened over the years, but ever since I built a bigger pond the fish are getting bigger and the plants are dieing.
This is not such a good photo but its of when the pond was small and plentiful.
Image

Greener-Garden
Full Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:24 am
Location: Arizona

That's quite a shame that you're thinking about getting rid of your pond. I love ponds and find them so relaxing (ONLY IF EVERYTHING IS GOING GOOD).

What kind of fish do your have in your pond? If you have kois or anything similar, having plants like the ones you posted is hard. They tend to get them or uproot them.

If you have mainly submerse plants, I would say your issue is insufficient co2 and minerals.

I had the same issue as you when I first started. I solved it by adding a 50 pound co2 tank and a diffuser, inject 10 bubbles per second into the pond. Only a weekly routine, I would dose it with dry fert.

Keep up the work and don't give up!

JohnnyB60
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:59 pm
Location: Southern CA High Desert

Thanks for the vote of confidence.
It’s a goldfish pond. Koi need more space or at least more water and a lot more then I can provide.

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I also have a waterfall to aerate the pond, but I just wish I could have more plants

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