Underwater plants in or out of pots

[Cypress Point Pond]

When placing plants such as mature japanese reeds and water lilies into a new pond is it best to have the plants in pots? If in a container, what is the best type of to use?

I have the same basic question for planting small rooted plants.

Thanks,
Louis

[crazyfishlady]

As I mentioned in another post to you, I only follow the advise of my pond guy. He says plant everything in the the pond not pots for best filtration. My pond is for fish, more than for a water garden. The lilies are pretty and I love them, but I don't think they do as well in the pond as they might in pots. I'm also not sure how I'll fertilize them since they have no dirt. I planted all my grasses and small plants right in the rocks. I won't know till spring if they make it through their first winter.

I would just be very careful about invasive reeds and such; they could become a real nightmare. I was given a list of plants to avoid because they can overtake a pond. Your climate zone could make a difference too.

[spanishleprachaun]

Being a water gardener for 4 years,... learned allot about plants as I see them as a huge part of the whole water gardening thing .    I have grown over 70 types of pond plants and now with my small buisness, I often come across ponds where I need to clean them out and come across NIGHTMARES of overgrown water plants---  marginals seem to be the worst.

--- Just yesterday,... my workers attached a 4foot by 4foot rootball from a cat tail reed that was almost 16inches deep and thick !!! The small plants had grown over the years and had infused themselves together.  Every rock and piece of gravel was ROOT SNATCHED by the plants.  Took a small hatchet and  ricip saw to slice the root mass into managable chunks and then pull  out.

The lillies were bare root in the bottom of this aquascaped pond and same thing--- infused into 4inches of gravel.
The blue pickeral was a close 2nd to the lillies.  ( cleaned a pond with nothing but blue pickeral earlier this year- FREAKEN NIGHTMARE ! Huge plants... HUGE rootsystems grown together.

**** my opinion--- keep them to pots.  They often will grow just as well---often jumping the pots lip by the end of the season.  You can then move them in the pots,,.. fertilize them in the pots, ready to give away potted up if need be.

I take plastic bags from the grocery store and block the holes on the bottom of the pot when planting.  I use DECOMPOSTED cow manure 1/3 -1/3 sand- and top layer of gravel according to size of fish in pond to thwart them from digging in the pots( bigger gravel for bigger koi)

[happyoutsidegirl]

Very good advice Carlose, Also in pots it's much easier to devide and concor them.

[LeeAnne151]

It depends on your climate and what you are planting too.

My pond is ten years old and I have had most of my marginals planted in the rocks and never have had a problem. My growing season is short here and my pond is partially shaded. I'd be thrilled if some of my marginals grew better. I have parrot's feather, pickeral, golden club, water forget me not, water celery, water clover and others growing between the rocks. I do have to trim the parrot's feather but it doesn't even require a tool.

My waterlilies are in small mud bottomed ponds without pots. In the big pond which is rocked they are in pots of dirt. I tried them between the rocks and they didn't do squat. Waterlilies do best in shallow wide containers with no holes. Marginals can be grown in pots with holes in gravel or in dirt.