|
Plants
for Koi Ponds
by Elmer
Epistola
Posted: September 3, 2004
Back to Page 1
Deep Water Aquatics
(continuation)
There are many types of lilies
- some do better in shallow ponds, while others grow so large that
they need relatively large and deep ponds in order to thrive.
The hobbyist must therefore try to get familiarized with the specie
he's getting for the pond to ensure success with it. The most
popular lily varieties belong to the genus
Nymphaea.
Lilies love sunlight, and should not be placed near falling water or
where there are strong currents.
To plant lilies, the following
steps have been recommended by some hobbyists: 1) choose a
plant that has no flower to help it get acclimatize to its new home
more quickly (except when the seller is not sure of the variety
you're getting); 2) line up a suitably-sized aquatic planting basket
with a fine-mesh sheet before filling it with some loam or aquatic
soil; 3) plant the lily in the soil, making sure that the soil
around it is firm; 4) top off the soil with a half-inch layer of
gravel to discourage the koi from foraging around the base of the
lily; 5) lower the basket into the pond about 8 inches below the
water surface and have it acclimatize there for about 2 weeks; and
6) move the acclimatized lily to its final position.
Marginal Plants
Marginal plants are those that
you usually see around the edge of the pond, often placed on shelves
several inches below the water line. Aside from helping in the
biological filtration by consuming nitrates and toxins in the pond
water, marginal plants provide the following benefits: 1) control of
wildlife traffic in and out of the pond; 2) concealment of flaws in
the pond and its features; and 3) improvement in the aesthetics of
the pond. Marginal plants include the reeds, the rushes, and
the irises.
As usual, marginal plants must
be secured in aquatic planters or baskets before being laid down on
the pond shelves. It is not advisable to mix several kinds of
marginals in one basket since they tend to compete with each other.
Figure 3. Irises are
popular
marginal plants
Floating Plants
Floating plants, as the name
implies, are plants that float on the water surface. Floating
plants are not considered to be as important as the first three
plant categories. The only use for them is to complement the
lilies in providing cover for the pond, especially if the latter is
still in the process of getting acclimatized to the pond. Of
course, floating ponds also consume nutrients in the water, helping
get rid of algae in the water as they do so.
Back to Page 1
HOME
|
