Floating plants

[gliebig]

I may give some a try this year.
If I get some water lettuce/chestnut...can I just toss them in or do they require one of those floating baskets?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I'm not sure about water chestnuts, but water lettuce just gets tossed in. Unless of course you have a problem with it floating into a skimmer or over a waterfall & need to keep it corralled in some manner?

 

[gliebig]

I'm not sure about water chestnuts, but water lettuce just gets tossed in. Unless of course you have a problem with it floating into a skimmer or over a waterfall & need to keep it corralled in some manner?

Nope, no issues with keeping it contained.
Should I stick to water lettuce? Any thoughts on botswana wonder/mimosa?
Will koi hurt any of them?

 

[Mmathis]

I may give some a try this year.
If I get some water lettuce/chestnut...can I just toss them in or do they require one of those floating baskets?

What kind of fish do you have? With koi you might need a floating basket. And yes, it’s water hyacinth and water lettuce (not water chestnuts).

 

[gliebig]

Pic of my pond. Looking for suggestions for some floating plants.

-G

 

[mrsclem]

Koi will chew the roots on the water hyacinth.

 

[gliebig]

Put some water hyacinth and lettuce in a couple floating planters this weekend.
Do lilies work in a large floating planter or will they get to top heavy and potentially tip over?

 

[addy1]

I had lilies in floating containers, they did ok, but to keep the pot on the lily requires roping the lily to the pot. Mine were not floating pots. The tuber likes to be at least 6 inches under water, 12 is better. One issue with a floating planter is getting that tuber low enough.
And the leaves have issues floating out on the water, getting over the what ever makes the planter float

 

[brokensword]

IMO, best to put lilies on solid ground; my pots are too heavy to even consider that, though you could use rings of styrofoam to help old them up. I found the hyacinths do get chewed, the water lettuce less so (I think because their roots have bristles which are not as easy nor palatable as without).

 

[poconojoe]

I always begin the season with my floating plants corralled in floating nets. Then as they reproduce and the net gets crowded, I'll free float some of them. Then, eventually I'll remove the floating nets all together.
If I don't do that, the koi will devour the roots.