Planting black taro in pond

[rebelangel_3733]

I just wondered if anyone has a picture of how they have planted their taro into their ponds...I'm not finding what I want to know online.

Does it have to be planted in dirt/clay and then placed in the pond and how deep? OR can they be just stuck in beween some rocks on the ledge? I know that the stems have to be half way out of the water to grow. Would really like a picture of one to see what to do here with the ones the significant other brought home from the greenhouse. He also brought me home some green and varigated cork screws, these can be planted into the water also right (just not that deep right?) Also should I plant the cork screws in dirt also and then put them in my pond?

 

[blessedfamily]

I don't have a picture but I know it does grow in just water--I placed it in my waterfall box last year and it grew like crazy but I do not recommend it as the roots took over my waterfall filter--had to cut it out lol..but it did grow with no dirt.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

I guess the black taro's and cork screw rush are two hot items this year at the green house, he said he didn't know that they could be planted directly in the water without dirt (HA I found out something he didn't know about plants!) I might try placing them in dirt with rocks on top first or split it up and try one in a deep plastic dirt pot and another with just bare roots. I read they only want to be 0-6" below the water line with their shoots out into the air. Well here goes nothing...

 

[blessedfamily]

Yeah mine was just seeing if it was possible and it was It loved it in there.

 

[koiguy1969]

putting a mesh bag arund roots will help control them if you want to put bare root plants in your filter. dollar store " 4 mesh utility bags" for a buck serve well.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

Thanks koiguy, I want mine at the lower end of my pond...I might try the mesh bag thing too with my cork scew rush.

 

[fishin4cars]

Taros, will grow in almost anything. LOL I have some that isn't in water or near water at all, Just in the ground. Have some potted in Kitty Litter in pots in the pond that come back year after year and have a couple that just started growing in the rocks with no dirt at all. The biggest keys are, The root ball/rhizome needs to be planted just under the surface, 1-3" in dirt, Kitty litter, mesh bag, rocks etc. Don't plant them deep. They like some filtered light and do best without direct sunlight for long periods as this will cause burning along the edges of the leaves. The ones I have that in the shade seem to grow the largest. But that being said I have some in full sunlight that grow too just grow more leaves and seem to stay smaller than the ones that don't get but 1-2 hours of direct sunlight. They do not take to freezing temps well at all. The babies are sent out on root runners, once a baby plant has developed roots and some surface leaves it's ready to be snipped off the parent plant and moved.
On the corkscrew rush, This is my first year at trying this plant, I have the reg. green variety. I have it in a clay pot with a water orchid, and flag iris. I have the rim of the pot just under the water line. Planted in 100% pure clay kitty litter. This keeps the koi out of the pot and keeps them from getting dug up by the fish. seems to be growing and getting bigger. Can't say much about where it grows best as I have only had it in the one spot since I planted it but I have it now where it gets about 10 hours of direct sunlight. It seems to be doing fine there but the water orchid keeps getting brown crisp tips on the ends of the leaves and I'm thinking that it may be getting a little to much direct light.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

what kind of kitty litter do you use? I have that since we have 3 inside cats

 

[fishin4cars]

I use paws and claws all natural 100% pure Clay kitty litter. Just make sure you get 100% clay kitty litter, Do not use the clumping kitty litter or kitty litter that has freashening crystals and such. I think Tidy cat at Walmart is the same thing. Not only is this great for plants, It helps some in fighting string algae, it introduces minerals that help brighten the colors (primarily oranges and reds) in Goldfish and Koi, and it's all natural.
I have found that if you use pond lily fert. tablets placing one near the bottom of the basket or pot before adding the plant and remaining litter that it will help in grwing larger plants. This step is not needed as the plant is actually feeding on nutrients from the pond but I have seen the difference beteen using them and not and I do. I have included pics, the first pic is no water dirt only, the second is in a pot in the pond (This is the Black Magic variety, This is only my second year with this plant) third is one that just appeared and started growing about two weeks ago in my stream, and the forth is planted in a basket with kitty litter and nestled into the rocks.

 

[taherrmann4]

I don't have black taro but on the green ones I just wedge mine between rocks in the pond, I only submerge them in about 1-2" of water for the small roots and bigger ones can be in slightly deeper water. I have attached some pics not close up ones but you can sort of see that they are just stuck between rocks. They grow huge.

 

[fishin4cars]

I don't have black taro but on the green ones I just wedge mine between rocks in the pond, I only submerge them in about 1-2" of water for the small roots and bigger ones can be in slightly deeper water. I have attached some pics not close up ones but you can sort of see that they are just stuck between rocks. They grow huge.

WOW! Were those pics taken recently? They are huge for this early in the year! Those look like my Giant Elephant Ears! Get a bunch of those big guys going and you get some good shade! Nice!

 

[addy1]

I have mine, some in walmart cheap kitty litter clay, red bag, growing nicely plants in about 8 inches of water. Also have some just stuck in rocks about 5 inches down, growing nicely.

So pick which you want. I will need to pull mine once they die back from frost, they won't survive here over winter. I have read to let them dry then put in peat moss, etc for the winter.

 

[taherrmann4]

WOW! Were those pics taken recently? They are huge for this early in the year! Those look like my Giant Elephant Ears! Get a bunch of those big guys going and you get some good shade! Nice!

No those were from last summer. They really shade the creek areas, they got so huge that at the end of the season it was a challenge to pull them out. They also produce so many offshoots that I can't give enough away.


So pick which you want. I will need to pull mine once they die back from frost, they won't survive here over winter. I have read to let them dry then put in peat moss, etc for the winter.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I have to pull mine out every fall, let them dry out on newspaper and usually put them in a tote of sawdust, but this year just left them on the newspaper, I got lazy.

 

[addy1]

Well at least you don't have to buy anymore, with all those nice off shoots! This is my first time to try taro, the leaves are coming up nicely.

 

[taherrmann4]

WOW! Were those pics taken recently? They are huge for this early in the year! Those look like my Giant Elephant Ears! Get a bunch of those big guys going and you get some good shade! Nice!

No those photos are from last year late summer. Yeah I use them all around in the creeks and they do produce a lot of shade.

I have mine, some in walmart cheap kitty litter clay, red bag, growing nicely plants in about 8 inches of water. Also have some just stuck in rocks about 5 inches down, growing nicely.

So pick which you want. I will need to pull mine once they die back from frost, they won't survive here over winter. I have read to let them dry then put in peat moss, etc for the winter.

I have to pull mine up every year in the fall, I dry them out on newspaper and then pack in totes with saw dust from my workshop, works well.