Planting "inside" Pondless Waterfall

[msr0459]

you don't need underlayment for plants , it will do nothing to stop roots on the contrary they give to roots something to grab onto

Just a quick clarification if you could. I was thinking of placing underlayment, not to stop the roots, as I figured the grasses or flowers I plant in there won't have a root system that could harm the liner underneath, but to allow drainage back into the feature.

I really don't want to place plastic planters inside the rocks, and you say don't use underlayment. If I simply dump in a bunch of pea gravel inside my proposed "planting pockets", a large portion would fall out, since the surrounding larger rocks aren't tight against each other, if that makes sense. Just seemed like using underlayment would contain the pea gravel. Other than that I guess I'd have to place more rocks inside the planting pockets, placed such that the pea gravel would be contained? Seem feasible?

 

[Pablo]

Just a quick clarification if you could. I was thinking of placing underlayment, not to stop the roots, as I figured the grasses or flowers I plant in there won't have a root system that could harm the liner underneath, but to allow drainage back into the feature.

I really don't want to place plastic planters inside the rocks, and you say don't use underlayment. If I simply dump in a bunch of pea gravel inside my proposed "planting pockets", a large portion would fall out, since the surrounding larger rocks aren't tight against each other, if that makes sense. Just seemed like using underlayment would contain the pea gravel. Other than that I guess I'd have to place more rocks inside the planting pockets, placed such that the pea gravel would be contained? Seem feasible?

I've bought the fabric planting pots, they have various sizes. I have also seen people make the pots out of extra underlayment they have from their project, you kind of just wrap it up around the plant, add the gravel etc.

 

[Lisak1]

You are on the right track. If you need to contain the gravel, use some small boulders - softball size or smaller, whatever fits well. Just create a "pot" and plant your plant directly in the gravel. I get as much of the dirt off as possible - just shake it off - and the stick the plant in where I hope it will grown. You may need to weight it down with more gravel or even a few larger stones. Sometimes I don't even use gravel - just a few rocks to stabilize it until it takes hold. Or cram it between two rocks. Do what you have to to keep it in place and upright and the plant will do the rest.

Give up everything you know about plants when you're planting in a water feature - I grow impatiens in my waterfall in full sun, something I would never do in my garden because they are so water dependent. In constant contact with water, they do great. I do the same with hostas - full sun, roots in the water and they flourish.

HOWEVER also be prepared for those plants to do what THEY want. That cardinal flower may creep out of the spot you choose and plant itself three feet away, because it prefers the soil to be moist but not wet. You may situate a plant on one side only to find it propagating itself on the other side, or further down the hill. Most of my very favorite plant locations came about entirely by accident - and that's OK. When you naturalize your plants - i.e., get them out of the pots - they will do what they are meant to do. And nature has a way of creating vignettes that we admire and try to emulate.

 

[msr0459]

You are worried the splashing water will eventually overflow out of the basin?

I use geotextile underlayment in plastic mesh pots to contain soil but not in your exact situation. I would be surprised fi you had a problem with just incidental splashing being too much flow. The underlayment will wick water through and the plants will also use a lot of the water. Roots will also penetrate the underlayment eventually.

In my case I figured if I use underlayment I could easily fit it down into the irregular shape between the larger rocks. I like the idea @GBBUDD said of using small pea gravel instead of soil, as it would be less likely to clog the underlayment I would think.

 

[WaterGardener]

I grow most of my pond plants in just rocks, no soil. Every year I put impatiens along the edges of the waterfall by washing off all the soil and putting a small rock on the roots to hold them them in place. They do incredibly well there.

Taros and lizard's tail do well that way, too. Mint and watercress thrive without soil, and many others.

The only problem I can see is that without fish to provide nutrients, you will have to fertilize the plants somehow.

 

[msr0459]

I grow most of my pond plants in just rocks, no soil. Every year I put impatiens along the edges of the waterfall by washing off all the soil and putting a small rock on the roots to hold them them in place. They do incredibly well there.

Taros and lizard's tail do well that way, too. Mint and watercress thrive without soil, and many others.

The only problem I can see is that without fish to provide nutrients, you will have to fertilize the plants somehow.

I definitely hadn't considered having no fish being an issue with nutrients. Maybe I could just occasionally toss "some" kind of fertilizer in those areas?

 

[WaterGardener]

I use Pond Tabs and/or Osmocote to fertilize the plants in my pond. I suppose that any type would work if you could keep it from washing away.

 

[msr0459]

I use Pond Tabs and/or Osmocote to fertilize the plants in my pond. I suppose that any type would work if you could keep it from washing away.

Good info, thanks. Don't think it would wash out of the planting "pockets"... but I do have a couple of deep (6-8") pooling areas that cascades are falling into. I was wanting to put maybe water lily's in there, or anchor down another aquatic grass of some kind. Again, didn't consider the nutrient aspect. Now, not sure, as you said, how I would stop the fertilizer from washing out.