Pond plants health...?

[Douglas]

Recently I planted some Bacopa Caroliniana in pots and placed it down my pond. For some reason it does not grow as healthy as I would imagine. I know for sure the soil mix its in is nutritious, as well as the water column having enough nutrients. But they do not grow full and bushy. Detritus clusters all over the lower portions of the stems. Then they lose the lower leaf colors and the only thing that looks like its alive are the last 3 inches of the tips that are closest to the water surface. When the rooted stems do grow new leaves from getting trimmed, it only shoots one bud instead of two bud heads. My emersed Bacopa plants are doing well just not my submerged. Has anyone ever experience this kind of growth in submerged aquatic plants?

 

[Mmathis]

What exactly do you have them planted in — what kind of soil mix? I just tucked mine in between rocks and they grew fine. Maybe you are giving them too many nutrients (?). Maybe they don’t like to be submerged (?).

 

[Douglas]

@Mmathis small plastic tubs that I drilled little holes on the bottom. It was topsoil mix from the garden. I have some 3-5 inch goldfish so I know they nip at the algae growing on them, but I would expect the plant to still be growing well even if its older leaves get nipped at. Which last year it was growing well in the same tubs.

 

[Faebinder]

Your crown should be above the water level for better growth. It's the case with nearly all plants that dont do well fully submerged. I dont know enough about this plant but it sounds like it prefers to have leaves up in the air and not water.