Some Help Choosing Pond Plants

[Magzire]

Need help choosing some plant ponds.
My pond is 600 litre (10 goldfish). I have a underwater shelf on top of the pond that is 4 inch deep and 10 inch in width that goes around one third of the pond. So some places for pots.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/searchterm/pond plants

Here are the choices I have from local Homebase. Which plants would you guys recommend?
Also, do I need fertilizer or anything like that?

Any help would be appropriated, thanks.

 

[Mmathis]

@Magzire I hope you meant that you have a "top" shelf under the water, because I couldn't figure out what an under water shelf on top of the pond would look like.....

 

[Magzire]

Sorry if that's hard for you to understand, pretty clear enough. Obviously not going to be out of water, but thanks for your time.

Also there could be a lower or mid shelf

 

[Mmathis]

@Magzire Do you have any pics you could post? It would help us to give you plant advice. And did you say your pond is 600L [which is 158 gal]? I was thinking it was bigger than that, so pics would definitely be helpful.

 

[Magzire]

@Magzire Do you have any pics you could post? It would help us to give you plant advice. And did you say your pond is 600L [which is 158 gal]? I was thinking it was bigger than that, so pics would definitely be helpful.

Nothing to fancy, pond is 2 metres in length, 1.3 metres across and 90 cm in depth. Also it has a lot wider at the bottom.

 

[ChrisP]

Basically, anything but water lilies and lotuses will work there. I'll stay away from cattails, tall rush, and irises as those would not be proportional to the garden size.

Sedge and many other things will be hardy and can be left in year round. Those prices seem kind of high, so I'd look away at plant centers for sweet flag, corkscrew rush, spiderwort and creeping jenny. All of these are sold as "normal" plants, but do great in water. Creeping Jenny and Water Mint are nice as they spread out an will provide a little shelter and nibbles for the fish.


Black Magic Taro may be good in that spot without being too big. In the winter you can bring the plant inside (may require repotting), then back out in the spring.

 

[Magzire]

Good info Chris, thanks. What kind of fertilizer i need?

 

[ChrisP]

For most plants, no fertilizer is required, the fish do a good enough job. Extra fertilizer could cause algae blooms.

Lilies and sometime water hyacinth are the exception.

As for potting, DO NOT use potting soil, peat moss or other lightweight material. Pea gravel, clay soil or very plain kitty litter is good.

 

[moby]

Sorry to ask but, how can the pond 'have a much wider bottom' ?
Good plants for providing cover and food are Starwort and Elodea/Canadian Pondweed. They spread to give nice growth but are easily kept within limits. Also provide protection from herons and give shade, plus they're winter hardy here. Readily available in UK, small amounts sold as weighted plants that need no soil, can just be dropped in and left to grow away. The less soil you add to a pond the better IMHO. Never seen Taro for sale here or Lotus plants.

 

[moby]

Just checked the Homepage link you posted.....those plants are ridiculously priced!
You would be far better to visit one of the large garden centres that have an outdoor pond section, most have them in England so I'm sure Kildare and surrounds would. Or a specific pond/aquatic shop will sell them. Do you have Wyvale garden centres, Maidenhead Aquatics, look on google. I'm sure you will get bunches of elodea for a couple of pounds each, marginals at under a fiver. Unless you have deep pockets, those prices are way to dear, just mentioning!
If you do buy potted plants, or pot up a plant yourself this may sound a stupid thing but you need to water it thouroughly befor lowering it into the pond! So place the pot in a bucket of water first to make sure it's soaked through then lower the plant in slowly, less chance of the air that's trapped in the soil pushing out clouds of debris into the water. Alternatively lower it very slowly into the pond but be prepared for murky clouds of soil to escape.

 

[Mmathis]

Sorry to ask but, how can the pond 'have a much wider bottom' ?

I wondered the same thing........

 

[Magzire]

I wondered the same thing........

It has a wider bulge on the bottom, like a chemistry flask

 

[Faebinder]

Do you want pretty looking or efficient nutrient sucking action?

 

[Magzire]

Do you want pretty looking or efficient nutrient sucking action?

Definitely the 2nd choice

 

[Faebinder]

Definitely the 2nd choice

Blue flag iris, buy 4 and spread them... It will require you to remove the excess roots once they are well spread, maybe every other year.