Choosing Pond PlantsGet Landscape and Gardening Info on mps-landscaping-gardening.com. Choosing Pond Plants topic will increase your understanding on Landscape and Gardening Info. We at mps-landscaping-gardening.com only provide news, articles, information in Landscape and Gardening Info. Landscape and Gardening Info at mps-landscaping-gardening.com provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
A pond without plants is like cake without icing. Pond plants fight algae, give fish a hiding place against predators, and beautify our own little slice of paradise to plunk down in at the end of a tiring day. Don’t smother your pond with plants, however. Start with half the surface area, and don’t let them cover more than two-thirds to three-quarters at their growing peak. Overcrowding stresses them out, and hey – it just looks bad! Don’t let the terms “hardy” and “tropical” throw you when choosing plants for your pond. Just remember that these terms refer to the environment in which the plant has originally been adapted – and not to whether it can be thrown across the room or how well it looks in a fancy mixed drink. Hardy pond plants, as a rule, can handle cold temperatures and frost. Of course, this is relative to your USDA agricultural zone, found here: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. Ask your plant professional or check the plant’s label before taking home that plant that does great in Hawaii, but not so great in Maine. Tropicals, on the other hand, pretty much hold true to what they’re called: They will take a nosedive if temperatures get much below 70 degrees, turning into a messy mush if it freezes. But, ah, Grasshopper, there are ways to save even those hardy plants that aren’t quite up to a northern blizzard, as well as those tender-toed tropicals with which you’ve fallen madly in love. Bury hardy pond plants, pot and all, into a south-facing part of your yard and cover with a thick, warm blanket of mulch. Or put them into a garage or basement, making sure they’re kept wet and have good air circulation. Tropicals, on the other hand, need light and moisture year ‘round. If you don’t have a greenhouse, place tropicals in your sunniest window and keep misted, several times a day if possible, to provide the humidity they crave in order to flourish. “Grow lights” do a fabulous fake of the sun, however, and many tropical pond plants thrive under them. Marginal pond plants – those that grow around the edges, or margins, of a pond – can be either hardy or tropical. Some hardy marginals are cattail, plantain, and rush. Tropical marginals include taro, spider lily, and water hibiscus. Of course there are legions more to lust after in both hardy and tropical marginals. Place marginals with their pot tops one to six inches under water. Very tall plants, like cattail, can be moved as deep as a foot beneath the surface one they’ve gotten full-sized. Water lilies, however, like their water deep – between 18 and 30 inches – after starting the season in the 6”-12” shallower end. This gives them a nice, springtime shot of sunshine to get going again. And when the plant pro recommends those funny-looking pots with all the little holes in them, go for it. Pond plants poke their toes (roots) through them to develop tiny, nutrient-extracting feeder roots. Meshing with one another, these roots provide stability and protection against wind, kids, pets, and adults that have a tendency to stumble into them. Fertilize pond plants when they need them. “Ha!” you say. “And when is that?” Well, go back to your plant pro, the Internet, or the plant label you so wisely saved. Each plant may have different requirements, but one rule of thumb: Plants need much more fertilizer in warm-weather months than when it’s cool outside. So go have fun with your pond and your plants! The Home Of Indoor Plant Care Info. - We provide indoor plant care information for the homeowner, garden center personnel, and plantscape technicians. Choosing The Best Dog For Your Kids. - Help for parents choosing a dog for their children. Top 10 breeds for families, 5 steps to choosing the right dog and more. Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
More Articles:1. Edgeworthia Chrysantha By Geoff Bryant Although it is a member of the Thymelaeaceae, the family that includes the daphnes, it would be hard to imagine a plant less like a daphne at first glance. However, if you are familiar with the deciduous Daphne genkwa, there is some hint of resemblance there. The genus comprises three very similar species from China and Japan. It is named after Michael Pakenham Edgeworth (1812-81), a part-time botanist, plant collector and employee of the East India Company. The plant grown in our garden… 2. Wild Flower Garden - Recreate the Splendor of Nature in Your Own Backyard By Gabrielle Bennett A few years ago I made the decision to create a wild flower garden within my existing garden. I had been working to develop a more earth friendly approach to my garden, trying different options for fertilizing and pest and weed control. The next logical step for me was to establish a wild flower or natural style garden.I was new to this and thought that this particular section of my yard would require little work. After all, if these flowers grow wild without any human help then I had found … 3. 6 Indoor Plants That Love The Dark: A Tip From The Garden Center Nursery By Flor Bonifacio It was a long search that took me more than ten years. But finally I found it - the indoor house plant that will brighten up the end of a corridor 5 meters from my front door. The Aspidistra, commonly known as the Cast Iron plant, has graced the drawing rooms of many an otherwise drab Victorian English manor, and now graces my suburban Sydney brick home.Many gardening experts describe the Aspidistra as one of the toughest and most adaptable house plants. Its long blades of slender dark gree… 4. The Zoo-Doo Man - Or How to Make the Best Compost in the World! By Jim Kennard Is your garden soil great? Does it produce an abundant crop for you without any great effort on your part? We were once told “By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread . . “, and with several thousand years’ rain, snow, wind, and crops removing the minerals from the land, we very rarely see fertile ground anymore.So, how do you get your ground to consistently grow a large crop of healthy vegetables – there must be a way? Let me tell you some of my experience with this important ques… |
||||
