“Sterilizing” new plants before adding them to pond

[Mmathis]

I know this has been mentioned a lot in the past.....but I wanted a fresh perspective [OK, I admit it! I’m too lazy to search the forum, sigh].

What method to you find best for “sterilizing” newly purchased plants?

I do recall reading about potassium permangonate (sp?) but not sure how to do it: where to get PP, what concentration to use, how long to soak/immerse the plants..... (where do you find it?)

Or other methods......

Or is it necessary in the first place?

 

[sissy]

I use peroxide and water and clean the roots until nothing is left on them and then leave them in fresh water for around 3 or 4 weeks before I add them to my pond with a little miracle grow .

 

[Gemma]

Thanks for posting this @Mmathis , last year one of the plants I purchased introduced tiny snails in my pond that were eating all the plants. They were so small I had to use a magnify lens to realize they were snails. I couldn't get rid of them! They were in the plants I brought in to try winterize even after I checked them out very closely and saw non. it took several rinsing under the faucet to finally rid my Umbrella palm baby, of those obnoxious snails so this "sterilization" does it get rid of pests too?

 

[sissy]

Yep had snails in a plant 2 years ago and boy they just floated up .I also used a little dawn dish detergent because it had some white flies on it also .I had to spray several of my regular yard plants last year with a pump sprayer with dawn and some peroxide and water and a little epsom salts desolved in it .

 

[Gemma]

Thanks for that tip @sissy

 

[Patfish]

I just got a water lettuce at the pond store today. By the time I got home,there were 3 snails on the inside of the bag it came in.
I serched and found a bleach dip recipe. I tried it and we shall see. My hand still smells like a pool so hopefully the critters couldnt handle it.