How big a basket to plant in?

[Jagsfan]

Ive started adding plants to my pond, but had a question on the size of basket to use. With the roots being able to grow outside the basket, i would think you wouldnt need a very large basket, but what do i know....pretty much nothing about pond plants, so thats why im askin'. For reference, i have Blue Flag Iris, Arrow Arum, Pickerel Rush and Lizards Tail. Not sure if that matters or not.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I don't use any baskets at all for my hardy marginal plants. They are all planted directly in the gravel on my shelves & in the shallow upper pool area.

 

[Lisak1]

No baskets here either. Plant those plants right in the pond! (The only thing I keep in a pot is water lilies.)

 

[Jagsfan]

@Lisak1 @BKHpondcritters
When planting directly in the pond in the gravel, how deep is the gravel your planting them in? or do just wedge the root balls in between some larger rocks?

 

[Jhn]

@Jagsfan both ways work…gravel just needs to be deep enough for The roots to hold the plant in place or just wedge them in somewhere. The roots in contact with the water is the important part. I have plants pop up from seed randomly between rocks at my ponds edge at this point where there is no gravel.

 

[Lisak1]

@Lisak1 @BKHpondcritters
When planting directly in the pond in the gravel, how deep is the gravel your planting them in? or do just wedge the root balls in between some larger rocks?

Yes and yes. I've done it all. I've created planting "pockets" with a circle of baseball sized rocks on the shelf and some gravel in the circle, shoved some root balls in between rocks, planted some outside the pond that crept inside... whatever works. Use as much gravel or rocks or a combination of both as you need to stabilize the plant in it's spot - once it gets established it will go where it wants. I once started a plant in one of those fabric bags they sell for pond plants - the roots split right through the bag eventually so I peeled off the bag, and chopped the giant root ball in half - literally axed it in half - opened it up and put the flat sides of the half circles up against the edge of the pond on the shelf. Worked great and now I had twice as much plant coverage.

People worry waaaaaay too much about planting in a pond - I know, because I was one of those people! Just like any other kind of gardening - sometimes things work, sometimes they don't and you may never know what the difference was. But you quickly go from "I hope these plants are happy here" to "what in the heck am I going to do with ALL THESE EXTRA PLANTS!" But my biggest message is - gardening of any type should be fun. If it's work, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Jagsfan]

Yes and yes. I've done it all. I've created planting "pockets" with a circle of baseball sized rocks on the shelf and some gravel in the circle, shoved some root balls in between rocks, planted some outside the pond that crept inside... whatever works. Use as much gravel or rocks or a combination of both as you need to stabilize the plant in it's spot - once it gets established it will go where it wants. I once started a plant in one of those fabric bags they sell for pond plants - the roots split right through the bag eventually so I peeled off the bag, and chopped the giant root ball in half - literally axed it in half - opened it up and put the flat sides of the half circles up against the edge of the pond on the shelf. Worked great and now I had twice as much plant coverage.

People worry waaaaaay too much about planting in a pond - I know, because I was one of those people! Just like any other kind of gardening - sometimes things work, sometimes they don't and you may never know what the difference was. But you quickly go from "I hope these plants are happy here" to "what in the heck am I going to do with ALL THESE EXTRA PLANTS!" But my biggest message is - gardening of any type should be fun. If it's work, you're doing it wrong.

Thank you! i think im going to adjust some of the ones i put in. I used the "water plant" planters but its hard to really hide them and i would prefer not having to use them.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I'll just echo everything Lisa already said. I usually just make a pile of gravel (sometimes pea gravel, sometimes small river gravel, sometimes a combination of the two) around the plant's base/root ball & stabilize it with enough larger rocks to keep it in place. Depending on what I'm planting & how deep its crown can be, I might fill the shelf completely with gravel so the crown is above water level, other times I'll plant a bit deeper.

It sometimes takes a season or two for things to really get going, but once they do... look out!

 

[addy1]

what in the heck am I going to do with ALL THESE EXTRA PLANTS!"

No kidding I have now purged plants from the bog x 5 and removed parrots feather x 4 it is growing like weeds this year