How do people get all these plants to grow?

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I see everyone else's ponds and they have this massive crop of plants growing in them. Some of them are floating around, some would appear to be anchored plants that have roots rooted into dirt somewhere. Well my question is, how do you have this if you have a pond liner? I can see being able to grow all these plants in a pond with a dirt bottom. But with a liner, how do they get so big with just a pot? I must be missing something here... my plants never seemed to want to get any bigger than the pot they were growing in.
 

addy1

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maybe a lot of pots? under the water.
 

j.w

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Some are just stuck between the rocks around the edge of the pond and they then can cascade over the top. Some are in the floating rings just getting their nourishment from water and not soil. Others are in big pots that sit on blocks that don't need removal too often or you get an aching back :lol:
 

DrDave

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My Taros grow to over 6' tall and the only thing that holds them is a few rocks that I pile around them when they are small. During the summer, they grow so fast that the shoots I harvest keep my potted plant business fully stocked.
The same goes for Hyssop and Parotts Feather.
 
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Hmm... so you plant them outside the pond itself. In the cracks. So you really can't do this with plants that have to have a constant exposure to water right? Cause when they are getting started, they don't really have enough water around the roots cause they aren't actually in the pond. Unless you just water them constantly until they get in the pond and make their own roots? Seems like it might be a big hassle.
 

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When I built my pond I made a low shelf about a few inches deep all around the pond and the liner went on top of it and then I put rocks on top of the liner so those rocks are in the water. Then I brought the liner up to the top of the dirt and laid it over and put the top rocks on top of the liner so that there is now two layers of rock. The bottom rocks that are in the water have plants stuck in between them so that they are always in the water and they grow very nicely that way. I have some in pots as you can see and some tucked into the rocks in these pics. I am going to try taking my water lilies out of the pots this Spring and try floating them in floating rings to see how they do. If it works it will be less maintenance w/ no dirt to mess with.

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also some people tie a weight to them with fishing line or rope and it keeps them it place but also still lets them move 2 or 3 feet in each direction..

~Marino~
 

DrDave

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BennyLava said:
Hmm... so you plant them outside the pond itself. In the cracks. So you really can't do this with plants that have to have a constant exposure to water right? Cause when they are getting started, they don't really have enough water around the roots cause they aren't actually in the pond. Unless you just water them constantly until they get in the pond and make their own roots? Seems like it might be a big hassle.

Benny
You are not paying attention. Why would anyone use rocks out side the pond to plant anything? My Taro plants are in shallow areas of my ponds and stream, anchored only by a few rocks so the roots can wrap around them and get a footing.
If you go to my website, there are several videos of my ponds and you can see what they look like.
The water and nutrients from the fish make them grow like crazy. Best of all, it adds to the bio element.
 
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thats true they get alot of nutrients thats why i water my plants that are OUTSIDE (like bushes and trees) with pond water cause i heard all the fish poop and everything else in the pond is good for the plants.....

~marino~
 

sissy

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I read about taro and elephant ears plants that the leaves are bad for the fish if they eat them and since my fish destroy plants I'm not sure about them being in my pond .I have had them in the past but not in the pond but off to the side .I will be trying the plant ring to keep some water lettuce and hyacinth in my pond and hope they work ..I even made a net with a loop at the bottom and a bigger loop at the top to put around my lillies .My fish destroy every plant I get
 

sissy

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I can understand that as I have several on my property and lots of elephant ears too .I had one elephant ear that got to be 6 feet tall and when I dug up the potatoes to share them with family one was so big it was unbelievable .I started with 2 plants and now have 30 and have given lots of them away .the taro I only have 6 of those but started with 1 two years ago .I now have 1 cold hardy banana and 3 cold hardy palms
 

taherrmann4

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Has anyone tried to plant caladiums or canas in their ponds or stream beds and have success. I am thinking about trying them but would like to know if they grow as healthy as the elephant ears did.
 

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