How to grow submerged plants?

[Shdwdrgn]

Since we're talking about plants right now, I thought I would bring up a more specific topic. My new pond is 3 feet deep, so I really wanted to get a bed of underwater plants going this year, but nothing I planted survived. I had highest hopes for the val, as it can grow nice and thick. My main pond has a thin layer (1-2 inches) of fine sand in the bottom, so some plants I wrapped lead strips around to sink them. Other plants were put into small 1" pond planter baskets with some peat moss and gravel. The ludwiga seemed to hold on for the longest, but most plants just disappeared quickly.

I don't know if the koi were simply eating the plants off faster than they could grow, or if I just had a lot of bad luck. Because the pond is new, it hasn't had a chance for much fish waste to settle into the bottom, although I would assume there would have been enough in the water itself after a month to feed the new plants.

Anyway, I'd love any suggestions that I can try next year. The ludwiga has a beautiful red color to it, and the val grows tall and forms a green carpet on the surface of the water, providing shade for the fish. I would love to get both types growing directly in the bottom sand.

 

[sissy]

yep koi leave no plant uneaten .I am in the same boat but did have all my lily's come up and flower I guess my koi do not like lilies

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Well my creeping jenny was just starting to grow over the edge of the rocks this year, so the koi will have plenty of fresh greens to eat next year. I need to find a net with the right mesh to let the sand sift through but still capture the larger bits. The fish have knocked quite a bit of gravel down into the bottom, plus I need to dig out those lead strips and maybe try again with a new batch of val. Perhaps the best idea might be to start the plants in another container, get them grown out with long stems and lots of roots, THEN transfer them into the pond so they're not completely consumed before they have a chance to start growing.

 

[sissy]

how about window screening

 

[fishin4cars]

I would suggest trying native species or species that have grown through the winter in a pond in your area, this way you cabn find out if the Koi are destroying them or if they simply aren't taking off. i have used anachris in the past with koi and they did find year round, but this year I couldn't get it to take off.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

fishin - This wasn't a cold-weather problem. I was trying various methods to grow the plants through this Summer, while the water temperature was in the 70's.

I've been considering getting another 55-gal barrel for the patio to store the water from the aquarium water-changes, to be re-used for watering the lawn (seems such a waste to just wash all that fish-water down the drain!). Perhaps I can get some plants growing in that barrel, then transfer to the pond later.

 

[adavisus]

Partitioning a favourite position for submerged aquatic plants might indicate if it is the impact of the fish that is suppressing the plants.

Koi, what do they have better to do all night, than to go find nibblies to play with....

If you listen to the fish after dark, by putting your ear to a glass touching the water, all you will hear, is tinkle tinkle clink (gravel, grit being chobbled and spit) and, scrunch, scrunch...

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[taherrmann4]

Did you fertilize the plants?

 

[addy1]

I fertilized my lilies, taro's, snowflakes lilies and iris, using the plant tabs. My readings are always zero so figured they need some help. They all did well.

 

[TonyM]

Lots of good stuff here. Thanks to all. My pond has only been on-line for a year so this spring was the first time I had to deal with algae. My theory is, and please correct me if I'm wrong because that's why I'm posting, but every surface in the pond will grow 'stuff'. It's part of nature.I was planning to introduce anachris or some other similar plant that will grow as easily as algae and use it to keep the other down. I'm thinking I can easily trim a plant like anachris. Messing with algae is akin to taking the damp toilet paper off the maple tree out front on Saturday mornings.

Is my thinking correct or will the algae overwhelm the anachris?
Tony

 

[j.w]

I had some Anacharis that I had saved over winter in a tub outside and it lived so I threw it in a plant ring in the pond. That's all that was in that ring and the ring had tight screen on the bottom of the ring and not much circulation and there was some algae in the ring. The Anacharis is now all covered w/ the algae and looks to be dead. I think there was more algae in the ring and not enough Anacharis. Maybe if had put lots of the stuff in there it would have been a different outcome. Will try that next time I go Anacharis picking when weather is warmer in the wild ponds.