Pickerel Rush planted in the ground?

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I made the mistake of tossing Pickerel Rush in my pond several years ago (which is sold locally as Water Irises, but now I realize that's a darn lie), without realizing how much it would spread under my gravel! So when I thinned it out a few weeks ago, I had 8 large bunches left over and nowhere to put it!

I can't seem to give it away, so right now it's all just sitting in buckets of water and dying. That makes me sad, I hate to euthanize perfectly good plants!

I've read that you can plant them in moist soil, but that's the extent of the details I can find. What, exactly, does "moist" mean? Are we talking red clay soil with poor drainage?

Can I plant them in the ground behind the pond (with dark, rich soil) and water them 1/2" daily like I do the hostas?

How deep should I plant them?

They survive the Zone 7A winter in my pond just fine, but would I need to dig them up out of the ground and... do something else for the winter?
 

addy1

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per the net:

Negligence is the word of the day in caring for pickerelweed plants. These unfussy little rushes can tolerate almost anything except full shade and drought. Pickerels should be kept in deep pots where the roots can remain moist. You can also submerge the entire pot and just let the broad leaves float out around the plant. Pickerel rush for ponds performs best when soils are heavy and rich. Loamy soils with moderate to slightly acidic pH create the best growing conditions for the plant. Pickerelweed plants that are grown in pots thrive in potting mix blended with a good quality topsoil and peat.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Caring For Pickerelweeds – How To Grow Pickerel Rush https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/pickerelweed/growing-pickerel-rush.htm

Pickerel Rush (Pontederia cordata) Enjoy purple blooms all summer long with shiny, jade green, heart shaped foliage. Grows about 24″ – 30″ high and will spread 12″ to 24″. Plant in sun to part shade in moist soil or water to 10 inches deep. Very easy to grow.
 
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I had read that (or something similar), but the parts on growing in the ground are super vague. Moist soil... how moist? How often do I need to water? And how deep do I plant it in the soil? And what about winter?
 

addy1

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Well if were me and the way I plant I would just them in the ground here and there see how they do. I have some wet ground loving bog plants that are now lining my fence, I do not water. They are doing just fine.
 
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I feel your pain however if you have a healthy pond full of plants, you are going to toss A LOT of plants. I just filled a 50 gallon trash can with excess plants I yanked from the pond and bog. And I still have a pond FULL of plants. There's just no getting around it. My husband jokes that I could start a pond nursery with all my discards - he's not far from the truth! And that will happen year after year. So while I understand your hesitation in tossing them, you'll soon be living in a jungle if you don't just grit your teeth and start tossing. Or become well known on Craigslist as the go-to for pond plants!

On the plus side, all my "green trash" goes in my compost bin, so it's not really going to waste!
 

addy1

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lol I toss a ton also, off and on. OW it is darn overwhelming. Mine just get tossed down the bog hill, then I haul it to the woods with my tractor.
 

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