Submerged plants [oxygenators] -- do you anchor them....

[Mmathis]

..... or just let them free-float in your pond?

For example, hornwort & anarcharis [or however it's spelled!], but not exclusive to those.

When I read about these plants, they talk about wrapping a weight around the stems to keep them submerged, OR about "planting" them. Well, as most on here, I don't have anything on my pond floor to act as a substrate. And I can't envision having a bunch of little pots of anarcharis lying around on the bottom of the pond [just waiting to be tumped over]. So, for the time I've had my pond [going into the 3rd season], I've just tossed these guys in the water with mixed results.

What works best, if anything, for you guys?

 

[taherrmann4]

I have lead weights that I wrap around them to hold them in place.

 

[Mmathis]

I have lead weights that I wrap around them to hold them in place.

And this actually works? Is there a trick to keeping the plants from working themselves OUT of the weight? I'm assuming you are talking about the little lead strips that you can buy -- they look like flat twist-ties?

 

[taherrmann4]

Yes that is what I am talking about. I just wrap them around, do not twist them, just though, just keep wrapping it around itself. Don't wrap it very tight as it will kill the bottom part below it. I have had some fall off but very few. You do have to be carefull when you walk in your pond that you try not to step on any from years past when the plants die over winter. You could probably use fishing lead weights to and use fishing line to tie around them.

 

[RobAmy]

I use the lead weights also, works great

 

[Mmathis]

Good -- I just placed an order for some!

 

[Tula]

Good -- I just placed an order for some!

Where did you order them from?

 

[Mmathis]

Where did you order them from?

Darn, don't recall the place, but I GOOGLED "lead plant weights," or something similar. I looked until I found a place that had a few plants that I could buy -- to justify the shipping cost.

I'll see if I can find that invoice.

 

[Mmathis]

Lilyblooms Aquatic Gardens, and Oh dear! I just looked them up to read reviews! They are associated with a retailer called Pond Plants Direct....

Neither of those got good reviews. Hope I wasn't just scammed!

 

[RobAmy]

You can you lead flashing also, that is what I use. I cut my own strips. I have rolls of it for chimney flashing on roofs

 

[SouthernCross]

I solder from time to time on little projects around the house or for friends, and have lots of solder wire. Thought it could work for holding down plants, so I tried wrapping the bottom of my anacharis with small solder wire. Maybe I do not have a good technique, but after a few months, half of the plants have come loose and are floating. Cleaned the pond yesterday(water was still cold) and scooped out all the anacharis, so today after church my wife and I will be anchoring anacharis again.

 

[HARO]

My personal experience has been that the plant stems tend to rot under the lead, and float free. Cabomba is probably one of the worst for this. Also, hornwort does not put out roots, but tends to wrap around pots or other objects, and thus "anchors" itself.
John

 

[sharpchick]

Some people actually pot them in little tiny terra cotta pots. I think my fish would have a blast uprooting them from pots though, so I just use the lead weights like most of the other posters.

 

[addy1]

I just toss mine in, it does just fine.

 

[taherrmann4]

My personal experience has been that the plant stems tend to rot under the lead, and float free. Cabomba is probably one of the worst for this. Also, hornwort does not put out roots, but tends to wrap around pots or other objects, and thus "anchors" itself.
John

John do they rot because people wrap the lead weight around them too tightly or is something else? I also use several pieces of anacharis for each lead weight.