Tannins from soil potted marginal plants?

[MariaTeresa]

I was reading an article by Dr. Erik Johnson, DVM, about yellow tinted water in ponds. One of the reasons he suggests is tannins from marginal plants potted in soil. "Potted plants can leach tannins and other amber colored contaminants from their soil into the pond. " I knew tannins come from leaves and other organic debris in the water, but have not heard before that the soil itself could be making a "soil tea" (as Dr. Johnson puts it).

What is your experience? Is it better for the water to use a different potting media? I've heard of kitty litter for lilies, but what about irises and other marginals?

 

[addy1]

I use kitty litter for everything, except the bog, that is full of pea gravel.

 

[Nepen]

My clay make my pond water red. So I know dirt can change water color

 

[Mmathis]

I use pea gravel in my bog. For any marginals that I put in the pond (and I do have a few iris'), I just squeeze them in among the rocks (well, except for water lilies which are potted in kitty litter like Addy does). I leave a little bit of the soil on the roots, but I don't "pot" them in anything. I've had "tannin issues" in the past where I've had cedar fencing in contact with the water, and I've worked very hard to keep the tannins out.

 

[MariaTeresa]

I tried not potting irises and dwarf sweet flag, just sticking them in between rocks but they all died. Perhaps you can only do it with mature plants?

 

[Lisak1]

No, I have planted even the tiniest slip of a plant between the rocks (on the pond side) and they've grown. Not all of them - that's not the way of the garden! We cal, it the 50% rule - half of everything I plant seems to live. If I can, I'll put a few rocks around the roots and a handful of gravel to hold the plant in place until it starts to grow.