TOOLS FOR AQUATIC PLANT CARE

[Mmathis]

OK, now that my plants are starting to take off, there is the issue of pruning & getting rid of dead stems & leaves. I assume you guys periodically prune out your plants, so how do you go about it and what do you use?

I saw a pruning tool sold for ponds, but it runs about $40 bucks. I haven't been able to find out how long its reach is, though. I bought a similar tool geared toward aquarium use for about $8.00. It does a good job, but it only has about an 18" reach, and you have to change the head from "clip" to "grab." Short of getting in the water every time, any suggestions?

Oh, and what about fertilizing? Do you pull your pots out of the water to do this or just push fert. sticks into the "soil" with the plant in place?

 

[cajunmeme]

I just this past weekend pulled all the floating plants (water lettuce and hyacinths) out of the pond to clean them. I hose them down really well and pull all dead plant matter off. I place in a large bucket as I clean them, Then use my net to skim the bottom of the pond for leaves and twigs. I have only 2 water lilies and 1 lotus in my pond. I leave them alone till spring. At that time I pull them out and repot if need be and clean and fertilize. I clean the floating plants every couple of months or so.

 

[Waterbug]

I use fruit tree fertilizer spikes and break them into chunks. Add a few of those and the plant is good for the year.

 

[addy1]

I use a pair of sissors and just go into the pond with the plants. If the water is cold I pull the plants out to work on them, or put on waders.