Toppling, Top-heavy, Potted Pond Plants

[Rosenbeck]

It's the time of year when some of our pond plants get so top heavy, that they start tipping over when it's windy. What are some of the quick and easy solutions you have come up with?

Thanks in advance!

 

[tbendl]

What kind of plants? Can you prune them back for winter?

 

[cas]

I have seen people use branches/limbs to hold their large plants up.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I have a large house plant that I had to figure out how to support because it was falling over. I ended up using a shepherds hook, stuck it in the pot and tied it to the plant with twine. And then I hung a decoration on the hook so it wasn't just empty. It actually works well and I suppose you could do it outside too.

 

[sissy]

if they are outside the pond tomato cages work and so do plant rings ,you can also by plastic or bamboo stakes .If they are in the pond it would be really harder .You could make a teepee and just stick it in the pot .All it takes to make a teepee is string or wire and make a teepee looking item stretch out the legs ans stick inside the pot edges .

 

[Rosenbeck]

Thank you all for your replies, but I've misstated the problem--sorry.

These are potted plants in the pond, and they are toppling over, pot and all. The plants themselves aren't collapsing, but a stiff breeze comes along, and the plant and pot tip over. Hope this explains it better.

 

[Rosenbeck]

What kind of plants? Can you prune them back for winter?

All but one are plants I'll trim all the way back for winter, but would like to enjoy them for a little while longer.

 

[tbendl]

No about the only thing I can think of is to repot in a heavier sturdier wider bottomed pot.

 

[HARO]

Yup, that's about it. A low, wide pot, something like a dishpan or an oil-change thingy. The wider the better, but they won't fit on the standard 8" wide plant shelf! A deeper pot with rocks in the bottom might work, but then you need deeper water.
John

 

[sissy]

I know addy uses oil pans for her plants .You can drill holes in the bottom .I got mine at the dollar store and put rocks on the bottom and then the kitty litter on top .The weight alone keeps them from falling over besides the wide bottom pan .

 

[cas]

This is what I was talking about branches holding up the plant. I can't take credit for this. It is from @callingcolleen1 pond pictures.

 

[Lisak1]

I have used twine to tie mine to nearby rocks. Wrap the twine around the pot then around the rock - just make sure you choose a heavy rock so you don't end up pulling that in the pond, too! This, by the way, is the main reason I worked to naturalize all my plants - I don't enjoy dealing with the pots! We have one potted pond plant left - a dwarf umbrella plant. And of course the lilies are in pots but for a whole other reason!

 

[rodsboys]

I had bull rush, pickerel weed, and cat tails get too big and fall in last year every time it got a little windy. This year I split all of them up and gave the other half/ quarters away and planted in larger pots. I think it helped, but the plants are even bigger this year. I have had the bull rush fall in a couple of time only. That idea about hanging baskets and shepherds hooks sounds viable. I may give that a go next year and then I can remove my black milk crate "plant ledges".

 

[Becky]

These are potted plants in the pond, and they are toppling over, pot and all. The plants themselves aren't collapsing, but a stiff breeze comes along, and the plant and pot tip over. Hope this explains it better.

I have a very simple pond edge, so I don't have any rocks to tie the pots to. Instead, we got some bags of rocks (they are in plastic mesh bags) and tied them to the back of the pots using cable ties so that the rocks rest on the pond floor. Now when the wind blows the rocks weigh down the edge of the pot that would usually lift. Not sure if I've explained this very well, but it has worked really well for us.

 

[tbendl]

That's a great idea Becky, and I understood you.