When it is time to plant the bog...

[bagsmom]

I am finally getting close to planting my new bog that will filter my brand new pond. Since I am starting from scratch, there won't be fish when I put in plants - so no nutrients from fish poo. Can I still go ahead and rinse off the dirt and plant directly into the gravel? I'm sure the plants won't really thrive for a while - but will they survive? Or should I just sit the potted plants directly into the gravel until I have fish to help fertilize?

 

[mrsclem]

Go ahead and plant them in the bog. You can use pond tab fertilizer till you get fish.

 

[Jumoo]

Not an “expert”, just a researcher,but I’ve read a few times here and there that keeping the dirt on the plants when plating is a good idea. If you look up Nelsons Water Gardens how to, they actually list getting rid of the dirt as a common mistake people make.

 

[Lisak1]

I agree with keeping the dirt - not all of it necessarily, but I never go out of my way to rid my new pond plants completely of dirt. A bit around the roots might just keep them happy until things click in for the pond. I know there are folks who disagree - fear of introducing parasites or disease to the pond is one argument - but nursery plants tend to be relatively clean. If I were digging them in nature I might be a bit more careful.

We did have to feed our bog and pond plants through the first season. They struggled. I mainly used fertilizer spikes, which seemed to help, but they never really looked great. But once things locked in, they took off and never looked back!

 

[bagsmom]

I agree with keeping the dirt - not all of it necessarily, but I never go out of my way to rid my new pond plants completely of dirt. A bit around the roots might just keep them happy until things click in for the pond. I know there are folks who disagree - fear of introducing parasites or disease to the pond is one argument - but nursery plants tend to be relatively clean. If I were digging them in nature I might be a bit more careful.

We did have to feed our bog and pond plants through the first season. They struggled. I mainly used fertilizer spikes, which seemed to help, but they never really looked great. But once things locked in, they took off and never looked back!

Won't the dirt flow off and into the pond? I think if I keep the dirt, I will definitely just sit the pots into the gravel - to avoid that.

 

[addy1]

I just rinsed the plants stuck them in the fishless ponds bog and they all survived. Once fish were in (the next year) they did better. There is enough dirt in the gravel to give them a decent start, at least with my bog.