Water garden tip | Pot aquatic plant: Gardening

Helping You Become a More Successful Gardener

In a natural environment, aquatic plants grow in the soil at the bottom of a pond or stream, or along its shoreline. In the home garden, they grow a little differently – usually in containers.

Planting aquatics in specialized shallow containers has a purely functional purpose: It simply makes pond maintenance and plant care easier. Unseen and submerged underwater, these porous or woven baskets provide constant water circulation, hold soil in place and maintain the plants at the proper depth they need to thrive.

Take the following steps to learn how to properly protect your containers from erosion.

Preparing Containers and Baskets

Preparing Containers and Baskets - Step 1

nspect your containers and baskets for any cracks, voids or other structural damage. Clean containers thoroughly to remove any contaminants.

Preparing Containers and Baskets - Step 2

Install clean porous burlap or landscape fabric mesh along the inside of the container to contain the soil but still allow adequate moisture and dissolved gasses to flow to plant roots.

Preparing Containers and Baskets - Step 3

Weight the base of the container with dense stone. (Heavy containers will remain stable in swift currents.)

Preparing Containers and Baskets - Step 4

Fill your container with soil mix, leaving space for the plant roots, then top it off with a layer of pea gravel 1-2 inches thick. If the soil hasn’t previously been saturated with water, soak the container – soil and all – for 24 hours to exhaust air trapped in the soil and to saturate the organic elements so they will sink rather than float.

Warnings

When it comes to planting aquatics in their submerged pots, avoid metal containers that might corrode or leach into the water. Also avoid solid containers that would restrict the flow of water and dissolved gasses to the plant’s roots inside the pots.
When it comes to planting aquatics in their submerged pots, avoid metal containers that might corrode or leach into the water. Also avoid solid containers that would restrict the flow of water and dissolved gasses to the plant’s roots inside the pots.

Facts

You can find containers specifically manufactured for aquatic plants at many nurseries and garden centers. They’re usually baskets made of rigid or flexible plastic. Other options include terra-cotta pots, natural fiber and woven willow baskets, and polypropylene bags punctured with copious drainage holes.

Tips

If a plant in your water feature dies, remove it immediately – as well as any garden debris (like foliage) that blows into your pond. Decomposing plant matter loads the water with nitrogen and other nutrients, making an algae bloom likely.
Generally, plant aquatic plants after the last frost, once warm temperatures have become established and are consistent. (The exact date depends on your climate and, to a lesser degree, your desire to stagger blooms throughout the growing season.)

Next Steps

Preparing the Soil for Your Aquatic Plants
It’s no secret that water gardens are beautiful, but under the surface lies all the “dirt” behind the beauty: soil. Learn two quick step-by-step demonstrations for properly preparing the soil that shoreline, marginal and submerged aquatic plants prefer in order to thrive.
Water Gardening: Prepare to Plant
Now that you’ve installed your water feature, it’s time for the real fun to begin: adding your plants. While most aspects of planting aquatics are similar to planting other gardens, there are just enough differences to add a little extra interest and discovery.
Planting Submerged Aquatics in Your Garden Pond
Water gardens bring unique interest to the landscape, whether the plants are lining a pond shore, floating atop the calm water or swaying partially submerged from their depths. Learn more about planting water garden plants, as well as the steps to properly planting submerged aquatics – then float toward success.

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Planting Your Water Garden: Preparing Containers and Baskets