WATER GARDEN REFERENCE GUIDE Supplies needed for water gardening:
1. Waterproof containers with no drainage holes: fully glazed ceramic, whiskey barrels with liners, plastic, old bird baths or bathtubs. 2. Supplies: pH neutral soil, heavy clay loam or purchased aquatic soil (baked clay particles). No peat, bark or sand. 3. Fertilizer tabs: to be pushed into the soil every three weeks during the growing season (Pondtabbs). 4. Algaecide: AlgaeFix is safe for plants and fish. 5. Black pond dye: optional, helps control algae growth. 6. Mosquito control: mosquito bits or dunks.
Plants:
Please check your state’s invasive plant list before planting any aquatic species. 1. Floating plants: Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce), Azolla caroliana (fairy moss), Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), Limnobium laevigatum (frogbit) 2. Floating plants, in pots: miniature and small hardy waterlilies in pots - Nymphaea (‘Helvola’, ‘Perry’s Baby Red’, ‘Chrysantha’) 3. Submerged plants, in pots: Vallisneria tortifolia (eel grass), Cabomba caroliniana, dwarf Sagittaria pygmaea, Ceratophyllum demersum (hornwort). These can be very helpful in reducing any murkiness in the water. 4. Plants for the margin, in pots: Nelumbo nucifera (lotus), Colocasia esculenta (taro), Cyperus papyrus (Paper Papyrus), Cyperus involucratus (false papryus), aquatic cannas (‘Australia’, ‘Pretoria’, ‘Erebus’, ‘Chiquita Punch’). Many of these plants like bog conditions and can tolerate sand or peat in the soil.
Fish:
1. Small varieties: goldfish, minnows, mosquito fish (Gambusia spp.). Avoid Koi as they quickly outgrow containers.
Maintenance: Spring/Summer 1. Important to keep water on the roots so they don’t dry out, margin of 1” over roots, 2” or more for water lilies. 2. Use bricks to raise potted plants in a container. 3. A mix of plant growth habits is desirable to keep water fresh. 4. Trim spent leaves and blooms as needed, removing dead foliage helps keep water fresh. Spent Lotus leaves should be cut above the water line to avoid rot. 5. Fertilize potted plants and add Mosquito Bits every 2-3 weeks, add algaecide as needed. Fall/Winter 1. Empty container and store upside down for winter months to avoid cracking. Container can be stored in a pond 20” or more in depth. 2. Place fish inside in an aquarium. 3. Overwinter tropical plants inside or treat as annuals. 4. Store hardy plants to protect roots from freezing - in water or with moist soil in a large garbage bag.
The Real Dirt
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Fall 2019