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Caring For Pond
Plants In Spring
In spring, after cleaning your pond, your attention may turn to the plants that should now be starting to shoot. Clean off all the dead vegetation and trim back any untidy foliage. Some of the larger clump forming plants may be divided and potted to increase the number of plants, or simply put into a larger planting crate. The easiest way to divide lilies is to use a large sharp knife, or even a spade.
Special planting crates are available from most garden centres. They are perforated to allow the roots to leave the pot and obtain the necessary nutrients from the water and the sludge that accumulates at the bottom of all pools. Planting crates come in a wide range of sizes from small round marginal baskets to monster lily baskets and contoured ones that will hold 2, or 3 plants. The newer designs of baskets have a very fine mesh that is said to stop soil seepage, but lining them with Hessian, or cloth of some sort is always advisable as is a top dressing of pebbles.
Specially formulated fertilizer packets are also available for pond plants along with liquid and granular feeds. Aquatic compost is available, but any heavy, loam based compost such as well rotted turfs, is suitable as long as it hasn’t had any chemicals such as weed killer, or fertilizer added to it, because these will harm the fish and ordinary garden fertilizer will turn the pond green.
After the plants have been repotted they should quickly be returned to the pool so that they don’t dry out. This is easiest done when the pool is empty, but can be done afterwards if great care is taken. After you have cleaned and repotted your plants you may decide to add a few more, so why not pay a visit to your local garden centre and see what the aquatic department has to offer. They should be well stocked and have a good choice of plants costing from a little over a pound, or 2, to the more expensive lilies costing anything up to 15, or 20 pounds.
In the Spring all plants should have some growth on them, including lilies, which will make it easier to pick out good plants when you buy them.
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