To plant or not to plant a pond in October?

[EdinburghBob]

I have just had work completed on a nice 4m x 4m wildlife pond. I was wondering if you fine people would be able to advise me on plants that I could get away adding this late in the year. Or maybe it would be better to let it sit there till next spring. It is fairly reasonable up here temperature wise. Many thanks. Bob

[Deb London]

I can't see any reason why you couldn't get a few free plants and bits of plants from other people's ponds right now. I'd simply give it a go.

Many of the plants I have (e.g. native Arrowhead and Frogbit) form hardy little structures that overwinter. And many oxygenators are ready to be weeded.

The pond will look bare for months whatever you do. There is no need to try and cram them in. Less is more. They will grow to fill the pond in no time next spring/summer.

But I reckon plants introduced now will have a kick start next year.

Just my thoughts.

[jaelen]

Hello, Bob- welcome to WaB!

We dredged and cleaned our pond a few weeks ago, and I can never resist any excuse to buy a few more plants for the garden, so I put some in just last week.

I tried to get hardy varieties, that will hopefully survive being planted so late in the year... the hornwort, (Ceratophyllum Demersum) which seems to be doing the best- dark green and healthy looking.

Of the others, it's too early to tell as to whether my reedy plants will make it- I put in miniature horse tail, (Equisetum Scirpoides) and reedmace (Typha Minima) and they are at least still standing upright!

The water fringed lily (Nymphoides Peltata) has grown several inches in just the week it's been in the pond so that it's leaves are now water level, so I know it's still alive and the Marestail (HIppuris Vulgaris) looks like it's doing ok, too.

The one I'm worried about is the Marsh Pennywort- (Hydrocotle Vulgaris) because the leaves have gone very pale and yellow- it's not happy at all, but that might be because our pond is almost in total shade in the winter... it might need more light than it's getting now.

And no, I don't really remember all their Latin names... it's just because I put them in so recently, their name tags are still here on the desk with my computer! I knew they'd come in useful if I left them lying around long enough.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Autumn/winter is the best time to plant (unless frozen obviously). It allows the roots time to bed in before the plants start to grow next spring.

Cheers,


Adam

[EdinburghBob]

Thank you all so much, I have been on the hunt for native species of water garden plants, Puddle Plants seems to have quite a good stock but no Frogbit till next June O well. Thanks for all the good advice and plant names. Bob

[Deb London]

Hi Bob,

Frogbit might not grow well in your pond anyway. It's not always the easiest plant to grow. It depends a lot on your water.

Glad you will have something to plant. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly pond plants will grow when the temperature warms up.

Good luck with it.

[Littlesparrow]

I'm very interested to find it is a good time to put pond plants in,my daughter thought she was helping and took all my pond plants out leaving a little duck weed, bless her. I was thinking I would have to leave it until spring but now I will get on with restocking.

[EdinburghBob]

Does anyone have any ideas of what to do if you have water depths in places of 3 cm. If I put sand in and made it look like a bank and planted it up would that work?

[Red Squirrel]

Do you have any spare turves Bob. That's what we put the shallow area of ours to enable frogs and newts to get in and out easily.

We had ours dug out ( had a digger onsite at the time ) two and a half years ago and it very quickly settled down and cleared beautifully within a month.

Amongst other plants we started with 50 pieces of frogbit and this year it has covered about a quarter of the 50ft pond. It flowered too.

If you lived nearer you could have some with pleasure. If you pm me your address I'll post you some.

[EdinburghBob]

Thanks Red squirrel for the offer but our neighbour past by and gave me some native pond plants. I hardly know the man but he is a Botanist and saw me doing my bit and heard through other neighbours about my wildlife pond project.

I cannot imagine a huge pond like yours Red Squirrel thats sounds like a dream size to play with!

We are turfing the vast area around the pond so I will be edging with turf where possible ( pond is sited on a slope) But I should have the best of a dry stone wall edge and a grass edge which should do.

I would like to know if anyone understands about what types of plants have the dangerous rhizomous roots that can puncture the liner that need to be avoided, I know the reeds and the iris can puncture liners. Are their any other natives that should be basket bound?