plant roots

[dragon fly]

I was thinking of planting some ivy around the edges of my pond. So I decided to take some cuttings from the ivy that grows along the garden fence. However when pulling the ivy from the fence its roots were really hard to get out of the grain in the wood.
This made me think if it was possible for the roots to get through the pond liner.
Then after reading some threads regarding the roots of the bulrush plants, I wonder what other roots if any can penetrate pond liners

Also I currently have irises in my pond but was thinking of changing them for next year.
What would you plant in their place
Something that grows upright like the iris so the wild life can climb up them.
And also hide a corner of the pond I do not wish to see

[Tursiops2]

Hi dragonfly
I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about with regards the ivy. The tendrils which hold the plant to a surface are not true roots, they don't absorb water or nutrients, they just support the plant. Ivy roots are unlikely to be a threat to your liner unless you have a miniscule leak you're unaware of. Roots will follow a trace of water to it's source, but cannot "sense" water through butyl. If there's no leak, there's no water, and no problem.

By bulrush I presume you mean Greater Reedmace (the one with the cigar-like seedheads)? I'm aware that this can damage liners but I don't know how or why, or whether other plants can do so as well. The difference, maybe, is that where the ivy is outside the pond trying to get in (or not), the bulrush is inside the pond trying to get out .

As replacements for the irises, consider Purple Loosestrife and/or Meadowsweet. They go well together.

HTH
T2

[dragon fly]

Hi T2
thank you for reply

By bulrush I presume you mean Greater Reedmace (the one with the cigar-like seedheads)

yes they are the ones

consider Purple Loosestrife and/or Meadowsweet

will look into them see if i can get them at my local
cheers again

[naturelover]

hi dragon fly i have ivy round my pond looks good between the rocks,but it must not get into the pond i herd once that it could poison the fish if eaten,dont know how true this is though,i have the large leaf ivy gets rid of the stark outline and makes it look more natural,i had the same when i lived in chelmsford and it was there for years with no trouble,hope this helps.

[tom00_uk]

some plants can do amazing amounts of damage,

there can not be one person on here that has not seen plants breaking through tarmac etc

there are a number of very tough bambos used int he garden that could go through a liner and then there is the invasive japanese knotweed, there are many pics of this plant getting through foundations into buldings etc online.