Selecting Plants For Your Koi Pond
You must remember that the plant syou choose for your pond provide more than just something beautiful to look at, that add that most important thing to your pond, biological life. Plants help maintain your pool by doing what they would do in a natural environment.
Some plants just cannot survive in certain conditions so make sure that you pay close attention to your climate and area and do plenty of research before you spend money on your plants. Talk to your local dealer as they will be able to give you a good idea of what plants you can and cannot have in your pond.
Lotus Plants
As your pond is going to contain Koi and they are a tropical fish, you may want to stick to this theme and and put Lotus plants in your pond. Due to their outstanding beauty, almost everyone with a tropical water garden will want a Lotus plant in it.
Lotus plants provide beautiful blooms, and a smell that is unlike any other. If you live in an area that has constant temperatures higher then 65 degree Fahrenheit then you will not need to take temperature into consideration, but otherwise you will need a place to house your Lotus plants during the colder months. The most suitable place is a greenhouse that is set up specifically for water plants.
Lotusn plabts need a large quantity of sunlight and solil to survive. They should be planted in water about 2 to 3 feet deep during the warmer months, and indoors during the colder months.
Water Hyacinths
If you are a bit of a lazy gardener or you just don't have the time to spend maintaining your water gardens foilage then you may want to consider adding water hyacinths to your pond. They are extremely simple to keep and due to this they have become very popular lately. Water hyacinths do not need to be planted and require no sioil, you simply throw them into the water. The only maintenance time ou will need for these plants is the time to anchor them down so they do not just float all over your pond.
Water Hyacinths help in the fight against both algae and blanket weeds in your pond which make sthem not only attractive to look at but functional too.
One downside when using Water Hyacinths in your pond is that they will take over your pond and garden as they are very invasive, and will spread if allowed. In some extreme cases hey have even been known to jump the fence and take over the neighbors yard as well. Once they have spread in this way, it is very difficult to get rid of them.
Hidden But Functional Plants
Alternatively, you may want to consider investing in plants that are not necessary seen. These plants live below the water line, and provide many needed functions to your pond. Some help you battle algae, put oxygen back into the water, or feed your fish for you.
You can find these plants in bundles at your local pet store or Koi dealer. The majority of underwater plants will not need additional support during the winter, so once you place them in the water, you may not think twice about them again. However, the benefits that you gain from having these types of plants make up for the fact that you are not able to actually see them
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