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Plant Care
Oz Watergardens is Australia’s largest wholesale producer of waterlilies and ornamental pond plants. Independant research has found that we are recognised as the main source of information, on growing aquatic plants, that people look to for guidance. We have the practical experience in producing a consistent and reliable supply of quality aquatic plants for the retail nurseries, garden centres and landscapers.
Growing aquatic plants is what we do best. We are successful at what we do and strive to make our customers successful in their businesses. The only way we can do that is to help pass on what we have learned, so that everyone has the potential to have a successful water garden.
Watergardens are the key to life in every garden. Every pond is a small ecosystem that helps the environment not only within the pond, but also helps to support the life around it. You may feel that growing aquatic plants in your pond won’t really improve the natural habitat where you live, but imagine if 1000 of your neighbours also did. Wouldn’t that be that start of a wonderful habitat for wildlife in your suburb?
Pond plants have different needs in relation to water depth. Oz Watergardens have developed a system for classifying plants according to their optimum water levels. To simplify plant selection we have divided the pond into 5 Pond Plant Zones™. This can be a useful guide to plant selection and basic pond design. Ideally ponds should be at least 45cm deep but can be more than a metre.
All well designed natural water gardens, incorporate a range of water plants from each of the 5 Pond Zones™. By selecting a range of plants from each pond zone, your water gardens can establish a more stable and balanced environment. The water plants not only help to create a healthy pond, but also help to create a habitat for other pond life.
Some water plants provide shelter and protection from predators, a place for fish and frogs to spawn, some are a source of food, while others oxygenate and filter the pond water. Water plants consume the same nutrients as algae, so the choice is simple….Which would you rather have?
Growing aquatic plants is easy if you know how.
Growing aquatic plants is easy, just add water. This may sound too simple, but what other part of your garden can you leave while you go away on holidays?
Aquatic plants generally grow faster than their land (terrestrial) counterparts, so some maintenance may be required to prevent some plants from taking over and swamping others (pardon the pun). This may involve pruning to remove excess growth or the removal of dead leaves.
When growing aquatic plants, some may require some additional fertiliser in order for them to perform and flower better. Feeding your pond plants should only be done with slow release fertilizers added to the soil where the plants roots are and not to the pond water where the nutrients becomes available for the algae.
Some aquatic plants may need to be repotted into fresh aquatic soil, as they may have lost their vigour. While most aquatic plants are herbaceous perennials that need to be divided, to reduce their size and maintain their vigour. Many will out-grow the containers that they were planted in. Healthy vigorous plants are always more resilient to attack from pests.
Submerged aquatic plants such as Waterlilies are self adjusting to water depth. Most plants supplied to Nursery Garden Centres have been grown in shallow water in order to make them easier to transport. However, if your pond is deeper and all the leaves are below the water surface, you have two options available. Firstly, you can leave as is. The plant will produce new leaves which will grow up to the water surface, while the older ones die off (resulting in no harm being done to the plant). Secondly you can place bricks / pavers (being careful not to damage your pond liner) under the pot to raise the plant.
Seasonal care is the key to growing aquatic plants and maintaining a healthy ecologically balanced pond.
To learn more about Oz Watergardens’ common sense approach to growing aquatic plants, just follow the links to on dividing & repotting, feeding and the seasonal care.
Dividing/Repotting
Pond plants are just the same as any other plant, in that they have similar needs. Any plant that is growing in a container that is too small or overgrown is restricted in their growth.
Feeding
Pond plants are no different to their most of their terrestrial counterparts. They all benefit from the same basic elements that stimulate strong healthy growth.
Seasonal Care
The key to a dream water garden is seasonal garden pond maintenance and the key to low pond maintenance is to establish and maintain an ecological balance.