The Benefits and Drawbacks of Buying Plants for Your Pond

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Buying Plants for Your Pond

Sometimes, water garden pond owners may choose an option for their pond that involves having an ecosystem bereft of plants.

As a general rule of thumb, we recommend you refrain from doing this.

For starters, there are many biological, utilitarian and aesthetic reasons to add plants to your pond, aside from creating a natural looking aquatic habitat.

We’ll delve into them here and give you some tips along the way, too.

• Plants provide balance to the pond’s habitat

Aquatic plants serve a utilitarian and even exigent purpose for your pond’s ecosystem. They provide a natural means for biological filtration which removes nitrogen, nitrates, ammonia and other minerals that accompany algae accumulation—which you will want to avoid.

Japanese killifish and aquatic plants by user via Wikimedia Commons.

The use of pond plant baskets is much easier than planting directly on the water garden pond bottom and marginal shelves.  Plastic plant pots make maintaining the plants, moving and placements effortless, while controlling the plants roots from spreading.  You can scour the internet, but you won’t find a better selection than PondH2o’s Pond Plant Care products.

• They provide shelter

It might be viewed as a trivial form of utility, but plants also provide shelter for your koi fish, turtles or other pond life, too. More specifically, they will use the plants for shade during the hot sizzling summer months.

Pond plants providing a shaded area by ivabalk via Pixabay.

Your pond residents will also likely utilize plants to take cover from pond predators, like Herons, raccoons, domestic or feral cats and birds of prey. Additionally, pond plants also allow for an area for fish to spawn under and even a place for frogs to lay their eggs.

• They help oxygenate the water 

Another benefit provided by a different sort of pond plant—i.g. submerged plants—can also help provide oxygen throughout the water for your fish. This is especially crucial during photosynthesis, when the plants shed oxygen in the pond water which in-turn purges harmful CO2 and other surfeit nutrients.

If you have a pond with a plentiful amount of fish, then you’ll need more dissolved oxygen dispersed throughout your pond.  It’s important to maintain a proper ratio of pond plants, and fish.

• Your pond plants will require more maintenance

This is hardly a reason to abstain from buying plants for your pond (as mentioned above), but it’s good to acknowledge the reality that your overall maintenance will increase. Some plants will typically require more work than others, so make sure to consider your budget and time before purchasing.

Aquatic plants by Kirill Ignatyev via Flikr.

The aforementioned submerged-type plants are surprisingly some of the easier ones to care for, as some don’t need to be planted to the substrate as their roots can be firmly planted in the bottom sludge. 

• Most benefits take awhile to manifest

The vast majority of benefits—like with dispersed oxygenation—take awhile to form. Take submerged plants, for example. While they can provide oxygen and filtration almost instantaneously, it could take months or possibly years to notice any visual difference in your pond water’s quality. Aquatic Pond Plants take some time to look natural, but be careful and do research to ensure that your plants will not take over the pond.

Aquatic plants in Rome, Italy by Daderot via Wikimedia Commons.

Check your local municipal laws regarding pond vegetation. Some water plants are illegal in certain areas.  Again, it is important to do research to ensure that the plants you have selected are best for your water garden koi fish pond and you. Remember, there are always fake plants and plenty of decor options to help you have the perfect backyard oasis.

For all our pond plant care products, browse from our online pond store filters, pumps and accessories today at PondH2o.