| This headline may at first irritate you. Nevertheless: The pond definitely needs plants for its biological equilibrium. And the plants need water. That is why in ponds there are always plants. Always! The problem: Normally the first are algae - they, too, are pond plants. They proliferate especially quickly. The question in the end is, whether it stops with the algae. |
 First come the unicellular algae. |
 Then, almost always, thread algae appear. |
 If not planted, the shore often looks boring and unattractive. |
 If you plant correctly, you get a beautifully varied shore from early spring... |
 ...to late summer. |
| So you don't have the choice, plants or no plants. You have the choice between algae and beautiful flowers. Underwater plants are especially important. But while algae are not very picky when colonising ponds, underwater plants are somewhat more specialised. An extreme example are the 30 types of pondweed that only survive under very specific circumstances. |
 Water milfoil lives in water with little nutrients. The water in such ponds is clear and light shines all the way to the bottom. |
 If the water contains more nutrients, such plants as Hornwort grow. Because they all grow toward the light, they can nearly completely cover the water surface. |
| Under normal circumstances the ground of the pond is completely overgrown down to a depth of about 2 metres. In fish ponds there is the problem that fish eat the plants, in swimming ponds the plants bother the swimmers. In such cases we recommend the construction of a NaturaGart Filtering Trench so that both functions can be sensibly separated. |
 The goal for natural, largely maintenance-free ponds: Underwater plants clean the water. |
 The 'compromise': The plants are in the filtering trench - much denser there than they'd be in the pond. |
| Important for them is: If you buy pond plants purely for their looks, you make a big mistake. The nicest often have the least effect (unfortunately). Also the pond is important:On steep banks and pebble shores only few species survive. Shore trenches open many more possibilities. And change, too, has to be considered: A young, newly constructed pond needs other plants than one which only needs plants to supplement the existing vegetation. |
 Few plants grow on gravel. That is as true for the pond as for pots on the balcony. |
 Natural shores bloom better, need less maintenance and are much easier and cheaper to build. |
| Risk: Water Depth Many colourful labels suggest that pond plants can be planted anywhere between 5 and 50cm depth equally.What is mostly not mentioned, however, is that the deeper measure is true only for ponds rich in nutrients, for example, where a lot of drain water accumulates. Plants only have the strength to grow to the surface from such depths with a lot of fertiliser. In a normal garden pond they don't stand a chance. |
 The only about 10cm high hungerform of Common Water-Plantain in a pond with few nutrients. It cannot be planted any deeper. |
 60cm tall Common Water-Plantain in an areea with lots of nutrients. Fertilised like this it grows down to a depth pf 50cm. |
| Important: Plant + Information If you are very savvy you can choose single plants from the NaturaGart Pond Construction-Shop Section: Pond Plants. If you are unsure, you may want to opt for one of the NaturaGart assortments. If you are in serious doubt you can send us a sketch of your pond with information about water depths and shore structure - we will send you a free and non-binding quote. To help you do everything right all plants have detailed labels and are pre-packaged by planting zone. |
 Knowledge will determine success. All plant orders of 40 Euros or more are delivered with this 32 page brochure. |
 Pond plants are labelled and pre-packaged by planting area. |
| The Best Time for Planting After bloom many species form shoots, extend that way and cover up the building-site character of the installation. This phase usually begins in June and ends in August/September. Planting in May/June is therefore most effective, but later dates can still be good as well. Many pond plants stay green during winter and even keep on growing. Underwater plants begin to suffer from longer ice periods as from February. |
 Plants such as the Water Forget-me-not form shoots after the main flowering period... |
 ...that quickly cover the shore so you soon can't see the construction site any more. |
| When can planting begin? Because every garden centre wants to be quicker than its competitors, pond plants from warm water basins are available as early as February. If those are planted into the icy free range waters, failure is unavoidable. Some species begin very early and those we can supply in March. Others are only ready by early/mid May, so that it takes longer before they can be delivered in good faith. |
 Early starters: Filled Marsh Marigolds start earlier and flower longer than the wild form. |
 Late starters: The winter bulbs of Arrowheads sit deep underneath the mud and take long to notice spring arriving. |
| How long can one plant? Depends: Some species have a summer break and can only be supplied in spring and autumn. The latest delivery dates depend on the time that the plants need to prepare for their winter rest - and that depends a lot on the weather in every year. Until late August most plants can be supplied. By the end of September we normally stop. For customers who buy NaturaGart liners we hold partial allotments that are available even later. |
 Summer break: During summer Common Water-crowfoot is in reduced supply in its above water form. |
 Early finish: Water Lilies, depending on type and cultivar form can only be supplied until the end of August. |
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Smooth delivery: |
NaturaGart Pond Construction-Shop Section: Pond Plants |
Indicate the desired delivery date under 'remarks' |