Clean water is the basis for healthy fish and plants in the garden pond. The larger your pond, the better it can regenerate itself. Plants make an important contribution to clean water. Which plants you choose depends on the size and nature of your pond. Even in a swimming pond, you can reduce the amount of cleaning required with the appropriate plants. In a swimming pond, you need significantly fewer plants than in a garden pond. Therefore, the right choice of plants is all the more important. Learn in this article which plants you can ensure clean water in the garden pond and the swimming pond.
The Task of Plants in the Pond
In the garden pond and the swimming pond, plants have a high decorative value. Depending on their type and size, they can serve as food for fish and other animals or provide a refuge from enemies. Plants can keep the pH value of the water stable. This is important for the living creatures in the pond. Plants make an essential contribution to the cleanliness of pond water.
The Contribution of Plants to Pond Cleaning
Pond plants produce oxygen and contribute to the clarification of the water. Fish and other animals in the pond exhale carbon dioxide, which the plants inhale. There is a cycle between fish and plants. Native fish suitable for the garden pond are peaceful fish. They eat plants and excrete nutrients that the plants absorb. These nutrients are the basis for algae growth in the pond. As plants reduce nutrients in the water, they counteract algae formation.
Pond plants and fish sustain each other. The cycle between plants and fish keeps the water clean and counteracts unpleasant odors.
If you succeed in creating a natural balance with plants and fish, you may even be able to do without a pond filter.
Algae Control With Pond Plants
As the plants reduce the nutrients in the water, they ensure that the algae cannot multiply. Helpful bacteria live in the roots of the plants. They keep the water clean. With the appropriate aquatic plants, you can reduce the algae control you need and require less algaecide.
The Selection of Suitable Plants
If you wish to have clean water and reduce pond cleaning, it depends on the right choice of pond plants.
For clean pond water, you need oxygen producers and pollutant destroyers. Good oxygen producers are only underwater plants. Some floating plants can absorb pollutants. So it would help if you had both for a clean pond.
These Plants are Suitable for Clean Pond Water
Duckweed (Lemna) is a floating plant and is the most suitable plant for pond cleaning. It is an essential absorber of pollutants. Therefore, it is often used in sewage treatment plants and wastewater ponds.
Spring or common water moss (Fontinalis antipyretica) was awarded “Moss of the Year” in 2006. It produces oxygen all year round and purifies the water. The moss forms dense underwater turf.
Waterweed (Elodea) enriches your garden pond because it cleans the water and produces a lot of oxygen due to its intensive photosynthesis.
Water sword lily (Iris pseudacorus) not only contributes to the cleanliness of your pond. It delights with its beautiful flowers. It is best known for its yellow flowers, but it is now also available in other colors. The water iris does not require much care.
Water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) is undemanding and contributes to clean water. With its blue flowers, it is pretty to look at.
Branched bur-reed (Sparganium) belongs to the bulrushes and sweet grasses. They occur in many species. It would be best if you were careful not to let the branched bur-reed spread too much. It will be easier to care for you if you plant it in a planting basket.
Rushes (Juncus) are among the most important water-purifying plants. They are rich in species and have few requirements.
Important: A Healthy Mixture of Plants
To ensure that the pond plants clean the pond and that there is a biological balance in your pond, you should not overdo it with the plants. If you are planting your pond for the first time, you should leave at least half of the water level still clear. Various plant species, such as branched bur-reed, can multiply quite rapidly. Later, no more than two-thirds of the water level should be planted.
During pond cleaning in spring and fall, you can check your plants and divide plants that have increased.
Especially for beginners creating a pond and planting for the first time, it may seem tempting to use many different plants. It would help if you avoided this because plants can spread quickly. It would be best if you considered the different zones when planting:
- Riparian zone
- Shallow water zone
- Deepwater zone
Depending on the size of your pond, you should use no more than three different plant species for each zone.
What You Should Pay Attention to Reeds
Reed is widespread and can be a biotope for many different animals. It provides a good hiding place from predators. If you have a smaller pond, you should avoid using reeds, as they increase very quickly. It can overgrow the entire pond. Only if your pond is large enough should you use reed. You should divide it regularly so that it does not spread too much.
Swimming Pond – Water Purification Without Technology
Unlike the natural pool, the swimming pond does not need any technology for cleaning. It is large enough and regenerates itself for the most part. Plants take care of water purification. However, you should regularly remove leaves that have fallen into the pond. The cleaning of the water in a swimming pond is modeled on nature. This makes the right choice of plants all the more important in a swimming pond.
Avoid Mistakes When Choosing Plants
When you create your swimming pond, you should think about the choice of the right plants and avoid mistakes. A swimming pond is stocked with significantly fewer plants than a garden pond. How many leaves are on the water surface plays a subordinate role because the underground plant parts such as roots and rhizomes are much more important. The vital oxygen is transported to the depths via the roots. This ensures a biological balance.
For the swimming pond, you should primarily select submerged plants. These plants are completely submerged underwater. In addition, you can choose some swimming pool plants, such as water lilies. However, the floating leaf plants should not be too abundant to not take away the light from the submerged plants.
Since a swimming pond is large enough, you can also plant reeds in the shore and shallow water areas. However, you should use it sparingly and make sure that the reeds do not increase too much. A branched bur-reed is suitable for the swimming pond.
Plants for the Regeneration Zone
The swimming pond consists of a swimming zone and a regeneration zone. The regeneration zone should make up 30 to 70 percent of your pond. It provides the biological balance in your swimming pond and is divided into treatment and shallow water areas.
The regeneration zone should be at least 50 centimeters deep.
Like a garden pond, you should choose plants for the shore, shallow, and deep water zones in a swimming pond.
For the riparian zone are suitable
- Hedgehog mace
- bulrush
- rushes
- Water swath
- Water iris
- Water Vine
As floating plants are recommended:
- Water lilies
- Water nut
- Musselflower
- Water mimosa
- Water hyacinth
- floating fern
The most important part of the plants in the swimming pond should be the underwater plants. Here you can use choose
- Water plant
- Swamp stonecrop
- Water feather
- Spring moss
- Hornwort
- Floating water-plantain
Even with a swimming pond, it is essential to check your plants regularly. You should divide the plants in time to prevent them from multiplying too much. It is also crucial with a swimming pond that you do not overdo it with the choice of species.
Many microorganisms reside in the plants. They also make an important contribution to the cleanliness of the water.
Conclusion
The right pond plants make a decisive contribution to good water quality. They reduce the nutrient content in the water, counteract the formation of algae and prevent algae growth. Plants produce a lot of oxygen. It would help if you were looking for floating plants that absorb pollutants. Underwater plants are important oxygen producers. You should only use reeds for larger ponds. There are fewer plants in a swimming pond than in a garden pond. Here, submerged plants are most important. The floating leaf plants should not deprive the underwater plants of light.