Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment plants or seeds for the banks of my new pond...

here is a pic of my new pond, http://public.fotki.com/tz/pier/dscn0803.html. As you can see its a new construction and the banks are clay. I planted some dwarf saggittaria(sp?) and corkscrew eel grass, about 20 of each plant. By plant I mean on small sprig and I tried to scatter them around. No Im woundering what I should plant or seed on the banks, if anything. Any ideas????
thanks

http://public.fotki.com/tz/clearing-and-pond-p/pier/

new link to pics

I would plant some annual rye which is fast growing and can grow just about anywhere to get your banks stabilized. The annual rye will then die out and allow what ever perennials you mix in.

Perennials to consider for next to your pond:

Carex grayii, Gray's Sedge
Carex hystricina, Porcupine Sedge
Chasmanthium latifolium, River Oats
Scirpus atrovirens, Green Bulrush
Phalaris arundinacea, Ribbon Grass "Picta"

Should be able to find several on-line sources for these species. I would recommend a light raking in the area you plant. Then put the seed down and light tamp the seed into the worked soil.

I would mix 30 lbs of annual rye with 0.5 lbs to one pound of each of the above species.

I am planning on planting some Mayhaw trees on the banks of my pond once it is renovated. They love water, are small and provide beautiful blooms in spring and gorgeous fruit in summer.

Here is a description:

Deep in the dark water swamps and hammocks of the lower South, down along the sandy riverbanks, grows the wispy, delicate Mayhaw tree. For generations, southerners have made the yearly trek by boat to harvest the floating orange fruit with nets. The fruits are boiled in a kettle until they burst open and release their flavor. The juice is strained to make a beautiful pale coral jelly. The flavor is exquisite, like sweet apple with overtones of mango and an aroma of pineapple. When you can find Mayhaw jelly in elite gift shops or progressive produce stands, it will cost around $6 a pint and is well worth it. The success of modern day Mayhaw growing can be attributed to Sherwood Atkins, famous for "taking the swamp out of the Mayhaw."

Mr. Atkins spent long days in the Lousiana swamps locating superior varieties of Mayhaw that will survive and thrive in ordinary garden soils. His premier variety, "Super Spur" yields 40-plus gallons of fruit at 8 years old.

Mayhaw needs little care: just provide a good vegetable garden soil and fertilizer. You can forget about having to spray or pamper this old swamp treasure. Most Mayhaws need pollinators. They prefer part sun to shade and moist, well-drained soils. Buy two for cross pollination.

Pictures.

In SE Texas (and maybe other places) they make mayhaw jelly. Pretty good stuff.

On the eastern side of my pond I plan on planting this mixture waters edge mixture This is the shallow end of my pond with a 6:1 slope. So the mixture will be spread into the water a couple of feet and then about 10 to 20 feet up the bank.

Looks like a nice mix... I hope it takes hold for you.

I plant on planting it right after the pond is done, if enought time is left before frost. If not it will get planted next spring with the wildflowers and grasses that I am planting. I plan on posting pictures once we get this project going

Make sure you check out the proper planting times for the species you want to plant... Most of your listed varieties are a spring germinating species. You may want to plant a winter wheat/rye crimson clover mix this fall, then cut it in the spring, spread the seed mix for your pond edge and then lightly till and then cultipack it. That should help hold your ponds banks together and prevent erosion and also enrich your soil before you plant your permanent seed mix.

The primary plan is to plant oats on most of the area surrounding the pond this fall and plant with native grasses and wildflowers in the spring. I could plant oats also this area and plant in the spring next year when I am planting the rest of it. I been informed to not plant winter rye/wheat if the plan is to follow up with native grasses/wildflowers. Apparently the winter wheat/rye contains/produces a chemical that is toxic to native grasses/wildflowers.

Lassig, I plant wheat every winter for deer. I get lots of weeds and other grasses in it.

I don't know what kind of oats you're looking at but they often freeze out in the winter in North Texas.

Yes the oats will freeze out, using just plain cover oats. I am hoping that the root structure that they put in place in the fall will hold the soil in the late winter and spring until I can plant everything else. I had a couple of oats deer food plots last fall and they held the soil nicely untill I replanted those plots in buckwheat just a couple of days ago.

I also plant winter wheat and rye as deer food plots and the farmer leasing my place plants winter wheat every third year. I agree that weeds do grow with them but I have read two sources (IDNR and Stocks Seed) that recommends not planting winter wheat/rye. I will try and dig up where I read this and why the recommendation is that way.

lassig:

I've planted Buck Forage Oats the past 3 years and this last winter is the first winter that it didn't make it. It worked for the what it was intended for tho! I would plant it on Labor Day weekend and by Oct 1 it would be 6" tall and the deer would keep the smaller plots mowed down like I hit it with the lawmnower.

I have never had an issue with wheat or rye hold back wild flower or grass growth. Maybe a difference between the upper Midwest and the mid-Atlantic states? Deer sure do love oats in the fall. Throw in the rape, crimson clover and winter peas and you can't keep them out of your food plot!

My biggest problem is having a food plot. It seems that if I wait for a good enough rain to plant, that is the last one until Spring.