Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Midwest Pond Plants

Since digging has begun on my small pond, I'm thinking ahead and wanting some suggestions on what plants to try to get established. Currently, the surrounding foliage makes getting around quite difficult. It's very thick and consists of nettles and poison ivy, obviously 2 weeds I'd like to eradicate and substitute with something more desirable. Other than that, there are "wild carrots", native grasses, mulberries, variety of thorned weeds (these are few and far between so not worried), and some others that aren't noteworthy. I've done a little reading, but am still very unknowing about what I should expect or what I should encourage. I've read some positive things about pickerel weeds, water willows, muskgrass (chara), blue flag iris, sweet flag, sago pondweed, water milfoil, hornwort, curly pondweed, etc., but I believe most, or all, are actual aquatic plants, not plants for the surrounding areas. I do want to know which pond plants to look into however, but am more interested at this point in getting the banks covered with something much more pleasant than what it currently has. Grass is ideal, of course, for walking around, but not quite as natural looking. For a Nebraska pond, small pond, 1/3 acre or so, what plants, in all areas, bank, shoreline, submerged, floating, etc., should I be considering when the time comes?

I am in the first summer of my pond in Michigan. I have been very happy with pickerel weed (great flower), sweet flag, and arrowhead. Some of the stuff you listed is invasive, so be careful. The stuff I stated grow from the shoreline to a foot deep. There are other things starting to grow, so I suggest that you do not plant too much the first year, and wait and see what grows in the water naturally.

The best advice I got was to get something down around the pond on the ground as soon as possible. I used an annual rye. It helps hold the banks and keeps mud from running into the pond while you decide what to add later. We are slowly growing a wild flower/prairie around our 1/2 acre pond using native seeds for the midwest.

Some good on-line stores that sell native plants that also have section devoted to plants adapted to areas next to ponds and wetlands themselves...

http://www.nativeseednetwork.org/ecomap?state=NE

http://www.prairienursery.com/store/

http://wetlandsupply.com/

http://www.prairiemoon.com/

As others have said, get a good base plant down. Annual rye works well for that. Often times I will mix the annual rye in with the native seeds. 40 lbs of rye and whatever the recommended seeding rate is for the seeds you decide you want.

CJ, thanks for the links. However, there are soooooo many to choose from. How do you know which ones will work best? I will definitely go with the annual rye as a base and take my time on the aquatic stuff.

Oh, one other thing, for the ryegrass on a new pond, do you plant inside the shoreline while it's filling? To keep the mud down during these months while it fills or is that not necessary?

It is a good thing to plant the inside of the pond before it fills. As you noted it helps slow erosion pre-fill, and that grass that grows also provides habitat for small fish/invertebrates during the first year or so after filling.

I would plant the whole pond basis and just let the grass and clover be covered as the pond fills. Should really cut down on erosion and the rotting plants will fuel the first stages of life in the new pond.

Give me some time and I'll put together a list of favorites of mine for your pond...

good way to get rid of the nettles is to cook it and eat it!

That'd be great CJ. And I think it's a fine idea to cover the whole basin while it fills. Just makes sense.



Wow, the idea of having a those little white bumps in my throat is intriguing.

I did not cover the whole basin and really paid for it with a couple of hard rains when the pond was half full. I probably lost a foot or two of depth from all of the mud.

Ouch.

Definitely will cover the whole basin. What's a good store to get the seeds?

What about using winter wheat, buckwheat, or oats for a cover in the pond basin while the pond fills? Very cheap seed, easy to grow, germinates fast and will reseed itself if the pond dosn't fill fast

Wheat was suggested to me initially as well, but recently been hearing more and more that rye is the way to go.

Are you talking rye grass seed or rye cereal grain? Most rye grass seed is annual and used mostly in mixes. If the pond doesn't fill the first year you could end up with bare ground and have to seed again. I am seriously thinking of using buckwheat, grows on bad soil, requires no fertilization, and reseeds very easily by itself. And if we get water to flood the buckwheat the possibility of so very good duck hunting. I am only 1.5 miles off the the Illinois river very near some historically extremely good waterfowl hunting.

Annual rye is quick and fast. A good endophyte-free perennial rye might be good around the pond if you will be mowing. Otherwise consider native warm-season grasses. Once established, some 2,4-D can help keep out the broadleave weeds. Once the weeds are gone, desirable forbs can be added.