Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Arrowhead/Duck Potato Explosion needs Competition

That is very rare, but I have seen -15 F a couple times as well. Lost all of our butterfly bushes.

Well, it's past spring-time and none of my purchased plants from last year have sprung. I will keep looking for them, but my hope is dwindling. The pond froze over a couple of times last winter. Once, the ice got to be 6 to 8 inches thick for about 3 weeks, but that should be common for my area. I would say that the plants were in about a foot of water, plus or minus, and may have froze the roots. They looked fantastic last year and were expanding nicely, however.

I'm not in this to try and fail and try again, so I will be happy with the natural occurring Broadleaf Arrowhead, Spike Rush, Smartweed, the occasional Chara clump, some cattail that I am keeping a very clos eye on and, of course, moderate amounts of FA. I have been tempted to move some mint from the house landscaping to the pond, but we'll see if I get the gumption. That stuff can go crazy if it likes its environment.

I have found that natural existing native plants do the best and not necessarily the plants that the stores say are native to my area, whether that's land plants or water plants.

We have found that once a plant establishes, plants we grow from its seed do better than the original. I attribute this to epigenetic changes. We often have to baby plants at first. We have had pretty good luck with most pond plants. The exception has been eel grass which we have failed at keeping alive. Just transplanted a lotus from a pot into the new pond and put chicken wire around it until it spreads. I'll be moving some duck potato starts to this pond and a newish wetland as soon as they emerge a bit more in the oldest pond.

I have a neighbor who has tons and tons of arrowhead . Wondering how invasive this is and has anyone consumed the “ potatoes “? They are starting to grow the tubers now.... just wondering