Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Small Island

I've had problems with the swim noodle foam holding up for 3-4 summers. It appears the UV light is real hard on it. It keeps getting smaller each year.

Why not take thin wall 4" dia sewer pipe fill it with foam connect it into a square or rectrangle, cover it with seine netting or plastic netting. Then cover netting with sphagnum moss and plant the plants in it? All the plants need is a substrate to get rooted in and then the root mass interconnects.

I question how well your island will float once you get dirt and plants on it. Once the island has a significiant amount of plant growth, then by itself, it may have enough bouyancy to float on its own. They are called floating bogs in nature.

Does Eric(NY) have any new pictures or experiences with his homemade islands?

I included a short segment on floating islands during a recent Pond Clinic I conducted. Here is the list of plants I suggested to them.
Bog Plants – Bog Lily, Dwarf Cattail,
Water Iris, Sweet Flag
Herbs: Mints, Dill, Chives
Grasses – Rye, burr reed, Various Sedges, wild rice if one can keep the waterfowl away from it while it is still young.
Canna, Marsh marigold, Lobelia (cardinal flower)
Rushes: Soft rush, 3 Square, Giant bull rush
Water Plantain, Lizard’s Tail, Flowering rush
Spike rushes
Hydroponics Vegetables
Any species that you find in or on the side of a temporary or permanent drainage ditch should grow on an island. Most wetland plants would also be good.