Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment New Pond What Basic Plants

I was thinking of planting pickerel weed has anyone planted it? How far out in the water will it grow?

Pickerel weed (Pontederia) will typically grow to depths of 10-14" deep. I rarely ever see it deeper than 18"-20".

Bill,

Welcome back! If I want to transplant some water plants, water plantain and bulrush, can you comment on time to transplant and technique? I'd like to establish these species in my small pond this year.

Russ

Dig up and transplant most water plants as soon as you can recognize what they are by new growth. Midsummer transplant is also usually okay. In fall some of the underwater forms are collapsing and hard to recognize. Many of the marginals and lilies can be moved in fall.

For water plantain dig and move it early in the season. You can move bulrush any time you can recognize it by stem or root. Bulrush is tough to kill and you don't have to be too careful in the transplanting process. Just get a good sized root mass and plant at a similar depth as it was removed from. After bulrush gets established watch it closely when it starts spreading it can move pretty fast. For control use rubber gloves with a brown cotton gloves on top of rubber gloves, wipe the perimeter stems with Round-Up. Water plantain will probably never be an invasive problem for you.

For Reference and Additional Information - The yellow iris that Bob describes above is not a true Louisiana Iris. The yellow iris he describes is Iris pseudacorus which belongs in the Series(subgroup) Laevigatae and not the Series Hexagonae which contains the Louisiana iris. The yellow Iris pseudoacorus (often called yellow flag) is often mistaken for a Louisiana iris. It is not native and has been imported from Europe. In true form it only exists in cream to yellow flowers, but there are cultivars. It is vigorous compared to the true Louisians iris variteties and foliage will stay green in Louisiana all winter but foliage is decidious in more severe climates. I.pseudacorus will crowd out other Louisiana varieties.
Most true Louisiana iris varieties rarely grow in water deeper than 4"-6" and as a rule they prefer just damp to wet soil.

Thanks Bill.