Pond plant care, get ready for winter!

Autumn pond plant care

Autumn is a great time to have a good old tidy up ,ready for the winter. With marginal plants, you can cut back browning foliage to about 4cms above the water surface. Don’t cut any stems back below the water level or the plants may drown. If you have a pond where the water tends to go up and down a bit don’t forget to take account of the normal winter rise in water levels.

Some plants still look (and sound) great even when their foliage has turned brown and papery. Plants like cyperus involucratus,will provide a lovely focus as they fade to a deep brown, with their leaves and stems moving in the wind. These plants together with evergreen reeds and iris give interest to your pond in winter especially in the snow.

Winter water lily care

Water lilies are deciduous. However, as they grow from a rhizome (thick woody stem) covered by at least 20cms water, the roots continue to grow even when the pond is covered in ice. Autumn is a good time to plant a water lily. The root system can then become established over winter, giving it time to get ready for an early start as the water begins to warm up in the spring.

With established lilies, just fish out the dead brown leaves so that they don’t rot down and add to the detritus in the bottom of the pond. If you have any sort of pump or filter system, it is wise to lift the lily baskets and replace any soiled washed out by the movement of the water.