Should You Plant Aquatic Vegetation In A Pond?

A neighbor touring your pond observes there is no vegetation. He boasts about a plant with pretty yellow flowers in his lake and suggests you transplant some. The ground should shake and a tsunami roll across the surface.

That plant with nice flowers is yellow primrose and can be very invasive. We have customers who spend hundreds of dollars preventing its spread. When the right combination of nutrition, sunlight, and temperature evolve, vegetation naturally will appear in your pond. It’s Nature’s plan. You may not see it immediately, but it “will” appear.

If you want to accent a dock or prominent shoreline, ask us about water lilies. They can be planted in containers and confined to preferred locations. Floating islands make great landscape features. They can be moved for a new look and planted with different varieties each season. Whatever you do, please don’t take a random bucket of vegetation from an outside source and toss it into your pond.

Scattered vegetation is beneficial for baitfish cover. Young baitfish need such security zones to escape predation and mature to contribute future generations of forage. But vegetation must be managed.

We don’t get concerned about vegetation until it exceeds approximately 20 percent of the pond area. Greater coverage may prevent sportfish from feeding efficiently and maintaining desired growth rates. Early, spot treatment or grass carp can keep conditions in balance. Do you need a vegetation evaluation?