Submerged Pond Plants
Submerged pond plants will grow well if there is gravel in the bottom of the pond. The roots need to be bunched together with gravel pushed over them. If gravel is not available then lead sinkers purchased from a sporting goods store will work just as well. Put a rubber band loosely around a few plants and then attach a fishing weight onto the rubber band and drop the plant bundle in the desired location. The plants will feed off of the nutrients in the pond water, especially if the pond has fish that produce waste. There are a lot of creative ways to plant these plants from simple to complex, one’s imagination being the only limiting factor is how the plants are to be used.
One of the types of submerged pond plants is the Anacharis. The Anacharis, the most common of the submerged pond plants, has narrow deep green curved leaves with long branching stems and is popular for both pond and aquarium use. It is a fast growing plant and an excellent water garden oxygenator. As previously described, weights can be added the plant so it will sink to the bottom of the pond without planting; it can root in the bottom of the pond or float freely. The Anacharis remains beneath the water surface and creates a perfect spot for spawning fish as well as providing an ideal place for them to hide from predators. It will grow in water 6 inches to 5 feet deep or in full sun to partial shade. The Anacharis is grows vigorously, feeding primarily through its leaves, with branches that easily break off from the main plant to form new plants. This hardy pond plant will survive very low temperatures. Occasionally, this pond plant will flower with tiny white blooms.
The Cabomba is an another excellent oxygenator with bright green, distinctive bristle-like foliage on thin stems. Its leaves are fan-like in shape and lie just under the water surface, while its blossoms are white flowers with yellow centers in the summer. Fish spawn among the leaves and baby fish find it an attractive, cool hiding place. The Cabomba grows best in filtered light but can also grow in both partial shade and full sun. This pond plant does best in cool water up to 30 inches deep. At low temperatures it can lose some of its foliage. It is easily propagated from cuttings by cutting its branches in half.
