Plant Doctor Archive

Water Gardens — Growing aquarium plants outdoors

I SEE bunches of plants for sale in aquarium stores. Will these grow in an outdoor pond?

IT depends on what species they are, as many are suitable only for tropical tanks. The plants offered in aquarium stores are actually bunches of cuttings and are an inexpensive way of presenting aquatic plants. Some are species that will grow well in an outdoor pond, but as they have no roots, they will take some time to establish.

As goldfish are notoriously hard on plants, you may find that the bunches don't survive long enough to set roots. For this reason I generally recommend using established potted plants in ponds, especially if the pond contains goldfish.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.