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Pond plants not thriving

AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
in Problem solving
I have a 2 year old plant with a mix of plants and some small fish. The plants aren't thriving at all.

Here is a water forget me not that I put in two weeks ago. It's browned, shrivelled and died back.



Here is a caltha paluatris that put out three flowers and has now shrivelled and the leaves have dried up.



Other plants seem to limp on. A pontederia throws up leaves but doesn't bloom. A typha launches itself into the air but no seedheads. And even a flag iris puts out weak growth but no flowers.

According to JBL scans, the water quality is good - ph, DH, KH on point, chlorine OK and nitrate and nitrite levels only slightly on the high side.

Can anyone help with what's going on please?
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  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    It's still early.  I know it's May but it's been cold and growth does not really get going until the water warms up.  Where is this pond, maybe in a colder part of the country? Have you had recent frost?  I don't know whether your comments apply only to this year or previous years as well.
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t put the forget me nots in pot,  just throw them in the middle of the pond,  in the deeper water.
    Could the sun have scorched the leaves on the other one? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Calthas self-seed in lots of places in my garden: edge of ditches, soggy dips in the grass, all over the squelchy mud in the dell, but not actually underwater. Lift it up a little and give it a big pot of mud and it should be fine. They do die back a bit after flowering though.
    It's too early yet for yellow flag iris and plants take a year or so to establish. Once they do you'll find it hard to keep up with them!
    The typhas that grow wild in the boggy triangle haven't reached their full height yet and there is no sign of flowering heads to be seen.
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Thank you all for the reassuring replies.

    I've pulled the caltha up in the water. It's planting guide said 10-15cm but I've now got it at around 5cm.

    @Redwing, I'm in Sheffield. We were hit with a frost in early May. It has been middling temperatures until a week or so ago and, to be fair, the rest of the garden has really only taken off this week.

    The growth wasn't great last year but that was a new pond, with an algae problem, and with all new plants. So I was hoping this year would be the first real season.

    I'll keep watching closely. I wasn't sure if the colouring of the leaves gave an obvious indication as to whether it was depth, sun or what. Thanks again everyone.
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    So I have a (very disappointing) update.

    From top to bottom: the caltha has died right back, the myosotis has died and the mint has put on no new growth at all. The leaves of the yellow flag have started to droop. Generally, nothing is thriving still.



    Can anyone think what might be happening? Again the pond chemistry was all fine this morning.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    My Marsh Marigolds have finished flowering and have almost died right down now,  I’m just waiting to collect some seed then will cut it back.

    The Myositis,  I don’t have in pots,  just thrown in,  it sorts itself out,  I don’t mind that it creeps all over the surface and covers the pond,  I like it. You still have some green bits,  give it it’s freedom and see if it recovered.   Same with the iris.   
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    I can only really comment on the flag - websites seemed to say not to put them too deep, but mine is about 6 inches underwater and is fine - worth a try if yours is in the shallows? 
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Thanks @Lyn and @Slow-worm.

    I've freed the myosotis and moved the iris. It was sitting with its crown an inch or so below the water but I've moved it higher. It was submerged further last year and had a terrible time of it so I can't think dropping it would be a good idea - perhaps once it's established.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    The water in your pond looks enviously clear compared with mine which strikes me as unusual for this time of year.
    The surface of my pond is covered in filamentous algae and the water has a green tint.
    The rocks are all green and the sides of the pond itself are green (but the snails have made a start now they've woken up).
    I can see hornwort now quickly growing from the bottom of the pond so can be confident that in a few weeks it'll all settle down and be crystal clear again as it always is by summer.

    By contrast there seems to be almost no plant life in your pond whatsoever - not even algae!
    So there is something not right.

    Could you post a photo of your pond and the surrounding area so we can get an idea of its location in your garden.

    Can you tell us a bit more about the 'JBL scans' - i.e. what is a JBL scan and what the results were?
    Something is not right and we like a challenge!! :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Pete.8 said:
    The water in your pond looks enviously clear compared with mine which strikes me as unusual for this time of year.
    The surface of my pond is covered in filamentous algae and the water has a green tint.
    The rocks are all green and the sides of the pond itself are green (but the snails have made a start now they've woken up).
    I can see hornwort now quickly growing from the bottom of the pond so can be confident that in a few weeks it'll all settle down and be crystal clear again as it always is by summer.

    By contrast there seems to be almost no plant life in your pond whatsoever - not even algae!
    So there is something not right.

    Could you post a photo of your pond and the surrounding area so we can get an idea of its location in your garden.

    Can you tell us a bit more about the 'JBL scans' - i.e. what is a JBL scan and what the results were?
    Something is not right and we like a challenge!! :)
    https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/jbl-proscan

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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