|
This is one of the biggest myths surrounding water
gardening today. Most books say a ponds needs a minimum
of 4-6 hours of sunlight a day for aquatic plants to
live. They discourage building a pond in a shady area.
The truth is that aquatic plants do bloom more and
flourish better in high sunlight conditions. This is
not debatable. What is debatable is how well aquatic
plants can do in low light conditions.
With less sunlight, plants will need more fertilization.
Time release aquatic plant fertilizers do an excellent
job of promoting bloom and foliage growth. Also make
sure plants have enough room to grow. Plants left in
containers become root-bound and their growth is stunted.
We have even installed ponds inside where there is
no sunlight at all. If you have aquatic plants that
are shade lovers, they do great and the pond looks
great too. So instead of limiting your options by following
defined rules, such as a pond's sunlight requirements,
adapt your installation procedures accordingly. Full-shade
ponds will have fewer blooms then full-sun ponds but
they will also have less string algae. Algae likes
sun too!
|
