What to Do with Your Pond Plants in Winter

Now that it is fall, it is time to consider how to prepare your pond for winter. Often times fish care takes the primary focus of winterization, but the care of your aquatic plants is also important. Here is our break down by plant type. 

How to care for your plants as you move into the winter season:

• Surface plants fall into two categories of hardy and non-hardy plants. Hardy surface plants can be left in the pond as they will sink to the base of the pond in winter and resurface in warmer weather, but all other surface plants need to be removed before cold weather comes.

• Tropical plants also can be broken into two categories of marginals and tubers. Both forms of tropical plants need to be moved indoors. Tubers need to be submerged in water indoors, but marginals can just be planted in the as any other indoor plant. These plants can be returned to the pond when you no longer expect any freezes and the pond has completely thawed.

• For more hardy marginals and bog plants, the plants can be moved into the deepest part of the pond. If your pond is 18 in. deep or more shallow, these plants will need to be brought indoors just like tropical plants.

• Fully submerged plants can be moved into the deepest part of your pond for winter. 

Plants moved inside will be much happier to be enjoying the temperatures you enjoy during the winter and even getting a bit of sunlight from a window. The hardier plants staying in your pond during the winter are adaptable to the change in weather. Caring for aquatic plants at this point of the year well will setup your pond plants for a successful pond season next year.