To keep the water in your garden pond healthy and clean, it makes sense to add some aquatic plants that are known to produce a lot of oxygen. This guide will give you practical tips!

The water buttercup not only looks beautiful, it also enriches the pond with oxygen

What do oxygen plants do in the garden pond?

Oxygen plants - i.e. aquatic plants that produce plenty of oxygen - grow underwater. They absorb nutrients from the water via the leaf and release oxygen as a thank you.

In this way, the oxygen-donating aquatic plants form an important basis for the natural balance in the pond. They help keep the water quality high. That means they keep the water clear and healthy and prevent algae growth.

This is important for the aquatic plants to thrive

In order to thrive and fully utilize their oxygen delivery capabilities, aquatic plants need good basic conditions, which are as follows:

  • lots of light
  • Temperature from twelve to 25 degrees Celsius
  • plenty of nutrients in the water
  • CO2 (from pond fish)

Attention: If oxygen plants do not grow or only grow poorly, this is usually due to an insufficient development of one or more of the conditions mentioned.

Which plants are good oxygen suppliers?

Not all aquatic plants are diligent suppliers of oxygen. Basically, you need to know that only underwater plants produce oxygen (floating plants have other advantages).

In addition, it should be borne in mind that not all oxygen plants produce oxygen all year round. Therefore, you should pay attention to a suitable composition of the aquatic plants.

  • Spring and winter: water buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis)
  • Summer and autumn: Hornblatt (Ceratophyllum demersum), waterweed (Elodea) or pondweed (Potamogeton)

Other well-known oxygen plants for the garden pond are:

  • Water feather (Hottonia palustris)
  • Fir frond (Hippuris vulgaris)

How should oxygen plants be placed in the pond?

Place the oxygen plants under water in special growth substrate, in sand, gravel or clay balls.

While aquatic plants root directly in the ground in nature, you should not force this in your garden pond at home - especially if there is a foil on the bottom or you have a pond basin.

It is therefore advisable to always use plant baskets for the oxygen plants. The seals and straps must first be removed from these.

Note: ONLY place oxygenating plants in a pond with healthy water quality. Under no circumstances should you place the plants in a garden pond that is already covered with algae. Aquatic plants cannot thrive in such an uncomfortable environment (algae steal all the CO2 from the water).

A rule of thumb at the end of this guide: five bundles of oxygen plants per 1000 liters of water are optimal.

Category:

Vegetable garden