can't get pond plants until April

emerb

I saw a frog in my garden on Monday morning so frantically dug a pond yesterday afternoon. But it seems I can't get any pond plants until April (I'm in Ireland so I have much less choice than in the UK). Well, that's not quite true, one shop has hornwort but it would cost about £16 to get it delivered. 

Is my pond uninhabitable until I get an oxygenating plant in or is worth waiting until I can get a selection of affordable plants?

Pete.8

I was looking in my wildlife pond a few minutes ago. All the oxygenators are looking really tatty at the moment due to the time of year.
Nurseries don't send out plants until they start growing again in March/April and they look good and are growing fast.
What you'd get at this time of year would be seriously disappointing. 
If you've got a pond dug, fill it with water (ideally a mix of rainwater and some tap water) that'll give it a few weeks to settle then you can get your plants and you'll be off to a flying start
Good luck

emerb

Pete.8 You're quite right, of course. I need to curb my enthusiasm! Thank you 

Pete.8

I bought plants from Puddle Plants (very good and reasonable price), don't know if they deliver to Ireland though

emerb

It doesn't look like they deliver to Ireland. Importing water plants seems a bit risky anyways so it's probably best that I stick with locally grown.

It's only a tiny pond too so it's just as well that I don't have a big range of options or there'd be no space for frogs!

nutcutlet

you don't want to encourage frogs to spawn in a new pond, what will the taddies eat? Get it set up after the breeding season and enjoy it all next year

DampGardenMan

nutcutlet said:

you don't want to encourage frogs to spawn in a new pond, what will the taddies eat?

Well, BLTs according to a previous thread on here! They start off herbivorous and then become carnivorous

We have two clumps of spawn in a brand new "hole in the ground" (I hestitate to call it a pond) and OH is on feeding duty alert with lettuce (or maybe dock leaves) when the wrigglers emerge. Once the water gardens start selling again, we'll chuck in some oxygenators and surface cover plants and then see how the HITG develops ...

Crazyfroglady...and.now.newts.

DampGardenMan said:

nutcutlet said:

you don't want to encourage frogs to spawn in a new pond, what will the taddies eat?

Well, BLTs according to a previous thread on here! They start off herbivorous and then become carnivorous

We have two clumps of spawn in a brand new "hole in the ground" (I hestitate to call it a pond) and OH is on feeding duty alert with lettuce (or maybe dock leaves) when the wrigglers emerge. Once the water gardens start selling again, we'll chuck in some oxygenators and surface cover plants and then see how the HITG develops ...

And you can buy tadpole food, they sell it in 2 stages herbivore and carnivore they love it! 🐸

DampGardenMan

Groove_shysta said:

And you can buy tadpole food, they sell it in 2 stages herbivore and carnivore they love it! 🐸

Good grief, so you can!

Lyn

@emerb have you used a plastic liner or a solid pre formed pond, have you made a shallow sloping end so creatures can get out easily? 

emerb

I'll have lettuce on standby just in case, although it's pretty unlikely anyone will move in.

@Lyn it's a preformed steep sided pond so I have a ramp built out of rocks and a log. My stash of rocks saved for this purpose has become inhabited by lots of critters so I can't really dismantle it yet.

My pond is only 80cm by 60cm; do you think I can fit 3 plants in there or just 2?