Pond plants do not grow
Pond plants do not grow
Notice your pond plants not growing or losing their vibrant color? This can often be due to a lack of essential nutrients or improper pond setup. Our Pond Plant Nutrition Package, formulated with organic and eco-friendly ingredients, provides exactly what your pond needs for strong, healthy plants. We'll also show you how to easily verify that your pond is properly set up for optimal plant growth.
Pond Plants Nutrition Package - M - 500 - 1,250 L
- For 500 - 1,250 L
- Pond plants, nutrition and bacteria
- Placement: -1 to -100 cm
Pond Plants Nutrition Package - L - 1,500 - 3,000 L
- For 1,500 - 3,000 L
- Pond plants, nutrition and bacteria
- Placement: -1 to -100 cm
Pond Plant Nutrition Pack - XL - 3,500 - 6,000 L
- For 3,500 - 6,000 L
- Pond plants, nutrition and bacteria
- Placement: -1 to -100 cm
Customers give us a 9.2/10
Stabilize water parameters with natural pond plants
Simon van der Velde
Is your pond optimally set up for healthy plant growth?
Stabilizes water values 100% naturally so you never have to test your pond water again. Year-round clear pond water with hardy oxygen plants. Check if your pond is optimally set up with our pond check below.
Customers give us a 9.2/10
Do you have any questions? Simply contact us using our form
Pond Water Testing & Water Improvers vs Pond Plants Nutrition Package
With pond water testing and water conditioners, you only address the symptoms, not the real cause. This costs a lot of time and money and you have to repeat it often. Our Pond Plant Nutrition Package is a simpler solution: it ensures that your pond gets a boost after which the pond keeps itself in balance. A pond in balance does not suffer from aquatic plants not growing.
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Pond water testing & water improvers |
Pond Plants Nutrition Package |
|
| ❌ Regular measurements required | ✅ Twice a year | |
| ❌ Requires some knowledge | ✅ User-friendly and easy | |
| ❌ Depending on proper dosage | ✅ Prevents algae growth indirectly | |
| ❌ Temporary solution | ✅ Provides sustainable results | |
| ❌ Repeat purchases required | ✅ One-time investment |
Anouk
My water lily started blooming within 3 weeks!
I recently got a pond and was excited to buy beautiful aquatic plants . I chose a water lily and some flowering rush. Unfortunately after 4 weeks the plants still had not started to grow. On the advice of vdvelde I bought a pond kit with bacteria, plant food and oxygen plants. I put this in the pond and waited a few weeks, 3 weeks later my water lily was blooming!
Oxygen plants and Bacta Clear are essential for crystal clear and healthy water.
Bacta Clear and Oxygen Plants create natural balance in the pond, simplify maintenance and promote optimal growth of pond plants. This combination keeps your pond clear, healthy and aesthetically pleasing while respecting the environment.
Natural balance
Easy maintenance
Optimal growth
This is what our customers say!
Excellent 
200+ reviews at 
Marjoke Bakker
Oxygenating plants and a bottle of Bacta clear
Purchased: Pond clear package - M
My pond was quite murky, so after a good conversation with Simon, I decided to follow the advice: more oxygen plants and a bottle of bacteria. I ordered the recommended package, but after four days no improvement was visible. Full of disappointment, I contacted customer service. They advised me to be patient and give the process 2-3 weeks. Although I had my doubts about it, I decided to wait anyway. And what turned out? After two weeks, the water started to clear and I even saw frogs that I had never noticed before! Thanks team vdvelde, and apologies for my impatience!
Patrick Müller
Plants are growing much better now and water is crystal clear
Purchased: POND SUBSTRATE pond substrate - 40 liters
Last year I had a landscaper install a plant filter at my swimming pond, recommending lava and some plants from the local garden center. Unfortunately, things went completely wrong; the plants died one by one and I suffered an algae infestation. After contacting customer service, I was advised to replace the lava with pond substrate and order some more plants. Now, several months later, the plants are growing well, and my filter is finally free of algae.
Fenna Schmidt
My little city pond
Purchased: Complete Pond Package - S - Red
I had been dreaming of having a pond in my urban garden for some time, but it always seemed like such a hassle. Online I found a complete package and decided to take the gamble, although I was skeptical about the quality of plants sent through the mail. But to my surprise, everything was delivered neatly and well-packaged. Within no time I had my pond set up. To my delight, after only two months I saw the first water lily bloom, and as icing on the cake I discovered salamanders in my pond. No idea how they got there, but it only adds to the joy. Truly enjoying it!
Susi Werner
A must for anyone with a pond (large or small)
Purchased: Simons Pond Advice Book
This book completely meets my expectations. A great guide with lots of great tips on pond construction, pond plants and design.
Highly recommended purchase on my part.
Great book!
Jules Chabot
Blue lily: beautiful!
Purchased: Hardy Blue Water Lily - Nymphaea Blue Queen
Thank you very much for the generous delivery of the swamp iris "Blue Lis".
The new plants have been planted and I am curious to see if they will bloom this year.
There is good news about the water lily "Blue Queen": It is also blooming here in blue - and how beautiful!
Bart Timmermans
Removing soil sludge without a vacuum cleaner
Purchased: Soil Dirt Pond Removal Package - M
After years of accumulation by fish, quite a bit of silt had accumulated in my pond.
At first I thought about a pond vacuum cleaner, but after contacting customer service I opted for the bottom debris removal package. I was skeptical, especially because the water became murky the first week. But after a month, the silt has reduced considerably. No hassle with a vacuum cleaner, and great results!
I am a fan.
Johanna Brink
water lilies for more biodiversity
As lovers of greenery, we were looking for a sustainable addition to our project. Van der Velde's water lilies were a hit! With DROP & GROW, it was really simple: plant and enjoy. We asked for different varieties and this was no problem either. Delivery was perfect. Within a week we already saw leaves above water, and meanwhile there are several flowers blooming. Both we and our customer are very enthusiastic.
Raphael Blanchard
Oxygen plants save my fish
Purchased: Oxygen Plants Pond Package - L
My fish were gasping for air, so I was looking for an air pump. Then I read that oxygen plants could also solve this problem. I ordered the package that fit my pond, and now my fish are swimming around carefree again. Additional plus: my pond water is much clearer. Fish happy, me happy!
Greta Schultze
Very happy with my small pond
Purchased: Complete Pond Package - XS
This handy kit helped me set up my mini pond quickly. Everything you need is included! The service and advice were top notch, much better than at the garden center where no one really knows anything.
Maria Maes
From maintenance to an organic swimming pond
Purchased: Complete Plant Filter Package - L
I was tired of constantly cleaning the pump, so I decided to convert my pond to an organic swimming pond. With the plant filter package from vdvelde.com, it worked out perfectly! Now I enjoy a beautiful, natural filter and lovely swimming water.
Frequently Asked Questions
aquatic plants are plants that grow in the water and absorb their nutrients from it. aquatic plants have adapted themselves allowing them to live and survive underwater. There are different types of aquatic plants, such as oxygen plants that release oxygen to the water and thus play an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and biodiversity in the pond, water lilies and floating plants that play an important role in regulating the ecosystem and providing shade in the pond, limiting algae blooms and providing hiding places and food for pond fish and other pond animals and marsh plants that filter pond water and keep it healthy.
Pond plants, like other plants, need light and warmth to grow and develop. They extract nutrients from the water, reducing the opportunity for algae such as filamentous and floating algae to grow. With enough aquatic plants , all the nutrients in the water are used up. To replenish these nutrients, pond bacteria and pond substrate are needed. The bacteria attach to the substrate and release CO2 into the water, which in turn is a nutrient for the pond plants. In addition, pond plant clay is important to keep the water from becoming too soft and to provide sufficient minerals that are beneficial to pond plants and unfavorable to algae.
The depth at which aquatic plants should be planted depends on the type of plant. In general, most aquatic plants are planted at a depth of about 30 to 60 cm. This provides them with sufficient water and sunlight to grow and develop. Oxygen plants can be planted deeper, up to a depth of 1 meter, because they get their nutrients from the water and do not rely on sunlight. Floating plants, such as water lilies, are planted in a basket at the bottom of the pond and grow up to the water's surface. It is important to consult the recommended depth for each specific plant species and make sure the plants are not planted too deep or too shallow. Plants planted too deep may not receive sunlight and will not grow well, while plants planted too shallow may dry out or get too hot. Should the aquatic plants not grow satisfactorily, this could be a reason. If so, move the pond basket with the plants to a deeper or shallower part of the pond.
Yes, aquatic plants need special aquatic plant soil. We have pond plant soil for this purpose that you can use for all types of plants in your pond. If you mix it in the pond basket with pond plant clay, also often called mineral clay, you will give your pond plant the optimal nutrient medium for healthy growth.
The eaten leaves can have several causes. There are several insects that eat the leaves of the water lily. We recommend placing (plenty of) aquatic plants in the pond, which ensures that insects cannot eat them all. Nevertheless, your water lily will certainly still bloom. Placing the plant higher in the pond will promote faster growth and also flowering.
Advice and tips
Why don't my old aquatic plants grow anymore?
It is quite possible that over time, the water may contain fewer nutrients than the pond plants need. You can easily solve this by adding pond plant food to the soil. In addition, it may be a good time to give your pond plants a pruning, just when you have added extra nutrition to the pond.
pond substrate indispensable for the growth of aquatic plants
pond substrate is essential for aquatic plants to grow well because it provides an ideal habitat for the bacteria needed to purify the water and provide the nutrients the plants need to grow. A layer pond substrate at the bottom of the pond allows plant roots to firmly establish themselves allowing them to grow optimally without rotting.
aquatic plants discolor
That aquatic plants doesn't seem to want to grow or grows poorly usually occurs in ponds that have just been constructed. After the pond is constructed, the pond is hard at work for the first few weeks to months to find a good balance. At this stage - but sometimes even in an existing pond - it may seem like your pond plant is not getting bigger, gets brown leaves or the plant seems to languish and turns yellow. Oxygenated plants feel slimy when you hold them. None of this is to say that the aquatic plant is dying. No, they are symptoms that the pond plant does not yet have the optimal conditions to grow and bloom properly. There are several causes for this. For example that the plants still need to acclimate, nature will solve this itself. What helps is to place this plant a little higher. Higher placement means more light and heat, which in turn provides more power for the plant to grow.
Reasons why pond plants don't grow
If your pond plant is not growing, there could be several reasons that lead to this. Conditions in the pond may not yet be optimal. For the four most common causes we would like to give you a solution and tips, so that your pond plants will still grow and bloom.
Insufficient sunlight
Insufficient sunlight is a common cause of an aquatic plant not growing properly. It may be in a spot in the pond that gets just a little sun or in the shade of a plant or tree along the bank. Move your pond plant, basket and all, to another spot that does receive more frequent sunlight, about six hours a day, and the plant will start to grow better. If this does not help, you can also temporarily place the plant in a separate water container to stimulate its initial growth. Once that gets going, place the pond plant back in its spot.
Aquatic Plant Clay
It still sometimes helps to add an extra dose of minerals to your pond. You do this by putting pond plant clay at the base of the pond plants. This clay contains minerals that will give your pond plants a boost. In addition, existing ponds need maintenance every now and then.
Water hardness
If water hardness is not up to par, it also affects the growth of your plants. Rainwater is often a reason water becomes too soft; it makes the pH level in your pond drop. This is beneficial for algae, but not great for your pond plants. Add minerals (such as pond plant clay) to the soil so your pond can regain its biological balance. Read what else you can do to get your water values right.
Pond plants are planted too deep
If the pond baskets is set too deep, it can interfere with the growth of the plant. The packaging of all our pond plants indicates the minimum and maximum depth at which the plant can stand. Make sure your non-growing pond plant is in the right spot. It is a mistake often made, but fortunately easy to solve: simply move the pond basket with plant and all to the correct depth. Do you have your aquatic plants at the right depth? Then you can still give them a helping hand by placing them on paving stones or on a crate in the water, so that they stand a little higher. You can do this temporarily until the growth has started properly.
Insufficient bacteria
Bacteria convert waste products, releasing CO2. Plants need this substance to grow. it is advisable to always add bacteria to the pond water in the start-up phase, spring and fall.
Water temperature
Especially at the beginning of the season, the water temperature can be too low for your pond plants to grow well already. They don't really want to yet and prefer to wait until the sun has warmed the water a bit more (about 10 °C). This will be from April onwards. It is a natural process that is quite normal in a pond, especially if you have just built it new. In this regard, patience is a virtue.
Of course, it is important that your pond plants are properly placed in the pond basket. Check out our helpful tips for planting pond plants and take advantage of them.
