Yes lost Pickerel! Crazy thing how stuff just disappears. This was a long process from germinating the seeds, planting, watering and maintaining warmth for these little guys almost giving up after two weeks and them not showing any growth at all, not even a little green poke from the soil.
Then almost all at once they started showing their little leaves and yeah we have babies. The care of them continued in the portable green house taking them out in the sun for the day then back in at night. To keeping them outside 24/7 and keeping them watered. We had two flats, one with 72 Pickerel plants and the other about 60.
Finally the day came to move them to the pond and leaving them in the flats they were positioned so one corner of the flat was touching the shore line so they wouldn’t float away. You guessed it, we had a wind and rain storm, the pond filled just enough to float off the flat of 72 Pickerel and disappeared in the depths of the pond, or so we thought.
pickerel in bloom
4 days were spent probing the pond floor, then raking and even wading around probing the floor has turned up no results, bummer. Why the big deal? This Pickerel plant has become a favorite of mine and the little women loves the blue flowers that bloom. Ok I like blue too but the plant does have other benefits other than the pollinating insects. They provide cover for the smaller fish, help to consume nutrients in the pond and add color and texture to the the water and shoreline interface.
The Pickerel Plants want to have their roots in the water at all times and can grow up to 2′ feet out of the water. Kind of cool like a dual purpose plant for those who live under water and those above the surface. They can spread fast but once they go to seed cut the seed pod off to limit the spreading. Or let the grow until the desired area is covered, then start controlling them.
In the quest of trying out other multi purpose beneficial plants for the pond we ordered in a more species for their specific purposes and will update in a later post. This time putting the flats in the pond they are all blocked in so no chance of wondering off.
Then I took a walk around the pond to see where to plant the new guys I was very happy to find the lost Pickerel flat hiding under other plants, it was just sitting there. Was it here all this time? We walk the ponds almost every day how could we of missed this? Any ways we’re very happy to have our babies back.
Slowly but surely in the up coming posts we’ll show some other species of plants and their purpose for the pond. Along with the ability to do local plantings and small order sales. Stay tuned for future updates.
