Content
- The cattail as a plant in and around the pond in the garden
- Positive effects of cattail on the garden pond
- Secure the garden pond against proliferating cattail populations
- Nursing measures for cattails on the pond
- Tips
Cattails provide shelter for small pond dwellers
The cattail as a plant in and around the pond in the garden
Although species such as the broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia) are not protected as a plant in Germany and many other countries, the preferred locations with swampy ground can be part of protected areas. For the selection of the right type of lamp cleaner for your own garden pond, the height of the respective species is usually the decisive factor.
Positive effects of cattail on the garden pond
As a water and marsh plant, the cattail is not only a particularly decorative plant for the design of your own garden, but it also fulfills important tasks in the following areas when planting on a garden pond:
For relatively small and shallow garden ponds, the shadows cast by the thoughtfully placed cattail can cause the water to heat up less in summer due to the sun's rays. In addition, many rare insects and reptiles find a protected habitat between the leaves and inflorescences of the cattail. If there is a strong algae growth in your pond, you can use the cattail as a water clarifier, as it is a strong nutrient-consuming. That is why it is often used in biological sewage treatment plants.
Secure the garden pond against proliferating cattail populations
The cattail is usually planted on boggy sites or in the shallow water zone of garden ponds. Under good site conditions, it can spread unintentionally, if it is not used in a corresponding planting basket. Other marsh plants on the garden pond like the marsh marigold can easily be displaced by the cattail. On the other hand, species such as the reed, which are even more competitive than the lamp cleaner, are less sensitive.
Nursing measures for cattails on the pond
The cattail requires little to no care in the shallow water zone of a garden pond, since it does not need to be poured or fertilized here. For optical reasons and to encourage the fresh sprouting in spring, the lamp cleaner but is often cut back in the fall or early spring to about 15 centimeters above the water or soil surface.
Tips
If you have to deal with voles in your garden around the pond, you should think twice before planting the cattail. Since the small rodents are extremely wild on the starchy rhizomes of the cattail, it sometimes comes through their teeth to leaky areas of pond liner.