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| California Rush (Juncus patens), Basket Rush (Juncus textilis), Marsh Baccharis (Baccharis douglasii) and Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica) in a large container wetland |
It
may seem inappropriate to even consider wetland plants when Southern California
is experiencing one of the driest seasons on record. But in a hot, dry summer, the lure of lush wetland
plants is almost irresistible. If you
like the idea of native wetland plants – but don’t have the room or water to
spare for a rain garden (see March 2013) - consider planting a ‘wetland in a
pot’. You can create a mini-marsh or
attractive wetland container that satisfies your craving for green without feeling
guilty about wasting water.
The
first consideration is where to locate your container. Most wetland plants need sunlight for at
least 3-4 hours a day; so you can locate your wetland container in a sunny part
of the garden. If you’re fortunate, you
may be able to find a location that gets enough sun and is also near a shady
seating area; for example, on the edge
of a covered patio. There’s nothing
like admiring your summer ‘wetland’ from the comfort of a shady chair.
Another
consideration is hose or drip irrigation access. You’ll be watering your ‘wetland’ at least
weekly during summer, so be sure you’ve got easy access to water. If you choose a large pot, your container
garden will be heavy. Better to locate
it correctly before it gets filled
with damp potting soil and plants rather than after!
Creating
a wetland in a container (pot) is fairly easy.
First you’ll need a pot or other container to hold your ‘wetland’. We suggest a container at least 2 ft. by 2
ft. and at least 1 foot deep. You can use
a smaller size if you plant just a single plant (for example, a single rush (Juncus) plant). But remember that larger containers – and those
made of impervious materials - remain moist longer than do small containers.
The
best choice is a container made of thick plastic, composite or glazed pottery.
Another popular choice is a wooden half-barrel (whisky barrel) with a plastic
liner. Even a concrete container will
work. Many attractive choices are
available - some for reasonable prices.
Choose a pot that complements your home and garden – after all, you’re
going to be admiring it a lot. If you
have a choice, stay away from black or other dark colors, as these pots heat up
too much in summer.
Many
large pots now come with a removable plug in the bottom hole. For most situations, it’s best to remove the
plug. With wetland gardens, the choice
is up to you. If you leave it in, you
won’t have to water as often – but you’ll need to let the wetland dry out a bit
more between waterings. If you choose
wetland plants that require ‘well-drained soils’ then you should definitely
remove the plug. You may want to choose
a pot with a threaded plug (like a screwcap) that can be screwed in from either
the inside or outside of the pot. Install
it on the outside and you can remove it easily if your wetland garden needs
better drainage.
Late
spring or summer is the best time to plant a ‘wetland in a pot’. Most wetland
plants are not terribly picky about the choice of potting soil as long as it
doesn’t have too high a manure content. We suggest using a commercial potting
soil rather than soil from your garden. You’ll want to fill/plant your container in
place, as it will be heavy and awkward to move once filled. Wet down the potting soil and let it settle
before planting your plants. Leave at
least 2 inches between the moistened soil and the top of the container (so you
can flood the container occasionally).
Many
California wetland perennial plants are suitable for growing in
containers. The easiest are the rushes (Juncus species). These mostly evergreen, grass-like plants
have nice shapes/colors and interesting flowers. They look good alone or combined with other
wetland plants. Some require quite moist
soils while others are a bit more drought tolerant. If you combine several plants in a ‘wetland’
be sure that all have similar moisture requirements.
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| Basket Rush (Juncus textilis), Iris-leaf Rush (Juncus xiphioides) and Marsh Baccharis (Baccharis douglasii) in an attractive composite pot |
Several
other wetland perennials are appropriate for a ‘wetland in a pot’. These include the Narrow-leaf Cattail, the
Scouring Rushes (Equisetum species)
as well as several more conventional wetland perennials (see below). When
choosing plants, be sure to note their mature size. Some wetland plants are low-growing, while
others (like cattails) grow to 4-5 feet tall or more. The
taller species survive just fine in containers; but you don’t want to be
surprised when a Cattail or Tule grows to its full height of 6-8 ft. or more.
Many
wetland plants look beautiful all by themselves. In fact, some of the most
elegant ‘wetland pots’ we’ve seen contain just a single species of Juncus or Equisetum. But if you want to include several plants in your ‘wetland’
then go ahead. Many nice combinations of
plants are possible. For example, you
might combine several rushes with different colors/flower characteristics. Another possibility would be to pair a rush
with several of the more conventional perennial species like Willow Dock and
Showy Milkweed. The only trick is to combine plants with the same water and
other cultural requirements.
We
suggest using no more than three different plants for most home ‘wetlands in a
pot’. If you have a very large container
(at least 6 square feet) you can get away with more. Consider height, flower and foliage
characteristics when choosing an attractive combination. For example, pair an upright species with one
that sprawls and covers the soil. The resources
below provide more information about the individual plant species best suited
for ‘wetland pots’.
Wetland
plants are often ‘spreaders’; plants that increase their size by short underground
stems (rhizomes). This allows them to
take advantage of optimal (wet) conditions.
You can count on the plants in your ‘wetland’ to increase in size –
sometimes rapidly. This means you’ll
need to do a bit of repotting each year to keep the plants happy. Some rushes are slow growing, only requiring repotting
every other year if grown alone. Other
wetland plants need thinning twice a year in our climate; once in spring and a
second time in late summer.
Fortunately,
most wetland plants are incredibly robust.
You can dig the entire plant out of the ‘wetland’, break it apart with
your hands (or cut with a stout knife or cleaver) and repot the ‘extra’ pieces
into recycled pots. Just be sure there
are 4-6 new stems/sprouts per piece. The
extra plants make nice gifts; be sure to label them so that the recipient knows
what s/he is getting. Replant one piece
and you’ll have a rejuvenated wetland. Add
a little fresh potting soil and that’s about it.
Wetland
plants like moist soil. You can use drip
irrigation or simply water with a hose when needed. Dig down into the soil to assess its wetness. If the soil is dry at a depth of 2 inches it’s
time to water. Remember that pots dry
out surprisingly quickly in hot, windy weather.
Water until the soil is fairly
moist but not muddy. If the soil develops
a sour odor – or if the plants become yellow – let the soil dry out to a depth
of 6 inches before watering and consider removing the drain plug (if
applicable).
Native
wetland plants, like most local native plants, like to dry out a bit in the
fall. Gradually water less frequently
(let the soil dry out more) beginning in early September. Once the rains begin in November you can
normally leave the watering to Mother Nature.
That’s
really all there is to creating and maintaining a ‘wetland in a pot’. With a little care, wetland pots can give
you greenery, flowers, interesting foliage – even butterflies - for many years.
You
can find a list of recommended plants for a Wetland in a Pot at: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/california-native-plants-for-wetland-in-a-pot-513
Pictures and gardening information
sheets for many of the plants are available at: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html
If
you missed our yearly (May) sale of wetland plants you can still obtain plants
through the Project SOUND nursery at CSU Dominguez Hills. For availability see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/plants-currently-available.html
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