Planting, Launching and Anchoring a Floating Island
Planting
If you're looking for suggestions for some attractive and fail-safe planting (no guarantees, though) please go straight to the links below:
Plants for floating islands and Moisture-loving pond plants by size
It's possible to grow an enormous variety of plant species on a BioHaven Floating Island, no matter what your local climate - from temperate to tropical. Water-loving annual and perennial forbs, sedges, and rushes can all thrive in the island environment, and in addition - with properly aerated water - a large number of terrestrial (garden) plants will thrive: even cactus can be grown hydropnically!
The plant species that can be incorporated into your island will be determined somewhat by geography, although we've found that the microclimate created by the island's location in a body of water can expand the growing zones of certain plants. For instance, if you live in zone 4, you may be able to grow zone 5-6 plants on your island.
We are great believers in starting off an island with sod (turf). Sod gets the island instantly green and it provides a good base for other plantings. The roots grow quickly and bind into the matrix. It can be sprinkled with wildflowers and other seeds for added variety. Sod can achieve a full coverage, preventing any exposure to UV rays. There are different varieties of sod to choose from, from "ready lawn" to native sod, to soilless sod (pictured).
Plants
Below are the scientific names of some plants you may want to consider for your own floating island.
| Acorus calamus | Alisma plantago-aquatica |
| Asclepias incarnata | Beckmannia syzigachne |
| Caltha palustris | Carex aquatilis |
| Carex nebrascensis | Carex stricta |
| Carex utriculata | Decodon verticillatus |
| Deschampsia caespitosa | Dulichium arundinaceum |
| Eleocharis acicularis | Eleocharis equisetoides |
| Eleocharis obtusa | Eleocharis palustris |
| Eleocharis quadrangulata | Hibiscus militaris |
| Hydrocotyle umbellata | Iris fulva |
| Iris pseudacorus | Iris versicolor |
| Iris virginica | Juncus balticus |
| Justicia americana | Leersia oryzoides |
| Lobelia cardinalis | Onoclea sensibilis |
| Osmunda regalis | Osmunda cinnamomea |
| Peltandra virginica | Phalaris arundinacea |
| Phragmites australis | Polygonum hydropiperoides |
| Polygonum pensylvanicum | Polygonum punctatum |
| Pontederia cordata | Rumex verticillatus |
| Sagittaria graminea | Sagittaria latifolia |
| Sagittaria rigida | Saururus cernuus |
| Schoenoplectus acutus | Schoenoplectus maritimus |
| Schoenoplectus pungens | Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani |
| Sium suave | Sparganium americanum |
| Sparganium eurycarpum | Spartina cynosuroides |
| Spartina pectinata | Symplocarpus foetidus |
| Thelypteris palustris | Typha angustifolia |
| Typha latifolia | Woodwardia areolata |
| Zizania aquatica | |
| (list compiled by Robert Mohlenbrock USDA, NRCS, 1997 - Northeastern Wetlands Flora @ PLANTS Database) |
|
Launching & Anchoring
Comprehensive launching instructions are provided with all off-the-shelf floating islands. They are very simple to launch, in 5 easy steps: Prepare, Fill, Plant, Anchor, Float.
Anchoring is optional; please see the Launching Instructions to see what you need and how you go about it.
People have many questions about maintenance. In general, Floating Islands are like any garden - you can tend them or let them grow naturally.
For larger installations (usually 1000 sq ft and above), a detailed installation guide will be provided by one of Floating Islands engineers. We can provide modeling capability through thier associate laboratory where warranted by a complex or particularly innovative project.
©Copyright, Aquatic Biologists, Inc., All Rights Reserved
| Follow ABI on Facebook! |