Wanted Lilies, Hornwort, Anacharis, Water hyacinth/Lettuce, Bog Plants , etc

[Olenka]

As you clean your pond this fall, please do not though away any plants!
We just built a new pond. For now have just a few plants (no fish yet)
Thank you and looking forward for your donations!

 

[Mmathis]

Water lettuce and water hyacinth won’t do well over winter. They are best obtained, probably in the spring.

 

[Olenka]

Water lettuce and water hyacinth won’t do well over winter. They are best obtained, probably in the spring.

I know. I am going to bring them inside for the winter

 

[Mmathis]

I know. I am going to bring them inside for the winter

Good luck with that! No many people have success at keeping those alive during winter.

 

[Olenka]

Good luck with that! No many people have success at keeping those alive during winter.

well, at least it is worth trying.

 

[JRS]

Water lettuce did good over winter in a 55 gallon tank with glass covers (keeps the humidity up), canister filter to deal with lowered water level and plant debris with a dual T8 bulb shop light sitting on top of the tank near a basement window.

 

[poconojoe]

I've tried to Winter over water lettuce and water hyacinth a couple times. I had them in the basement boiler room in a fish tank with grow lights. They never make it all the way till Spting. If our Winters were shorter here (zone 6a), maybe they would make it.

 

[Stephen Noble]

If you hurry, you can probably find some end-of-season plants at a local nursery or pond center. There is another link on this site in the last days discussing overwintering pond plants. It takes effort to do it but it is 'doable.' Be sure to not obtain illegal species. My advice is to check with your local wildlife department before accepting donations.

 

[Olenka]

Actually, I am running to a local garden center today. They sell mostly water hyacinth and water lettuce And a couple of bog plants. Meanwhile I need oxigenators. Could not find them in nurseries/garden centers so far. They are sold at pet stores, but in small quantities. To fill my pond with hornwort/anacharis I have to spend hundreds.
I was thinking if someone was going through away some submerged plants in a process of fall pond cleaning, I would come and get them.

 

[Olenka]

Water lettuce did good over winter in a 55 gallon tank with glass covers (keeps the humidity up), canister filter to deal with lowered water level and plant debris with a dual T8 bulb shop light sitting on top of the tank near a basement window.

I was going to put my lettuce/hyacinth in gars under direct sunlight near humidifier. A glass cover is a great idea. Probably better then humidifier.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Actually, I am running to a local garden center today. They sell mostly water hyacinth and water lettuce And a couple of bog plants. Meanwhile I need oxigenators. Could not find them in nurseries/garden centers so far. They are sold at pet stores, but in small quantities. To fill my pond with hornwort/anacharis I have to spend hundreds.
I was thinking if someone was going through away some submerged plants in a process of fall pond cleaning, I would come and get them.

Just a thought - I have never in my 18 years of pond ownership had any 'oxygenators' (ie - totally submerged plants living on the bottom of my pond) Well, I guess that's not totally accurate - when I had my first pond installed in 2002 I did buy a couple of bunches of some sort of submerged plant...which my fish immediately devoured. I did not replace them & have never in the years since then purchased an 'oxygenator' plant or anything that would be down in the bottom at the mercy of my koi. Maybe goldfish are different, but I can't even imagine trying to have submerged plants with koi in the pond. I've even had to resort to potting my water lilies with welded wire over the top to keep them alive. Those beasties root up *everything*!! So, I guess my point is, you don't really *need* 'oxygenators'. (at least in my experience)

 

[Olenka]

WOW
How did you cycle your pond without plants? Don't you have tons of algae every spring/summer?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

WOW
How did you cycle your pond without plants? Don't you have tons of algae every spring/summer?

Oh, I have plants - TONS of plants, just no 'oxygenators' (submerged) plants. Mine are all marginals (or water lilies) that are planted in the gravel on planting shelves at the edges of the pond or along the waterfalls and streams. I used to be able to plant my water lilies directly in the gravel bottom, but my fish are now so big they even root those up, so I've had to start potting my lilies. The marginals are, for the most part, inaccessible to the fish so they are able to live without too much damage.

 

[Olenka]

OMG
Didn't big gravel/river rocks work for you? I mean one and a half inch in diameter.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

OMG
Didn't big gravel/river rocks work for you? I mean one and a half inch in diameter.

A few of my oldest koi are in the 2' range now, and there's not much they can't shift when they put their minds to it! lol They are very determined when it comes to anything 'food'. They even swim right up out of the water and onto the rocks, where possible!

We have a 6" diameter rock holding one of our lights down, and they dislodge that on a regular basis. The lilies were being destroyed until we put them in pots with welded wire fencing over the top! Fishies be crazy!!!