A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Pond Plant Questions

Gardencrazy sent me some pond plants at the beginning of summer.
Now I'm not exactly sure what to do with them over the winter.
I took them out of the pond yesterday...and was amazed at how much they've grown.
This one has massive roots...filled up the entire pot in no time (...guess I shoulda put it in a bigger pot) and look at all the babies it has!

Here's another one...haven't taken it out of the pot...

Babies galore!
Should I separate them now?
...or just leave them like they are and put them back in the pond until spring?



Cindy Sue

Cindy Sue, I am not sure what zone you are in, I am in Southern Ontario Canada, so I am zone 4. In my ponds, I use a pond heater, so my pond never completely freezes over. My plants can remain in the pond without any ill effect. I separate my pond plants come spring, but very early, so as not to interfere with the newer growth that happens just come the warming of the weather. Your plants are a little root bound, a transplant into a large pot is all I would do to them for this comming winter. If your pond area freezes, I would take your plants into the house, if you have the room. I place some of mine into a large fish tank, set up a pump to move the water and oxygenate it, and I have a mini pond in my home all winter. I also use some in my real fish tank, the fish love this. Not sure what your own situation is, but hope this helps you out. PS: are you willing to trade any of those pond plants babies?? Although I live in Canada, not sure where you are I would love to pay the postage or exchange plants with you.
Let me know.
Cece.

Cece...
I have worked in the pond all day...again. :rolleyes:
O.K...I put some of them into bigger pots and cut some babies off. I don't even know what these are called...Gardencrazy sent me starts of them and had them labeled real nice...but I took the labels off thinking I could remember the names...WRONG!
Here's what they look like when they are blooming...

(...not the canna...the purple thing in the pond behind it.)

I can't bring anything else in the house...I've worn my welcome out on that idea already...yesterday I dug up my 6' brugmansias and brought them in...and that didn't go over very well.
I can get a pond heater...I will buy one this week.

Cool! Whatcha got? Will stuff live O.K. if you plant it now?
I'm not to smart on the pond stuff...


Cindy

Any pond stuff I take on now, in this our Fall season, cool to cold temperatures here now, I simply place in aquariums in my basement with pumps until I place them outside in the spring. The plants I already have here, outside, I use the pond heater with and they winter over quite well. I would like to exchange with you or simply pay the shipping and handling, but I need to know if you are in Canada or the USA. Could you let me know, it will make my shipping questions much easier. Thank you. Cece.

Very pretty looking pond btw. Ohh, and ..... many of my pond plants have wintered over just fine without the pond heater, but if you have the money for one, don't take the chance.

I'm in USA...Kentucky, to be exact.

I've sent plants to a friend of mine in Canada and once it took over 3 weeks for her to get them...and they were dead by then. What has your experience been shipping from US to Canada?
I know one thing...when you lie on the paper you have to fill out for customs...and don't say that it's plants you're sending...it is much faster.

...not that I would lie!
(yes, I would lie!) :rolleyes:

Cindy

Thanks for the response Cindy. Yes, I would definately do whatever it takes to get some across the boarder. I have only before ordered from Registered businesses in the USA so I would think they all take care of customs from thier end, with the legalities taken care of b4 hand. I can do that too however, and I would pay to have them shipped Priority Post, which although that can take up to a week from the US, that would not end up being a kill I think.

I will do it if you are willing, and lieing to save a plants life is not really lieing is it? Nooooooooooooooo.

...it doesn't matter to me.
I lie all the time, anyway.
I'm used to it!
(oh, I'm just kidding!)

Do you know what this plant is?
I can ask Gardencrazy...she sent it to me.

Cindy

I have seen it, I know it, but my memory is lost as usual, i will look it up on one of mt other sites. I will let you know. Cece.

Dang! Cindy~ They have done great! The plants are pickerel rush and yellow water iris. You don't want to seperate the plants now. Do that in the spring. They are both hardy plants and can stay out in the pond. I have left some in a pool that froze solid and they made it through winter fine. Very hardy plants.
Donna