Over wintering your water garden plants

Now is the time for everyone to tell how they over winter their favorite water garden plants. Shelter, lights, water, containers, food, etc.

Beautiful pond & yarden TA

Well, I'm not successful yet, but I'm going to try to put some water hyacinth and lettuce in our little greenhouse over winter. I plan on using a small tub that will fit on a 4 x 3 shelf. Looking forward to other responses!

OK, let me take a stab at this. For plants that are indigenous to my area I do not so much worry and leave them overwinter in the ponds right where they are. I do add an air pump and air stone to keep a hole in the ice but that's about it.

As far as the handful of plants that I have that are not zone hardy here that were gifts to me I will try my best to explain to you how they will be overwintered and why. I have a 100 gallon stock tank that will be moved into a cooler portion of my basement. The stock tank is going to be placed next to a window well for any natural light I can get. Lighting is the key to the successful overwintering of any aquatic plant. I am using a Metal Halide bulb as my primary source of light because natural lighting is virtually non existent in the basement and I really need that blue spectrum of light. If you choose a metal Halide bulb, you will only be able to use it in a Metal Halide system with a Metal Halide ballast. There is going to be a cost factor here which many people may not be in a position to afford and additionally, these bulbs don't last as long as others. This bulb would need to be elevated above the stock tank. My secondary light source is going to be a high pressure sodium light for the red and yellow spectrum of lighting. Same deal here though as you will need a high pressure sodium light system with a corresponding ballast. The high pressure sodium bulb will last about twice as long as the metal halide bulb. Both of these light bulbs will be on timers for about 8 hours a day and then they will go off. Plants need at least 12 hours of lighting to promote growth with many requiring even greater hours of lighting but all I am doing is overwintering them so I'm not bothering with extending the light they receive. I think running the two of them like this will probably raise your electric bill by about $10 a month. This may be worth it to some people but not to others. For me, the plants I am overwintering were gifts so it's worth it in my particular situation.

Fluorescent and Incandescent lighting, although very good for seed starts and seedlings are not a good choice to use to try to overwinter aquatics in my opinion. There are those who exclusively use fluorescent lighting and get great results though so keep that in mind. Probably depends on the type of plant being over wintered.

I am going to add a few Miracle Gro indoor plant food spikes to my over wintering potted aquatics but that will be it in the fertilizer department.

The water in the stock tank will be untreated and straight out of my tap. I have well water.

Terrestrial plants around the ponds will be heavily mulched with leaves.

Gosh I hope this helps but please keep in mind there are many ponders who have different set ups for overwintering aquatics and marginals who are equally successful.

What is the best way to winterize hardy water lilies and water hyacinth if there is one. This is my first winter and planning on making it bigger as soon as the temps. down a bit..
I had bought what the tag stated was a bog arum calla but it only had three little leaves to start and did get a few smaller ones that came up but them just died or I thought it did, I had it in about 2-3 inches of water in the shallow part of the pond so I thought maybe it was placed wrong but the tag said 2-10 inches. After it lost all the leaves and I thought had died I took it totally out of the water and placed it beside the pond just hoping and I went out a few days ago and it has a few leaves growing again...
Any thoughts I am at a loss that maybe it was not what the tag said it was since the leafs looked so different from the picture..

Hi there, you might want to check with your state on your water hyacinths as I think they might be a contraband plant by you. As far as overwintering your hardy water lilies, chances are pretty darn good you need not do anything for them other than to leave them in the pots they are currently in and just wait until next spring when they should start greening up again. You said they were hardy so I am guessing you've got either natives or cultivars of natives that can overwinter right in your own pond. Those types of waterlilies are the best, no fuss no muss and you just leave them where they are until the next season of ponding starts.

I mail all my tender plants south. LOL

Water lilies should be fine in the water for the winter unless they are tropicals. The only thing I consistently lose is water hyacinth and water lettuce but it is okay. They are easy enough to find and very often those same friends in the south will send some back to me. :)

I was surprised to see that my cypress (umbrella palm) overwintered last year on their own outside. I leave the pump on but do not provide any additional light or warmth.

Ted, I am extremely amazed with what you have done in such a short time. Your pond has turned out to be absolutely gorgeous!

ahah, here's some notes on wintering tropical waterlilies...

Most effective hmmm,
At around the 80% mark, plonk trop lily pot in tub of water, in a well lit window, there is a slight risk of the water going off with the few bits of debris decomposing spoiling the water and rotting the trop lily. At around 70°f and with the odd water change the survival rate is close to 100%

I quite like this method, plants come through in Spring nice and strong as light levels naturally increase. One fret, they seem to whittle down to a tiny size through a lot of Winter, that can be slightly worrying

At about the 80% to 90% survival rate, collect tubers and store in slightly damp peat in a pot... between 60°f to 70°f ...Probably the easiest way to keep them. I'm beginning to like this method for when a tropical has produced a lot of surplus tubers and there is not the space to put them in tubs of water

Weighing in at near 100% survival rate, float the plants in a tray of water with strip lights just over them. At 70°f they grow at a quite sedate size and pace, higher temperatures would be likely to get them going too lanky... Slight downside, if there are too many tubers they are likely to become a tangly thing to separate when Summer returns... No biggy, though I can well imagine some varieties could be a knot of fragile stems

Keeping trops through Winter is a lot more bothersome than hardies.... They can be quite touch and go to get started again outdoors, some just fizzle out after barely surviving indoors. Some varieties are defintely hit or miss, while others such as Woods White Knight, Tina, Mrs GC Hitchcock are reliable as clockwork

Regards, andy

Hello adavisus, Nice site you shared. I found a few bog plants I have listed there. What types of bulbs are you using in your strip lights for your tropical water lilies? Just curious.

The only thing I saw in that web site under the heading of invasives that you provided above that is rather interesting would be this statement which you probably missed as it was a hyper link-
"Notice I don't mention water hyacinth. Some folk claim that attractive tropical is a problem, somewhere. For such an easy to control plant to get a reputation, I wonder. In reality, you can feed it to cattle, easily shred it for mulch, use it to reduce evaporation on a pond and fishkeepers can use it to transfer fish eggs... benefits which far outway its undeserved criticism..."

Criticism of water hyacinth is very much deserved and scientific data is irrefutable at this point in time. Many states currently outlaw this plant and other states are jumping on the bandwagon as more information becomes available and as the clean up bill to the taxpayer sky rockets.

I have read so much on the hyacinth and so many areas it is not allowed, like Texas where I lived before but they sell it at Lowe's here but I only bought 1 bunch and it really did not multiply like I thought and maybe something in my water was laking and they did not bloom and that was what I was wanting to see. Any dead I find I discard any in the compost pile anyway just in-case..
My hardy water lily is an "Nympaea Attraction" and it did so good this summer and just finished it's last bloom a few days ago.
Thanks for the advice

Vickie

Since I can't leave my hardy water lilies out (ponds here freeze down to @ least four feet ).... I lift them, wash them, trim the roots, put them in a freezer bad with damp peat moss and put them in the fridge for 8 months. If your pond doesn't freeze to any significant depth they can remain in it....as long as the water doesn't freeze down to the rhizome they will be fine. I know many in zone 5 leave theirs in the pond (of course if they have a really, really bad winter all is lost). :S

Hi Vickie, I have heard of people merely relocating water hyacinth to areas with more sun and being able to get them to bloom or to bloom better. The other comment I have heard is that folk add aquatic fertilizer tabs to their water. I don't use those but I have seen them for sale at PetSmart. Maybe you could try the tablets to help out your water hyacinths. Your red Nymphaea Attraction will do just fine being overwintered right in your pond. It is cold hardy to zone 4. All I do is make sure I top off the water in the pond from time to time as it will evaporate over winter and you want the roots submerged even if your pond ices over.

Thanks, I had heard fertilizers bought upon algae but I may not have researched enough and really had pretty clear water for my first pond and the fish grew 2 inches since I bought them in May and my lily just kept blooming one after the other. The only plant I was totally at a loss on was the Calla I will try that fertilizer next year hopefully they will bloom...

Thanks

Hi again, which Calla do you have. Do you by any chance have the tag. Incredibly, there's a difference which I learned the hard way in that I placed a few in a pond that were actually marginals as opposed to an aquatic. Needless to say they weren't too happy until they were moved and then some critter chowed them down right when they really started to take off. If you could find the tag and post the botanical name of which one you have it would be great as there are others that are actually bog plants. There are a few of them and try looking for something that starts with the word Zantedeschia. If you don't have the tag or know which one you have, not a biggie as you get to experiment and see what happens by keeping it in water when you try the tabs next year but you will feel better to know that some callas don't bloom the first year. You might want to consider elevating it a tad if you are going to keep it in the pond. The other issue might be your potting medium. Come to think of it, quite a few variables.

Yes I saved the tag stated was a bog arum calla Palustris, I bought it at Lowe's with my lily and hyacinth's which when I got it it was placed in the water in their pond center. But I can say since I took it out of the pond it has three leaves on it sprouted from the side of the main stem. I searched but did not find allot on what I was needing to know..All the ponds plants I got were planted in these plastic baskets all they said to do was place them in the pond..
I found out the hard way losing the tags and that is why I still have a few I know nothing about so I save them now...

Thanks

Hi Vickie, get it out of the pond. Try potting it up in some sphagnum moss mixed with sand and you can place it back in the pond for looks as long as the planter it is in is solid with no drain holes or vented sides. That is not an aquatic plant. Tee he, you did the same thing I did. I'm just teasing with you as I have been there and done that. Your plant's botanical name is Calla palustris and it's a native of the northeast.

>>What types of bulbs are you using in your strip lights for your tropical water lilies?

Ordinary strip lights

>>Criticism of water hyacinth is very much deserved and scientific data is irrefutable at this point in time. Many states currently outlaw this plant and other states are jumping on the bandwagon as more information becomes available and as the clean up bill to the taxpayer sky rockets

Many plants are invasive, duckweed, lotus and common cattail are capable of destroying many a habitat and no taxpayer gives a hoot, what politician is crusading to ban them...

In other countries, invasive plants are turned into mulch, animal feed, board, paper, fuel as a matter of routine, without persecuting a few folk who want to use the plants for good purpose. Amusingly, where water hyacinth is considered invasive, it is used in water processing plants to improve water quality...

That taxpayers are peeved to maintain aquatic habitats with competent management makes about as much sense as plonking down beach front property then complaining about the effects of tide, wind and sand.

Blaming a few invasive species does not fix benign neglect or provide an effective solution.

Regards, andy

I did that already, about 2 weeks ago I took and thought it was dead but now has a couple leaves, so I can just plant it in my garden around the pond then..They had it down in their little pond and planted in the water basket..gee you can't trust what they are selling as aquatic plants and those where my first plants just was exited to get something in that was growing..
Where do they like to be planted best and do you know the care of them..

Thanks for all your help

Hi Vickie, Your calla likes bogs which means you want it to not really ever dry out but you don't want it in standing water either. You don't want to just plant it in your garden as chances are pretty good it will be about as happy in your garden as it was in your pond. Try a sphagnum/sand mixture in a pot that has no drain holes and see how it does. You can recess the planter you put it in into the garden or into the water as long as the planter has solid sides and a solid bottom. I suspect your plant will be just fine.

Now about Water Hyacinths... goodness gracious what an overpoweringly attractive plant. To many ponders, this plant appears to be the equivalent of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. It is virtually irresistible. The plant is an ecological nightmare... the equivalent of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes and Kudzu and fireants down south and so many other extotic invasives that outcompete native flora. WH can survive almost as if it was a terrestrial in many southern areas. When ponds with hyacinth dry up, they get buried in the dirt and the first rains rejuvenate them. WH can survive temps in the 20's and being frozen in ice for short periods. They never completely die in the South unless physically removed and destroyed. One misplaced plant can wreak unfathomable damage.

There are reasons why this plant is deemed a scourge of North American. "WH is a non-native plant that has naturalized in many native waters throughout the milder climates of North America. This plant is not controlled by its natural, co-evolved enemies in this North American non-native habitat it has colonized, and its phenomenal rate of growth results in vast areas of natural waterways being choked with water hyacinth. The effects of this spread include pre-empting surface waters that less aggressive native plants would otherwise colonize, shading the bottom so thoroughly that submerged vegetation cannot grow, which in turn deprives many fishes of spawning and feeding habitat, and choking waterways so that they are not navigable."

I suppose it is best for the time being that water hyacinth be grown up north where it currently is not deemed such an issue or kept in a self contained filtration environment managed by qualified people capable of monitoring and controlling its growth. I too find it rather hypocritical that Texas relies upon this plant for its unsurpassed filtration qualities yet fines people for possessing it.

I know my son wanted to put some in his pond out side of Houston after he had seen mine but I had informed him they were not allowed there so he found other planted more suited for his area....But I just wanted to see them bloom but mine didn't this year and really did better when I kept them to the edge of the pond, they started going taller and looked much healthier...

Thanks for all you help..

Thanks Badseed for you comments. I am going to try to overwinter my plants in a tub with light from the window. Do not want to buy them again next year. Even the WH which do not produce like mad in my pond. I fight just to keep them alive with my high PH. Use about a gal of acid every two months to keep it down. Buying high doller lights is not an option. Every one comments are great and lots of good information. Keep it going. Ted

The WH don't stand a chance of living through the winter here in my part of TN therefore are lawful to have.

vswilliams - sunshine is the key to them blooming and multiplying. Wish you lived near so I could load you up with plants that are blooming.

Wish I did to Judy but I think they are about gone for this season will just start over next year...but my pond gets all day about 6 hrs of sun there is no shade until late in the day so I know it was getting enough sun..but I did have them looking poorly the lower leaves would turn black and I would pop them off and then I kept them from floating all over the pond and kept them around the edge and they did get a lot taller and looked healthier but I guess a little to late for them...
Thanks
Vickie

I finally got a picture of the calla I was questioning about after finally getting a new leaf now do I bring it inside or what???
OH and TaRogers I just love your pond I can only wish I had that much space for one that size...

So sorry, I didn't realize you were still worried about your Calla. Seriously, you can leave that Calla in a pot in your garden to over winter. You may want to seriously consider repotting it into a more appropriate container though and you might want to consider replacing the pea gravel with a sphagnum and sand mix. You currently have it planted in an aquatic basket. If you want to bring it in I suppose you could do so but considering it is hardy to zone 5, I'd think it would be best to consider leaving it outside in the ground. If you bring it in, I'd find a nice sunny window and leave it at that. I don't see any need to get any type of an elaborate set up of any sort. Just add a Miracle Gro indoor house plant spike to it as it looks as if it could use a little pick me up.

thanks so much I plan on repoting it this weekend will have to check out the pottingmix you suggested since I have never used it before..

Calla Lillies are hardy to Zone 5? Every reference I've seen says Zone 8 or higher - so I've never tried one.

I would love to - The flowers are great! Are you sure about that reference, Equilibrium?

This message was edited Sep 30, 2004 6:45 AM

I'm never sure of much these days with so many different sources but she said she had Calla Palustris. I learned a long time ago that just because I read it on the Internet didn't make it true. Too many variables. I've got that particular Calla here in zone 5a and it's ok to be left outside to overwinter by me. Most Callas aren't ok outside.

http://www.aroid.org/horticulture/hardy.html
Calla - 1 sp.
Calla palustris (Zone 4b Wisconsin) -30F

http://www.ontariowildflower.com/lakes.htm

http://www.nwbotanicals.org/oak/altagri/aknative.htm

Thanks for all yawl's help I appreciate it..

Calla Palustris (Bog Arum) is extremely hardy, you can freeze it in a block of ice. By contrast, it is not heat tolerant, I doubt you will find it many places where it gets well over 90°f, which makes it good for cool temperate zones that freeze. In zone 7b it's very touch and go getting through hot Summers, except in complete shade

Calla lilies, the Zantedeschia varieties are not frost hardy at all unless they are well covered, frost free with inches of cover over them outdoors. Arum lilies don't seem to like freezing ground or a wet cold dormancy in a pond... Stored dry at room temperature seems quite reliable

Regards, andy

What about container plants? I have a big, big pot with 3 "bog" plants that are completely submersed in water on my front porch. I have a corkscrew rush and a spikerush, and another upright, grassy looking water plant that had no tag on it (but it is for water). Can I just leave this set up "as is" on my porch over the winter? It is an L-shaped protected porch. Should I take the plants out of water over the winter instead? If so, where should I put them?! I am working on a "real pond" for next spring if you have read my "pond quandry" post, but I do have my mini-water garden that I haven't know what to do with for winter. BTW- I'm in zone 8. Thanks! Jamie

Well hello again! Looks as if the ponditis is setting in early. Adavisus is in Zone 7 which is closer to your zone than mine. Since you don't have the botanical names of your plants, I'm thinking he is far more experienced than me to take a stab in the dark. Your corkscrew, as well as your spikerush, can stay where they are in Z8 but I dunno know about the 3 "bog" plants in the big pot or the other upright grassy looking water plant that had no tag on it. Tee he, it wasn't too long ago that I was describing plants the same way you are. You are truly a breath of fresh air Jamie!

Weeeeellll, to tell ya the truth if I garden for the next hundred years I will describe things that way! I am only 27 and already have memory issues- like I just cannot remember names, phone numbers, etc. Ok, I'm not that bad yet. :)
Ok, it looks like I was a bit confusing. I have three plants total... well not "total" but as far as my water garden plants. I just refered to them collectively as my "bog plants." Of those 3, one is the spikerush and one is the corkscrew rush. Those were the names on the tag- no other botanical or latin names were included. The upright grassy one (not on a tag- just my own description! Ha!) had no tag on it.
I am almost certain that water will not freeze solid down here in the location I have it in. It just doesn't stay below freezing for enough days in a row to make it freeze... knock on wood. I would prefer to just leave them there- I figure if goldfish can live in frozen ponds over the winter, these plants should be okay!
Thanks again for helping me out on my pond/water garden issues. I really am not that "green" as far as gardening goes, just WATER gardens. Jamie

I write on my hand. One cannot lose their hand. I never could remember anything so why not. Call it my little crutch but it gets me by even if people do stare a little. One of my kids teachers told me that it was bad to write on my hand and that I was setting a bad example. I replied that I was aware of this but that if I hadn't written on my hand that the odds of me having made it to the parent/teacher conference on time would have decreased a hundred fold. She smiled and I smiled back.

Tip, if you run out of space on your hand merely roll up your sleeve and you will have created all kinds of new writing space. You can get entire plant lists up your arm!

Good tip! Tell that teacher that if writing on your hand is the only "bad example" you are setting for your kid then you are doing pretty darn well!!!
I keep a plant journal (good lord, when did I turn into my mother?) and put the tags from each plant I buy. Then I write where I planted it and when and update the status of it each season. Needless to say I have a few explatives written by some of them! :)

I used to have a box that had a skull and cross bones drawn on it that I put all my receipts and tags in for the past 3 years in hopes that some day I would go through it. My husband determined it was garbage and tossed it about a month ago. In all the years we have been married that was probably the worst thing he ever did. I had no words and he made himself scarce... very scarce for a few days. My spiral notebook with notes was also in that box.

Glad you liked my tip!

Wow. Mine would have gone ahead outside and dug himself a grave if he did that to me! :)

I would have volunteered to dig the hole. I would have also volunteered to toss the first spade full of dirt on him. I was so mad I couldn't even comment. I opened my mouth a few times and no words came out. That has never happened in all the years we have been married. He is completely incapable of tossing out junk mail or an empty toilet paper roll but he was able to toss my box. I could list entire lists of items that he cannot help relocate to trash receptacles yet he was able to toss my box. He later claimed he thought the skull and cross bones in thick black permanent marker on the sides was a joke.