Overwintering Above Ground

[Eliezer]

Last year I mentioned that I was leaving a one hundred fifty gallon
stock tank with lotuses out for the winter in zone 5/Chicago, and that
I would report if it froze. I surrounded it with fiberlglass
insulation on the sides and white foam board on top, sank a one
hundred watt aquarium heater into it, and covered the whole thing with
a tarp. when I opened it the Spring, it was perfect-- covered with
duckweed and with the cattails and lotus pushing against the cover.
So, it didn't freeze. In fact, I think the lotus went back into
hibernation because the water cooled after I opened it in the end of
March. Based on my experience, you don't have to dig or bring in for
the winter.

[Benign Vanilla]

"Eliezer" > wrote in message
om...
> Last year I mentioned that I was leaving a one hundred fifty gallon
> stock tank with lotuses out for the winter in zone 5/Chicago, and that
> I would report if it froze. I surrounded it with fiberlglass
> insulation on the sides and white foam board on top, sank a one
> hundred watt aquarium heater into it, and covered the whole thing with
> a tarp. when I opened it the Spring, it was perfect-- covered with
> duckweed and with the cattails and lotus pushing against the cover.
> So, it didn't freeze. In fact, I think the lotus went back into
> hibernation because the water cooled after I opened it in the end of
> March. Based on my experience, you don't have to dig or bring in for
> the winter.

I'd like to see the same test without the heater. Seems to me, them there
plants didn't survive winter, because they never went thru winter.

--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

[Benign Vanilla]

"Eliezer" > wrote in message
om...
> Last year I mentioned that I was leaving a one hundred fifty gallon
> stock tank with lotuses out for the winter in zone 5/Chicago, and that
> I would report if it froze. I surrounded it with fiberlglass
> insulation on the sides and white foam board on top, sank a one
> hundred watt aquarium heater into it, and covered the whole thing with
> a tarp. when I opened it the Spring, it was perfect-- covered with
> duckweed and with the cattails and lotus pushing against the cover.
> So, it didn't freeze. In fact, I think the lotus went back into
> hibernation because the water cooled after I opened it in the end of
> March. Based on my experience, you don't have to dig or bring in for
> the winter.

I'd like to see the same test without the heater. Seems to me, them there
plants didn't survive winter, because they never went thru winter.

--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com