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View Full Version : Parrot's feather not flourishing in wine barrel fish pond


Robert Gorsch
June 29th 04, 04:16 AM
I have been maintaining a wine barrel fish pond for about a year now.
In about April I took out some parrot's feather that wasn't doing so
well and replaced it with a new hunk of the stuff. About a month
later I also put in a couple of water hyacinths. Goldfish have been
living in this pond for about a year, on average about two at any
given time. One individual goldfish has flourished for twelve months.
(Others have been picked off by birds and cats and been replaced.) So
I think it's a generally healthy environment.

My parrot's feather isn't doing very well. There are lots of tendrils
under water and just a handful of tiny shoots above the water's
surface. At the same time, since I have added these plants, and
increased the shading, the algae has come under control. For a while
it seemed the algae were taking over. That's positive, I think.

This is a hot, dry climate during the summer: from the 80s to 100+
during the summer. Inland Northern California. The pond is in the
shade most of the day, though it has a few hours of full or partial
illumination.

I thought parrot's feather was an uncontrollable weed. Any ideas on
why I can't get it to flourish?

Thanks.

Ka30P
June 29th 04, 04:24 AM
rgorsh wrote >>The pond is in the
shade most of the day, though it has a few hours of full or partial
illumination.<<

I think you've pegged it here ~
Probably needs more sun.



kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Just Me \Koi\
June 29th 04, 05:37 AM
Maybe Parrot's feather thrives in flowing water?

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

"Ka30P" > wrote in message
...
> rgorsh wrote >>The pond is in the
> shade most of the day, though it has a few hours of full or partial
> illumination.<<
>
> I think you've pegged it here ~
> Probably needs more sun.
>
>
>
> kathy :-)
> algae primer
> http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Karen Mullen
June 29th 04, 06:17 AM
In article >,
(Ka30P) writes:

>rgorsh wrote >>The pond is in the
>shade most of the day, though it has a few hours of full or partial
>illumination.<<
>
>I think you've pegged it here ~
>Probably needs more sun.

Kathy,

my parrot feather is in full sun and looks much like she described it. It's
got long tendrils underwater and just tips above. It's growing, but not
flourishing like it did last year or down in Houston. Can't figure out what's
different this year.

Thought... we've had some very cool nights (45) and not real sunny warm days,
that may be what's stopping it from growing.

Karen
Zone 5
Ashland, OH
http://hometown.aol.com/kmam1/MyPond/MyPond.html
My Art Studio at
http://members.aol.com/kmmstudios/K.M.Studios/K.M.Studios.html
for email remove the extra extention

Benign Vanilla
June 29th 04, 01:44 PM
"Karen Mullen" > wrote in message
...
<snip>
> my parrot feather is in full sun and looks much like she described it.
It's
> got long tendrils underwater and just tips above. It's growing, but not
> flourishing like it did last year or down in Houston. Can't figure out
what's
> different this year.
>
> Thought... we've had some very cool nights (45) and not real sunny warm
days,
> that may be what's stopping it from growing.
<snip>

Last year the Hurley's have me some PF, and I tucked it under a rock in the
main pond. It grew, but not very dense. This year, I got my christmas
package from them, and did not have time to plant so I just tossed the PF
into the VF. It is going crazy, and has grown down the stream already. I am
beginning to think this is a moving water plant.

BV.

Ka30P
June 29th 04, 03:05 PM
Karen wrote >> we've had some very cool nights (45) and not real sunny warm
days,
> that may be what's stopping it from growing.<<

My parrot's feather did not start growing until it warmed up.
I'd give the plant the full growing season to see what it does.

I've grown parrot's feather in the frog bog,
still water and full sun. It took over.
It is such a prolific grower that it is now banned in my state.
I ripped all mine out, not getting it all of course, and it is starting its
second season in the compost pile!

Be careful what you wish for.....



kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Just Me \Koi\
June 29th 04, 03:06 PM
It is a moving water plant!

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

"Benign Vanilla" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Karen Mullen" > wrote in message
> ...
> <snip>
> > my parrot feather is in full sun and looks much like she described it.
> It's
> > got long tendrils underwater and just tips above. It's growing, but not
> > flourishing like it did last year or down in Houston. Can't figure out
> what's
> > different this year.
> >
> > Thought... we've had some very cool nights (45) and not real sunny warm
> days,
> > that may be what's stopping it from growing.
> <snip>
>
> Last year the Hurley's have me some PF, and I tucked it under a rock in
the
> main pond. It grew, but not very dense. This year, I got my christmas
> package from them, and did not have time to plant so I just tossed the PF
> into the VF. It is going crazy, and has grown down the stream already. I
am
> beginning to think this is a moving water plant.
>
> BV.
>
>

Karen Mullen
June 30th 04, 06:57 AM
In article >,
(Ka30P) writes:

>I've grown parrot's feather in the frog bog,
>still water and full sun. It took over.
>It is such a prolific grower that it is now banned in my state.
>I ripped all mine out, not getting it all of course, and it is starting its
>second season in the compost pile!
>
>Be careful what you wish for.....
>
>

last years PF barely came back this year and again seems to growing underwater
rather than on top, can't figure that one out. I'm still waiting for summer to
arrive in Ohio, it's been cool so far with steady winds and nighttime temps in
40s and 50s. Brrr. Maybe July will brings warmth and sunshine!

Karen
Zone 5
Ashland, OH
http://hometown.aol.com/kmam1/MyPond/MyPond.html
My Art Studio at
http://members.aol.com/kmmstudios/K.M.Studios/K.M.Studios.html
for email remove the extra extention

~ Windsong ~
July 1st 04, 08:03 AM
"Robert Gorsch" > wrote in message
om...
>
> I thought parrot's feather was an uncontrollable weed. Any ideas on
> why I can't get it to flourish?
==========================
I live in mid TN and our summers are long, hot and humid. My parrots
feather only thrives in full sun. It died out in the shadier pools behind
the house. It also likes some fertilizer I've noticed. I add potassium
(potash) and magnesium to my ponds and boy do they perk up! 1 heaping Tbsp
of each, per 1000 gallons, about once a month.
--
Carol....
"Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic."
~~<~~<~~{@
"They laugh because I'm different, I laugh because they're all the same."
http://www.heartoftn.net/users/windsong/index.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Windsong ~
July 1st 04, 08:08 AM
"Just Me "Koi"" > wrote in message
...
> It is a moving water plant!
=========================
That I can believe,... as the clump doing the best is in my settling tank
with a constant slow flow of water. It's falling out over the edge of the
tub already.
--
Carol....
"Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic."
~~<~~<~~{@
"They laugh because I'm different, I laugh because they're all the same."
http://www.heartoftn.net/users/windsong/index.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy'Cam'per
July 1st 04, 12:33 PM
"~ Windsong ~" > wrote in message news:J5ydnRsUV_T8JX7dRVn->

"Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic."


ROFLMAO...
--
**So long, and thanks for all the fish!**

pixi
July 1st 04, 04:24 PM
Good Grief!!


"Happy'Cam'per" > wrote in message
...
> "~ Windsong ~" > wrote in message news:J5ydnRsUV_T8JX7dRVn->
>
> "Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic."
>
>
> ROFLMAO...
> --
> **So long, and thanks for all the fish!**
>
>