Too Early to put Water Hyacyinth (sp?) Out?

[BryanB]

I have one lonely water hyacinth plant sitting in a small vessel of
water in the house for over-wintering it. (One of the dogs happened to
develop a taste for destroying all the rest and this one is the only
survivor from last year.)

Air temps around here are up into the mid- to upper-60's and nighttime
temps only in the 40's. (Water temp unknown; thermometer's broken.)
Temps should remain about the same for at least a week--maybe more.

Is it too early to put out my solitary survivor in the pond?

--Bryan

(Who finally learned how to filter on nntp-posting-host headers on Usenet.)

[~ jan jjspond]

>On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 06:44:35 GMT, BryanB wrote:

>Air temps around here are up into the mid- to upper-60's and nighttime
>temps only in the 40's. (Water temp unknown; thermometer's broken.)
>Temps should remain about the same for at least a week--maybe more.
>
>Is it too early to put out my solitary survivor in the pond?
>--Bryan

Do you really want to risk it? Maybe in a protected place and bring in if
the temps drop below 40*F.

>(Who finally learned how to filter on nntp-posting-host headers on Usenet.)

:o) ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[Koi-Lo]

"BryanB" > wrote in message
k.net...
>I have one lonely water hyacinth plant sitting in a small vessel of water
>in the house for over-wintering it. (One of the dogs happened to develop a
>taste for destroying all the rest and this one is the only survivor from
>last year.)
>
> Air temps around here are up into the mid- to upper-60's and nighttime
> temps only in the 40's. (Water temp unknown; thermometer's broken.) Temps
> should remain about the same for at least a week--maybe more.
>
> Is it too early to put out my solitary survivor in the pond?
============================
Going from a warm house to temps in the 40s at night may prove fatal to you
WH. A frost will surely finish it off. If it were my plant I would wait
until the nights are at least in the 50s and all danger of frost is past.
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Tom Puskar]

I've tried with no success to overwinter my hyacinths in the house. Either
they die off or the fish in my indoor pond eat them.

How did you set them up for overwintering? Did you have them in direct
sunlight or artificial light? Too late for this year, but I'd like to save
them next season.

Thanks,

Tom in Howell, NJ

"Koi-Lo" > wrote in message
...
>
> "BryanB" > wrote in message
> k.net...
>>I have one lonely water hyacinth plant sitting in a small vessel of water
>>in the house for over-wintering it. (One of the dogs happened to develop
>>a taste for destroying all the rest and this one is the only survivor from
>>last year.)
>>
>> Air temps around here are up into the mid- to upper-60's and nighttime
>> temps only in the 40's. (Water temp unknown; thermometer's broken.)
>> Temps should remain about the same for at least a week--maybe more.
>>
>> Is it too early to put out my solitary survivor in the pond?
> ============================
> Going from a warm house to temps in the 40s at night may prove fatal to
> you WH. A frost will surely finish it off. If it were my plant I would
> wait until the nights are at least in the 50s and all danger of frost is
> past.
> --
>
> Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
> Aquariums since 1952
> My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
> http://tinyurl.com/9do58
> ~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>
>
>
>
>

[Koi-Lo]

"Tom Puskar" > wrote in message
...
> I've tried with no success to overwinter my hyacinths in the house.
> Either they die off or the fish in my indoor pond eat them.

I've had little luck keeping them over, and I have a sun room. I only
remember two winters when a couple of them survived. I just tossed the
rotten bits of this years failed attempt into the trash. The water lettuce
are doing fine wintering over in the fish tanks.

> How did you set them up for overwintering?

I had them in an old fishtank right in a sunny south window with an air
bubbler to keep the water from becoming stagnant. They were fertilized maybe
every week with Miracle-Gro. Spider mites were a constant problem. They're
really not worth the effort to keep over. I'd rather start with one or two
new ones from the store in the spring. I'm not going to even try anymore.

Did you have them in direct
> sunlight or artificial light?

They were in direct sunlight all afternoon and the room is humid due to all
the houseplants and fishtanks. They just don't so well in doors like the
water luttuce does.

Too late for this year, but I'd like to save
> them next season.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom in Howell, NJ

In my opinion (others may disagree) - it's really not worth the effort
unless you have a small heated greenhouse. My friend Sharon used to keep
them over in a large tub in a small heated greenhouse with a fan going 24/7.
She passed away so I can't ask her what temp' she kept the GH at.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[~ janj]

One year I was successful, but as Carol mentioned, in the end it is not
only a waste, but messy, imo.

I was told, on here, that their roots should be in contact with mud, then
2-3 inches of water. Bugs are the biggest problem, and still, without a lot
of natural sun, they don't always make it. ~ jan Zone 7a WA

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[BryanB]

As far as my over-wintered WH, it's jus' in a glass "vase" with a solar
powered water pump to circulate the water around. In a south facing
window and I change the water when I feel like it and when I think of it
and when it looks like it may need it. So far, so good; though, the
leaves are a bit pale. I blame the paleness on lack of proper sunlight
for photosynthesis which is why I wanted to stick it outside....

Guess I'll wait a while before doing it for real...

--Bryan

~ janj wrote:
> One year I was successful, but as Carol mentioned, in the end it is not
> only a waste, but messy, imo.
>
> I was told, on here, that their roots should be in contact with mud, then
> 2-3 inches of water. Bugs are the biggest problem, and still, without a lot
> of natural sun, they don't always make it. ~ jan Zone 7a WA
>
> --------------
> See my ponds and filter design:
> www.jjspond.us
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

[~ janj]

>On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 06:55:15 GMT, BryanB wrote:

>As far as my over-wintered WH, it's jus' in a glass "vase" with a solar
>powered water pump to circulate the water around. In a south facing
>window and I change the water when I feel like it and when I think of it
>and when it looks like it may need it. So far, so good; though, the
>leaves are a bit pale. I blame the paleness on lack of proper sunlight
>for photosynthesis which is why I wanted to stick it outside....
>
>Guess I'll wait a while before doing it for real...
>
>--Bryan

You might put a betta in the glass vase to give the WH a little fertilizer
(if you don't have fish in there already). That could be why it is
pale. ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[BryanB]

Ya know, I had already thought about a fish. Specifically a betta. But
I really like guppies, too... (On that note, can guppies be put into a
pond? Provided they don't get eaten by the larger goldfish....)

--Bryan


~ janj wrote:
>> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 06:55:15 GMT, BryanB wrote:
>
>> As far as my over-wintered WH, it's jus' in a glass "vase" with a solar
>> powered water pump to circulate the water around. In a south facing
>> window and I change the water when I feel like it and when I think of it
>> and when it looks like it may need it. So far, so good; though, the
>> leaves are a bit pale. I blame the paleness on lack of proper sunlight
>> for photosynthesis which is why I wanted to stick it outside....
>>
>> Guess I'll wait a while before doing it for real...
>>
>> --Bryan
>
> You might put a betta in the glass vase to give the WH a little fertilizer
> (if you don't have fish in there already). That could be why it is
> pale. ~ jan
>
> --------------
> See my ponds and filter design:
> www.jjspond.us
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

[~ janj]

>Ya know, I had already thought about a fish. Specifically a betta. But
>I really like guppies, too... (On that note, can guppies be put into a
>pond? Provided they don't get eaten by the larger goldfish....)
>--Bryan

If the temperature is right. We had a local ponder that use to put only
guppies, mollies & platies in their pond. They liked the look of all the
small fish schooling I assume. ~ jan


~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

[[email protected]]

~ janj > wrote:
> >Ya know, I had already thought about a fish. Specifically a betta. But
> >I really like guppies, too... (On that note, can guppies be put into a
> >pond? Provided they don't get eaten by the larger goldfish....)
> >--Bryan
>
> If the temperature is right. We had a local ponder that use to put only
> guppies, mollies & platies in their pond. They liked the look of all the
> small fish schooling I assume. ~ jan
>
I had guppies and mosquito fish in my pond (SoCal). Plenty of bua bok
(pennywort) for them to hide in. When we got a cold spell (no frost), they
all went belly up. Koi and goldfish don't care . . . just don't feed 'em.
My mentor says, "A hungry fish is a healthy fish!"

--
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