I am fighting the urge to add plants to my pond. :blink: The water temp fluctuates between 47 and 54 degrees F depending on how many days in a row of actual sun that we get. Out temps during the day are in the mid to upper 50's and sometimes in the lower 60's. I was wanting to add some duck weed to start with. I saw it on eBay (a pound of it) and been trying to hold off. :rolleyes:
What temp is safe to add plants do you think?

Tia

Since every plant is different, I just ask the supplier for their recommendation before purchasing. They don't want to sell you something that will die the first week.
In my neck of the woods the standard answer is ,"after the last frost . May 24".

MAN!! that sounds like a long ways way.

Tia, where do you live again? I'm in Zone 6/7, and most pond plants get shipped here mid-April at the earliest. It's warm enough to add submerged plants but I would hold off on anything that might get frozen into some late winter/early spring ice.

I'am in zone 6. Generally we go by no annuals until after labor day. I know I have quite a few perenials coming up right now and most of our days are in the mid 40's, nites are colder. We have had a few days in the 50's and 60's., but we are below our normal highs right now. I don't know when to start adding plants to the pond myself, this is my first spring. We only did our pond in late spring 2007. I have some dwarf native bamboo and was wondering if it's hardy in zone 6, central Penna. Does anyone know. Would appreciate some input. Thanks Cheryl

It sounds like you should wait until May to add pond plants.

I live in Zone 8 (Oregon) and I have been checking the stores for plants. None so far. It's hard to resist the urge with the lillies starting to sprout but I'll wait for now. Tonight is supposed to get down to 28 degrees F. :o

Tia

I live in California ... zone 9a (USDA), or 13 - 14 (Sunset magazine).
My waterlily has 6 or 7 leaves that have made it to the surface so far this year. The plant is five years old.
The leaves are all still red, so they're very new looking.
Water temperature is currently in the mid 50's.

Has anybody tried those waterlilies you buy in a package that are wrapped in a mesh bag?
It just looks like a round mesh bag with a lot of brown fibrous strands inside. A root or rhizome in the middle, with rocks or pebbles for weight.
It comes with a plastic lilypad & flower floater to tie to the bag with the 4' string so that you know where it is in the pond.
Just remove from package, tie on the floater, drop in the pond and presto ... instant lily! (ri-i-i-i-i-ght)
My wife has bought a couple of them over the last few years, but with no luck making them grow.
She really wants to see red flowers. We have pink, but she likes the red flower.

At the end of last year, when nothing happened again with the lily-package, I removed the rhizome and placed it in a regular pot with soil.
Sank it to the pond bottom and let it sit.
Well, now it's starting to pop out some leaves.
I hope it continues to grow .... my wife will be suprised because she thought it died like the last ones.
Maybe they weren't dead ... only needed more time!

Just wondering if anybody here has tried these with good results.

PG

I bought 5 ( I think )...I know only one survived. And 1 cat tail grew pretty good...only time will tell if I had it deep enough not to freeze solid. :blink:

I bought one last year just because it was cheap. Didn't like the mesh bag idea so tore it apart and planted in a regular pot with dirt. It did ok but didn't bloom, but should this year.

FM3

I bought one of those waterlilies for the first time last month at WalMart. I just wanted to see for myself what the deal was; if such a cheap and neglected lily would even live. I opened it last week and was really surprised that it was alive. They jam the rhizome into this fibrous thing and then it's as Pool Guy mentioned. I popped mine in to the pond last week. You can ask me later this year how it did.

Well I am glad that I fought off the urge to get the plants for the pond. Last night it got down to 25 degrees F. There was ice on the aerator line going to the air stone. :blink: Our weather has been a little crazy. We have had snow that stuck overnight, been pounded by hail, rain and sun in the last week and a half. We are supposed to be in the low 60's during the day about mid week! :huh: What's next? :rolleyes:
Tia

Does anyone have any horn wort in their ponds and how does it overwinter if your pond freezes over? I would like to have something green for the fish and frogs to hide in when the lilies are dormant.

Fm3

Hey Froggie,
Don't have any personally, but I don't think it will over winter in a pond that freezes. Not sure though.

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum) is one of the pond plants that is found naturally throughout the north, growing well up into Alaska. It will float near the surface in warmer water and in our area (Northern Illinois) it can grow so thick that it makes boat navigation difficult in the summer. As the water cools, it sinks to the bottom. If it can grow in Alaska, I don't think you have to worry about it growing in a pond that freezes over, just so it doesn't freeze solid to the bottom

Don

I don't think it needs to be planted but I have heared it can become invasive but how hard could it be to remove a large portion? Does it shead alot?

Fm3

See, told you I didn't know for sure!! hahaha

It could probably be controlled easy enough in a small pond, might be harder the bigger the pond gets though.

COOL!!! If it grows in Alaska, then I can have some :-) I am going to check it out, maybe I aready have it, LOL.

I have hornwort in my 50 gallon tub pond. That pond freezes half way down in the winter on the coldest days. When I cleaned it a few weeks ago, I took out like 4 gallons of hornwort; I had to hand sift it out from the leaves and other debris. With only a few snails in there, the hornwort grew very well. It remains green all winter in my pond. It sinks to the bottom when there's ice. It does fall apart easily if it's not in good shape but I beat up the hornwort in that pond pretty well without it falling apart. I can't keep it alive in my ponds with fish as they eat it. It needs strong light. It can be potted but that's not necessary. It gets nutrients directly in to the leaves and doesn't really have roots.

I HAVE HORNWORT! I am so excited that I learned a plant thing today, LOL. I have it growing in the clay pond. I will take a run down there (it's raining) right now and see if I can see any in there.........BRB

Did I say it was raining?? Well as I was on the other side of the pond as far away from the house as possible the heavens opened up and threw hail at me! NICE!!!

No, there is no plants left in there! I can't believe I was dumb enough to go look! I will have to watch for when it starts to grow and keep record of that!

hahaha...I suspect that if there is any within 100 miles you will find it now that you are on the hunt!! :P

Yes, I will be travelling out into the muskeg with my buffalo gun on my shoulder in search of northern pond plants I am sure :P

Klondike Kate rides again!! LOL