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    Thread: Things I do in winter for the pond plants

    1. #1
      matherfish's Avatar
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      Things I do in winter for the pond plants

      I have to keep my greenhouse at least 45* during the winter, and I do that by burning firewood in 2 wood stoves. I get the wood from tree cutting companies as I am able to use the culls that they do not sell to retail customers. It helps hold my costs of operation down. On severally cold nights (single digits), however, the stoves could not keep the temps warm enough and last winter we had a few very cold nights. The temps dropped down to around 34) no matter what I did. It did not kill a lot of plants, but it bit some back pretty good.
      The green house has three sections as to the roof style, but inside is one large room. Each section has an arched roof that peaks at 12 feet high. Since heat rises, I knew I lost a lot of heat going above the growing area. There are lots of pipes, straps, etc, in the ceiling area but nothing growing. This year I decided I could put plastic sheeting on top of the pipe webbing that holds the green house together that though not perfect, would help hold more heat in the lower part of the green house. There are still small openings between the plastic and the side walls, and along the gutters, and down the middle of each section where the straps hold up the webbing but for the most part, this should help hold more heat in the lower 7 feet where the ponds are. The gaps in the walls and plastic may be a few inches wide but are not big.
      Wish me luck with my new "ceiling."
      P.S.- Please overlook the mess. We had to move a lot of stuff around to get the plastic up.
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      Sounds like a great idea. Hope it helps. Where do you keep your lotus?
      Nancy



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      It should help a lot

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      I had overhead gas heating with the tube fan that I think you have. I used too move all my stuff down to the far end of the greenhouse where the heater was tie the tube in half and hang plastic curtains up on the half way mark of the greenhouse and it was still 600.00 a month in january too heat it.
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      When propane was a dollar a gallon it cost me $600 a month in January to heat the greenhouse. That was too much then and now gas is three dollars a gallon. I have too much to put it all in one section but this seems to be working as of last night.
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      Glad it's working! You have beautiful plants


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      Quote Originally Posted by gray cat View Post
      Sounds like a great idea. Hope it helps. Where do you keep your lotus?
      Do you have all of your lotus inside too?
      Nancy



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      I used to put the lotuses inside the greenhouse, but I ran out of space for them in the last two winters. Instead, I make a "cold frame" for them outside which keeps them from freezing but does not require me to haul the pots inside and the back outside in the spring. The cold frame actually consists only of plastic sheeting covering the posts which heats the pots up more in the day time and helps hold the heat over night. Being in zone 6 this has worked well for the past two years. I expect the same results this winter. My lotuses are hardy varieties so they can take cold temperatures as long as the tubers do not freeze. My pots are too heavy to sink into a pond, plus there are too many to put in a pond, so I can not over winter them that way. I will post pictures tomorrow.
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      For those who may not have heard of a "cold frame" it is basically an unheated greenhouse. It is a frame enclosed with plastic to help protect plants during the winter by preventing them from getting real cold. My lotus plants are not in a true "cold frame" because there is no "frame," but what they have gives them basically the same effect. The tubs are above soil level and there is space between the tubs so the tubs become the "frame." The plastic absorbs heat during the day, and traps it, warming the soil more than it would without the plastic. The plastic also helps hold in the heat produced from the soil beneath the plants, and so during the night heat is held by the plastic. Although it is not pretty, it does it's job.
      I tried building a true cold frame over the tubs the first year, but the wind tore it up. I tried pulling the plastic tight across the tubs, but the rain and snow building up on places cause it to tear also. Leaving it loosely placed allows water to stay in the pockets of the tubs and helps keep the plastic in place.
      This may be more than anyone wants to know, but this is another thing that I do in the winter for my water plants.
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      Thanks for the pics Frank. That looks like a pretty easy way of overwintering them.
      I only have three large pots. I take plastic and drape over each pot. Then I go around each pot with a bungee cord to hold the plastic on the pot.
      This has worked well for me for several years. No way I could ever lift the pots to put in the pond or my garage.
      Nancy



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      That is a good idea to use the bungee cord to keep your plastic tight. Does it hold it tight enough to keep it from sinking in when it snows and snow sets on it? I know the plastic here has water collect on the tubs, but evidently the heat built between the tubs keeps it warm enough that it keeps the tubers from freezing.
      I understand about lifting the pots. They get heavy, and with 60-75 tubs, it can become a chore even if just moving them from the outside into a green house.
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      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      That is a good idea to use the bungee cord to keep your plastic tight. Does it hold it tight enough to keep it from sinking in when it snows and snow sets on it? I know the plastic here has water collect on the tubs, but evidently the heat built between the tubs keeps it warm enough that it keeps the tubers from freezing.
      I understand about lifting the pots. They get heavy, and with 60-75 tubs, it can become a chore even if just moving them from the outside into a green house.
      It pulls them tight across the top of the pots. But right in the middle of the plastic, water will lay an inch or so deep when we get some rain.
      I could lay a board across the top or put something tall in the middle of the pot to make a tent, but so far what I have been doing works well for mine.
      Nancy



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      Quote Originally Posted by gray cat View Post
      Thanks for the pics Frank. That looks like a pretty easy way of overwintering them.
      I only have three large pots. I take plastic and drape over each pot. Then I go around each pot with a bungee cord to hold the plastic on the pot.
      This has worked well for me for several years. No way I could ever lift the pots to put in the pond or my garage.
      Thanks, Nancy - good info to know! I may have to try some lotus this year


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      thanks for this great thread Frank.

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      Thanks Nancy, Colby and Vickie. I appreciate your willingness to share ideas and let others know what works for you. There is a lot of things about ponding that has to be learned by trial and error, but ideas and information from others helps us all. Since ponds are different shapes, different sizes, different purposes, different climate, different construction, etc. it is easy to see why something that works for one person may not work for someone else, just like some people think they get all of the needed knowledge out of books, while others prefer the internet. You learn from both. Does anyone else use plastic covering to protect their ponds plants in the winter? Share with us your ideas, projects and results on here if you will. Also, I am using this thread to give you other ideas for things to do with your plants over winter, so share your ideas on those things as well. This is not for criticism but for our learning. If it works, if it didn't work, share and tell us your results. We have lots of time till spring so there is time to share, share, share!
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      Quote Originally Posted by SouthernStarr View Post
      Thanks, Nancy - good info to know! I may have to try some lotus this year
      You are very welcome Coby. They should do very well overwintering in your zone.
      Nancy



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      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      Thanks Nancy, Colby and Vickie. I appreciate your willingness to share ideas and let others know what works for you. There is a lot of things about ponding that has to be learned by trial and error, but ideas and information from others helps us all. Since ponds are different shapes, different sizes, different purposes, different climate, different construction, etc. it is easy to see why something that works for one person may not work for someone else, just like some people think they get all of the needed knowledge out of books, while others prefer the internet. You learn from both. Does anyone else use plastic covering to protect their ponds plants in the winter? Share with us your ideas, projects and results on here if you will. Also, I am using this thread to give you other ideas for things to do with your plants over winter, so share your ideas on those things as well. This is not for criticism but for our learning. If it works, if it didn't work, share and tell us your results. We have lots of time till spring so there is time to share, share, share!
      Great idea & thread Frank!
      Nancy



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      Variety packs of things are great in many areas of life. From screw of different sizes to candies of different kinds, to bandages of different sizes, etc. Why do we like variety packs, because one item does not always solve all similar problems. When not sold in variety packs, items are often offered to fit specific needs, such as medicines, or clothing. I point this out because I am hoping to get more members to share their pond findings.
      Another thing I do for my plants that can be done in the winter is label them, and inventory them. When I built my first pond, a small preformed one, and got my first lily, I did not worry much about the variety. It did not matter, and there was only one to remember. Then the second one came, and the third, etc. Even with only four or five, I could remember the names because they were all different. But as time passed, so did my memory, somewhat. Was the darker yellow the Charlene Strawn, or the Chromatella? And then someone told me about Texas Dawn, Joey Tomocik and other yellows and I knew they were not what I had, but the new names made remembering the old names more confusing.
      Most ponders with plants run into this problem, so how do we remedy this, with labeling. I have lots of plants that I have accumulated through the years that are "lost labels." These are plants that have lost their tags, or the tags have become unreadable, or the label ink has disappeared. I have ask many people for their answers and experiences.
      When at TMike's I saw how he does his and it is great in many ways. I know others who do the same thing, but I never saw theirs. Mike cuts strips of aluminum from drink cans and then with a pointed tip of something sharp, he etches the information into the aluminum. It does not erode or fade with time. His strips are about 3/8 inch wide and about 4 inches long. Winter time would be a great time to make your strips and have them ready n the spring to label new divisions or relabel the old.
      Fernlady and others use pieces of venetion blinds as tag strips. Simply take a blind and cut it into 4-6 inch strips, whatever length you want. Then using a permanent marker and write the name on it. This is what I do, basically. However, I do not just write the name on the tag and just push it down into the soil.
      I have learned the following things in using this method.
      I write the name of the plant on the top and the bottom of the strip, and on both sides. I do this so that the name can be read without digging into the soil to find the identity. The name above the soil will disappear after a while, but having the name under the soil still keeps the tag partially above the soil so it is easier to find, but the name below the soil lasts much longer. Occasionally the bottom will turn black and make the name unreadable. Having the name on both sides helps because one side made fade or become unreadable, but the back side may not.
      I like to have my plants easily identified without having to lift the pot out of the pond. I do this by using the wood-looking heavy plastic blinds. Cutting these 2" wide, 1/4 inch strips into 18-24 inch markers allows me to be able to push the tags into the pot and still have enough remain above water so that I can read the name. They may not be visually enhancing in the pond, but they do keep the plants identifiable. I use the same labeling as I do on the other smaller blinds. The heavier plastic remains stiff throughout the year.
      I have also learned that the ink is important. I have tried using different types of permanent ink, but have learned that all inks are not equal. I would use whatever was available, not thinking about the work it took to make the tags, only to find in a month or two the tags were empty. No names! I have found that Sharpies work best for me and am now trying the new Sharpie Extreme which advertise it is more fade resistant and stands up against the sun and uv rays. The sun is the main reason the top part of the tags fade to unreadable.
      Okay, I have one more idea about tags and winter, and will post it in my next post. What do you do to label your plants?
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      In the winter when plants are stored or are dormant in the ponds, it is a good time to start getting things ready for spring. There are 41 days left till spring and time will go by quickly. You might want to start getting pots so that when the water is warm enough you will be ready to divide your plants and have things ready for the new plants. You may not get your soil ready if you dig it from your property, but it is good to locate it before planting time. I also like to get my fertilizer tabs during the winter. I order on line and the companies get really busy during the spring, so orders are slower in arrival. Since I know that I am going to need them, why not order early and have them here waiting?
      If you are not going to keep your divisions, you might also start locating those who might be interested in taking your extras. Trading is a great way to get new varieties as well, but if you are trading for a "named" plant, verify it's authenticity. Do not trade a plant by name unless you are sure of your plant's authenticity. A definitive name is better than one you think might be what you have so there is no confusion.
      As your mind is excited with dreams of the future, these things keep your hands busy with your dreams.
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      Well, I had to put my two torpedo heaters in the shop for repair, and unfortunately, they said it would be 2 weeks before they could fix them. That was last week. The last two nights have been the coldest of the winter, getting down to 9* last night and staying there for most of the night. I go out and put more wood in the wood stoves every three hours, but when the temps are that cold they have trouble keeping the gh warm enough. Fortunately they have been able to keep the plants from getting too cold, but I really need the torpedo heaters back to keep the plants at a healthy level. I talked to the repair shop today and they were working on the heaters and said they should be ready tomorrow! They said that they knew with this cold of weather I needed them so they were getting to them early! Another nice thing about having them is that I can have them on a timer and have them come on and off after midnight and I do not have to go out after that to build fires in the wood stoves. The wood will actually burn for up to 6 hours, but the last two or three hours it is burning down so not as much heat. The torpedo heaters keep the temps up high enough. It costs more to burn the kerosene heaters, but the sleep is worth it!
      By the way, the plastic ceiling installed is making a difference, keeping the heat in a little better.
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