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Pond vegetation
All these were new in the pond this year - just shows how warm it's been and
how ideal the conditions for these plants. I don't know their botanical names but to us they are water cabbage, water hyacinth and water forget-me-not, as far as I know. The pond is now so smothered with them that we have to remove most of it to a tank in one of the greenhouses. If we don't, the fish run out of space - there is one tiny corner left free - or the plants will die at the first frost and we don't want either of those to happen. http://i21.tinypic.com/1054g9k.jpg -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
Pond vegetation
Sacha wrote:
All these were new in the pond this year - just shows how warm it's been and how ideal the conditions for these plants. I don't know their botanical names but to us they are water cabbage .... Usually called 'Water lettuce' - Pistia stratiotes, although it is a member of the arum family with tiny greenish, arum-like flowers tucked between the leaves. It's a very nice thing when growing well although it can be temporarily invasive. I used to overwinter it in shallow tubs of mud at around 10C. .... water hyacinth Ah the dreaded Eichornia crassipes! Fabulous flowers, but it's a formidable and worrying pest in tropical regions. It has taken over entire lakes in Africa where there are few predatory pests to keep it in check. In its native Amazon basin home it never causes problems, but when introduced to similar climates elsewhere, Eichornia is a major scourge blocking out light to the water and causing submerged water plants to die out, resulting in de-oxygenation of the water and fish deaths. Growth rates are truly phenomenal, waterways can be rendered unnavigable by the dense, metre thick carpets of herbage and the plant is not easily controlled by conventional means. Not a problem here though - the first hint of cold weather will slow this and Pistia right down and a couple of frosty night will kill the plants completely. .... water forget-me-not Isn't this Myosotis scorpioides (formerly palustris) ? It's a pretty, waterside native perennial that should overwinter perfectly well in any part of the British Isles. |
Pond vegetation
On 19/10/07 12:05, in article ,
"Steve Wolstenholme" wrote: On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:05:09 -0700, Dave Poole wrote: Ah the dreaded Eichornia crassipes! Fabulous flowers, but it's a formidable and worrying pest in tropical regions. It has taken over entire lakes in Africa where there are few predatory pests to keep it in check. A few years ago I was working with a programmer who lives in Uganda close to Lake Victoria. She told me what happened to the lake near her town. The water hyacinth grew all the way out to the horizon like a huge flat green field. The fishermen could not reach their fishing grounds. The last I heard about the problem was that a biological control had been introduced but it had not reduced the plant growth very much. I think the control was some sort of moth. Steve I see that the water lettuce is a notifiable weed in Australia! -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
Pond vegetation
On 19 Oct, 03:45, Sacha wrote:
On 19/10/07 10:05, in article om, "Dave Poole" wrote: Sacha wrote: All these were new in the pond this year - just shows how warm it's been and how ideal the conditions for these plants. I don't know their botanical names but to us they are water cabbage .... Usually called 'Water lettuce' - Pistia stratiotes, although it is a member of the arum family with tiny greenish, arum-like flowers tucked between the leaves. It's a very nice thing when growing well although it can be temporarily invasive. I used to overwinter it in shallow tubs of mud at around 10C. .... water hyacinth Ah the dreaded Eichornia crassipes! Fabulous flowers, but it's a formidable and worrying pest in tropical regions. It has taken over entire lakes in Africa where there are few predatory pests to keep it in check. In its native Amazon basin home it never causes problems, but when introduced to similar climates elsewhere, Eichornia is a major scourge blocking out light to the water and causing submerged water plants to die out, resulting in de-oxygenation of the water and fish deaths. Growth rates are truly phenomenal, waterways can be rendered unnavigable by the dense, metre thick carpets of herbage and the plant is not easily controlled by conventional means. Not a problem here though - the first hint of cold weather will slow this and Pistia right down and a couple of frosty night will kill the plants completely. .... water forget-me-not Isn't this Myosotis scorpioides (formerly palustris) ? It's a pretty, waterside native perennial that should overwinter perfectly well in any part of the British Isles. Thanks for all these, David. I've made careful notes! Today, Matthew and Greg have drained the pond, leaving just enough water for the fish and are hauling out barrow loads of the plants. The problem now will be to find enough tanks to over-winter them in the greenhouses! When I think that I saw just one place selling the water hyacinth for £3.95 each..........! -- Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' Saving one plant would be adequate. Would be too much! I bought one (species unknown) at a department store Garden Shop from a know- nothing clerk. In a wet window-box it became 6 plants in barely a month, at which point I sought pics on the WWW and id'd it as "Water Lettuce." I gave away all but 1 and isolated it in nested tall plastic pots in a 20 gallon (75 Liter) aquarium. It DESTROYED the aquarium: 1 plant. All kinds of whitish crud exuded under and at the leaf-tips. When I started emptying the aquarium to clean yesterday, I found it had partially dissolved the bottom of one plastic pot, in less than a week!! It now lives (or dies) in a 2 liter pop bottle* with a dead Avocado. I should put it back in a wet window-box and give it's babies to my worst enemies.~} (*) I cut clear/de-labeled 2 liter pop bottles most of the way around at the part where the top-curve ends: Instant flip-top micro- greenhouse. Hmm. Maybe too much light on the roots is what killed the Avocado though. |
Pond vegetation
On 20/10/07 16:31, in article
, "Don H3" wrote: On 19 Oct, 03:45, Sacha wrote: snip Thanks for all these, David. I've made careful notes! Today, Matthew and Greg have drained the pond, leaving just enough water for the fish and are hauling out barrow loads of the plants. The problem now will be to find enough tanks to over-winter them in the greenhouses! When I think that I saw just one place selling the water hyacinth for ?3.95 each..........! Saving one plant would be adequate. Would be too much! I bought one (species unknown) at a department store Garden Shop from a know- nothing clerk. In a wet window-box it became 6 plants in barely a month, at which point I sought pics on the WWW and id'd it as "Water Lettuce." I gave away all but 1 and isolated it in nested tall plastic pots in a 20 gallon (75 Liter) aquarium. It DESTROYED the aquarium: 1 plant. All kinds of whitish crud exuded under and at the leaf-tips. When I started emptying the aquarium to clean yesterday, I found it had partially dissolved the bottom of one plastic pot, in less than a week!! It now lives (or dies) in a 2 liter pop bottle* with a dead Avocado. I should put it back in a wet window-box and give it's babies to my worst enemies.~} (*) I cut clear/de-labeled 2 liter pop bottles most of the way around at the part where the top-curve ends: Instant flip-top micro- greenhouse. Hmm. Maybe too much light on the roots is what killed the Avocado though. Yes, it's enthusiastic, isn't it?! ;-) But we can sell these - or some of them next year. When the danger of frost is past out they'll go. -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
Pond vegetation
In article , Sacha
writes Thanks for all these, David. I've made careful notes! Today, Matthew and Greg have drained the pond, leaving just enough water for the fish and are hauling out barrow loads of the plants. The problem now will be to find enough tanks to over-winter them in the greenhouses! When I think that I saw just one place selling the water hyacinth for £3.95 each..........! You'll be able to open your own money earning stall next year Sacha ! :) -- Janet Tweedy Dalmatian Telegraph http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk |
Pond vegetation
On 20/10/07 20:14, in article , "Janet
Tweedy" wrote: In article , Sacha writes Thanks for all these, David. I've made careful notes! Today, Matthew and Greg have drained the pond, leaving just enough water for the fish and are hauling out barrow loads of the plants. The problem now will be to find enough tanks to over-winter them in the greenhouses! When I think that I saw just one place selling the water hyacinth for £3.95 each..........! You'll be able to open your own money earning stall next year Sacha ! :) I'm ordering the waders as we speak.......... ;-) -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
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