winterizing plants

[weedhopr]

Is it worth while trying to keep my water lettuce and water hyacinths over winter? I live in MN. I'm bringing my fish and plants in for the winter today. I've tried keeping hyacinths in the basement over winter, without any success. I keep my lillies,and pickerell,in a plastic storage container in the basement over winter. I got a couple water lettuce plants this spring, and now have about a hundred of them. Will they last thru the winter?
thanks,
Mike

[miguynmkoi]

For all it's worth I keep my floating plants outside in the sunniest spot in a small 25 gal pot of water with some other water plants.  In the pond they die because of the colder water.  I'm in So CA.

I'm thinking in your case if you keep it indoors you may need direct sun or artificial light to keep them from melting/dying.

But then again they cost very little to purchase in the spring 

[happyoutsidegirl]

Hi weedhopr and welcome. Those floaters are very hard to try and winter over. They just need tomuch direct sunlight I guess? But because of how cheep they are and how quickly the multiply most just put them in the compost pile. If your other plants are not tropical, Lillies,Pickererl, etc can be cept very nicely at the bottom of the pond unless it's so shallow it will freeze solid. I had a very small  only 18" for a lot of years here in our cold climet and just put a sm. aquiarum heater in it to prevent freezing solid. Good luck.

[maryvonne]

I was able to over winter my water hyacinths potted up in large swallow pots filled with garden clay soil inside the sunroom in front of a glass sliding door. I just kept the soil very wet and bog like. They did very well and started growing as soon as the days started to get longer. I wasn't able to keep them alive in the pond tubs that were in the same room. They would just melt away. I have never tried water lettuce so don't know about them. Hope this is helpful.

Maryvonne

[happyoutsidegirl]

Wow Maryvonne, That's great! I have never found anyone who has been able to do it. I'm going to try it just for the fun of it!!!!!! Thanks a bunch for this info.

[maryvonne]

One more thing. When they started to grow in the spring I gave them a bit of Osmocote or Nutricote. It help get them ready for going out into the pond. You also have to harden them off in the spring just like any other plants before putting them into the pond.

Maryvonne

[milliemax]

  Do you think planting the hyacinths would work in an unheated greenhouse in USDA zone 8?
  I think I'll try it! Couldn't hurt!
  Thanks for the info! Nancy

[Vickie]

I have also over wintered water hyicents planted in dirt. In my basement that has window and lights. Along about april they did not look good, so I put them outside in a oval cow tank and put an old window over it. They took off. I am trying it again this winter. I want to save my money for other things.