What do you do with your water plants in the winter, Do you bring them in or do they stay out how do you protect them? They are kind of expensive I would like to keep them over the winter, :-? This is my second year having them mine died last year before winter. Thank you Margie moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
I do absolutely nothing with my water plants. Last year they managed to survive our Scottish winter with its -20C and five feet of snow over a prolonged period. However, in saying that, all my pond plants are either natives or fully hardy. If I had tropical water plants then I would probbly remove them and store them somewhere that was frost free.
Water plants I have my plants in a large flowerpot, Do you think they will still be ok? Margie Thank you Margie
My Hardy Water Lilies survived with no problems this past winter. Some were in that 20 gallon plastic tub and another in a 2 gallon planter. There was a couple of times the ice was at least 1-1.5 inches thick. Even though we get freezing temps, it usually only lasts a few days. So that might make a difference for you.
Having 3 ponds in zone 4/5 one learns to stick with the hardy ones. I trim them all back sink then in the deepest part of the ponds and forget them till spring. I also cover the ponds and keep an air pump running all winter to keep the fish alive. Works without a hitch as long as the power does not go out. When it does I can only pray it comes back on soon. Most times its no more than a few hours. No Harm done. No Tropical's here! to much bother.
I bought water beads for my plants so that I need not to worry about them during winter. I always make sure they stay indoors during that season for they really freeze to death when I forget to bring them in. I am a little busy with my work and crystal soil makes me keep up with my passion even with my ever hectic schedule. Even if I forget to water them, I know that they won't dry up that fast.
I cut mine back and sink them in the deepest part of the pond, which is just shy of 3 feet. They've come back every year (2 winters now) and are typically a nice barometer to tell me it's time to clean the pond out and get everything going again in the spring!
I generally put them in green house. Green house gives natural environment to them. moderator's note: removed website link, see point 1.1 of usage rules
I hope after all this time margie12u has had success with her pond plants over the Winter. It needs to be said for the record that if you have an above ground pond or fish tank, living where it freezes like Illinois or Indiana or New jersey or Pennsylvania and North of that, you need to protect the root system from freezing. That's why you hear people say they have large in ground ponds and they sink them down to the deepest part till Spring, like thepondlady and Jnieto0560. You can't sit on the patio over the Winter and get frozen. You need to bring them into the basement in a bucket of water(changing water once in a while) or get them where it only will freeze a little on top or not freeze at all. I used to keep them in my greenhouse, like sandy123, until we put a little pond in that has one area that is 5 feet deep. The fish will go down there also and go to rest. Now they may be some exceptions to the rules but it's not worth it. Here is an exception. I have that little pond that my neighbors had on my property. It's about 3 feet deep in one area. At the edges where it is very shallow, the lilies die off but they fill back in in the Spring before I even get to see. Most of it lives in the deeper water. This thing must only be about 20 gallons. It is very very sheltered but has no water movement such as a fountain or filter, yet the lilies have been living in here for years along with a few comets. It's not something I would advise others to do. Protect your water plants from being is a solid cube of ice. Bring it in the house for the Winter. JUST FOR THE RECORD.
