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Storage for winter

Posted by pickeral Ohio (My Page) on
Mon, Oct 11, 10 at 11:18

How might I save my Water Floating Hyacinths during our six 5 or 6 months of freezing winter ? They did so well this past summer, and its a bit hard to find healthy ones in my area.


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RE: Storage for winter

I have the same situation here. They are very expensive come spring, though I can get pretty good ones.

They can't handle frost so I tried saving some in an aquarium last winter. They made it through but were very small by spring and it took them a long time to bounce back once they were in the pond.

A school near here has a large kiddie pool in an atrium and they are able to keep WH alive all winter, but I don't know what they are like come spring.

Good Luck
Anne


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RE: Storage for winter

I was going to try this as well, as it's difficult for me to get them here.

It isn't guaranteed to work, but I would keep them a basin or bucket of dechlorinated water, and get a lamp with a daylight lightbulb in it, and keep that on it. Light is more of a problem than temperature, but don't keep it in a freezing room. Also, change the water once in a while, so it gets enough nutrients.


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RE: Storage for winter

I never had much luck getting them to overwinter without rotting. They like a lot of sun and that's hard to duplicate without major expense. I think a T5 grow light might be the best way to go. They don't get hot and are much cheaper than the big powerful grow lights. A regular grow light bulb (incandescent or florescent) probably will not be good enough.


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RE: Storage for winter

Are you on good terms with a local nursery? Perhaps they would keep a tub of them in a greenhouse and give you a fresh start of plants next spring. They do seem to need very nutrient rich water, mild manure tea.
I am reworking my stream bed. Had very healthy WH that were sometimes sitting on bare pond liner for a day or two without water. I just gave a little lawn trailer full of them to my friendly nurseryman this morning. He is going to keep them in tubs in a greenhouse.


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RE: Storage for winter

I was told to plant mine in dirt saturated with water and let them root. Then keep them indoors under normal growing light or fluorescent light. This was by a woman in Missouri.


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