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Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

Posted by equinecpa 7 (My Page) on
Sun, Oct 11, 09 at 13:37

This is my first year with my pond and I like many others have questions on overwintering. My first and most important question is when do you start taking overwintering action? At what temperature do you bring things in? We're in the mid-forties now at night and I thought perhaps I need to get items like the papyrus in? On the rest do you wait until they start to wilt and brown or do you need to take action before that happens?

This is what I have:

In pots around my pond I have:
Elephant Ear
Chameleon Plant
Calla Lilies

In the pond I have:
Corkscrew Rush
Hardy Lily
Tropical Lily
Assorted Taros
Pickerel Reed
Dwarf Papyrus Palm
Anachris
Bog Lily

What can I leave in the pond? And what needs to come in?


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

  • Posted by horton 6 b Ontario. (My Page) on
    Sun, Oct 11, 09 at 15:04

equinecpa,

Take these inside.

Elephant Ear
Chameleon Plant
Calla Lilies
Tropical Lily
Assorted Taros
Dwarf Papyrus Palm

Sink in pond or leave in place around pond.

Corkscrew Rush
Hardy Lily
Pickerel Reed
Bog Lily

You could check out the linked site below for more information about over-wintering pond plants.

"Horton"

Here is a link that might be useful: Winterining Pond Plants


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RE: Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

Thanks for the useful link. I'm still not sure of when to do this? I imagine the tropicals must come in before the frost? Everything else can be sunk when it begins to die off for the year?

When I bring in the dwarf papyrus, taro etc...do I leave them in the same pots and just keep them moist and in a sunny location? They are mostly in pea gravel. I was thinking of leaving them in their pots and then finding something like a shallow rubbermaid container, putting a couple of inches of water n it and standing the pots in it?

I think I'll try pulling the calla bulbs and storing them in the fridge in newspaper.


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RE: Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

  • Posted by horton 6 b Ontario. (My Page) on
    Sun, Oct 11, 09 at 17:56

equinecpa, sorry I meant to address the "When question".
I have taken my semi-tropical plants in already.
I always think, because of all the winterizing of the pond etc, "do the plants now, before it becomes miserably cold outside and the job becomes a chore that becomes a PIA!"

I keep some of my Taro in their pots, the others I split, if needed and re-pot them.
Some I leave dry in their pot all winter, in a cool area of the basement, the others I keep under fluorescent lights in a warmer part of the basement [50/60°F] along with the other semi-tropical plants, i.e, Papyrus and African Sword. I give the plants under the light water once a week to keep them moist, they produce a few leaves all winter.
Some folks have them as house plants, it is up to the individual.

Have a can of insect spray handy, even if you change the soil [or pebbles in your case], there is a big chance you will bring in some little flying critter's eggs that will hatch over winter.
Once you have your pots situated in the rubber maid container,if you place a clear plastic leaf bag over the plants, held up with some type of frame to make a plant tent. You can de-bug the plants with a spray of the bug killer. Cut a couple of slits in the top of the plastic tent to allow condensation to escape.
If you decide to keep the clear cover over the plants make sure that the plants are getting enough air circulation within the plastic tent or they could rot.
Hope this helps,
"Horton"


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RE: Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

Thanks for the help. I decided I'd better get a move on because the water is awfully cold...even if the plants don't mind I sure don't really like playing in it now. I'd like to minimize what I have to do later when it may be even colder.

My tropical lily is still blooming so I'll let her continue on for a while longer but the rest can probably be sunk now.

Thanks again


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RE: Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

eauincpa, I live in southern Oklahoma and I have already pulled my plants that are not hardy. For now, I am leaving the hardy lily and others in the pond with the leaves on them. I will trim them back and sink them after the first frost hits as they are still putting on new, but small leaves.
I have pulled my taros out of their pots and have been drying them out, to store until spring. They were busting out of the pots. I am also trying an experiment, and have buried part of them under dirt in my flower beds in a protected corner on the south side of my brick house. We will see on that.
I have also taken some cuttings for extra plants off the dwarf papyrus. I should have several come spring time. I might even give a few away to friends for them to grow as a house/porch plant. LOL.

Things are already looking bare as fall seems to have come earlier this year. The next project for this week, will be putting up the netting as the leaves are changing and getting ready to pile up in the yard. I am a little anxious as it is my first winter for the pond and my 11 goldies, 2 koi, 1 albino catfish, and 3 frogs.


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RE: Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

Question on potting up the Taro and Papyrus: I pulled them from the pond and put them and their potting material into ceramic pots that don't have drainage holes so they'll keep moist...they don't look happy though...

Should I pot them up into a peat/potting mix for the winter or some other substrate? Should I fertilize or is this supposed to be their dormant period? I have them in a window for light.


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RE: Overwintering Pond Plants in North Texas (zone 7-8)

  • Posted by horton 6 b Ontario. (My Page) on
    Wed, Oct 21, 09 at 16:47

"Should I pot them up into a peat/potting mix for the winter or some other substrate? Should I fertilize or is this supposed to be their dormant period? I have them in a window for light."

If you are thinking of having them as house plants then re-potting them would be a good idea.
A little fertilizer once a month does no harm.

If you are just storing them, they will be fine the way you have them. Don't fertilize if just storing them.
Stored Taro do go into a slump and will produce small pale growth over winter. Don't over water, dampening soil is enough. I store some in pots with next to no light and no moisture all winter.
Next spring [late April] water them a bit more, with heat and sun they will take off again.
"Horton"


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