My overwintered water lettuce!

[Serenae]

Here's a picture of my water lettuce, as of tonight. I started with three! The top right bowl contains the oldest ones, which look a little worse for wear. The water in that got pretty smelly and full of algae, so I recently tried to remove some of the build-up and clean them off. There are also a ton of little snails in the containers.

It was very easy, but I don't know if I'd do it next winter. I'll probably just buy 3 more in early spring instead, and let them propagate.
All I did was use a daylight light bulb, which I kept on from about 2pm to 9pm. I put some peat and a small amount of soil in the bottom (less than an inch).

I'm very eager to put them into the pond, but I'll wait until the water is around 70 degrees - probably end of May.

One of the containers looks pretty crowded, so I'll probably have to start another one!

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s123/melikai/waterlettuce.jpg

[noobfisher]

They look beautiful I may have to get some this year to go with the hyacinth when I get it. Got a little nursery up the street from me kinda high but the plants are always healthy.

[koikeepr]

Good for you! I've tried to overwinter hyacinth and lettuce and had no success. I think my lighting indoors was not right. I'm not terribly good with pond plants.

[sissy]

wow they really look healthy and wish I could keep plants my koi destroy everything and are frog killers too .But easy to train for other things my biggest koi aggie has learned to roll over for food and loves being petted and giving kisses and of course for food

[Serenae]

Thanks guys! As I said, I bought them way too early - in November or something, and should have waited until March instead, but at least I'll have lots to add to the pond soon.

I think the yellowing is from not enough nitrates, and read that if you soak them separately from the pond in some Miracle Grow-type fertilizer for a few days, then add them back, that will keep them healthy.

[koikeepr]

... my biggest koi aggie has learned to roll over for food and loves being petted and giving kisses and of course for food

I'd love to see a video of THAT!

[wvairman]

They look beautiful I may have to get some this year to go with the hyacinth when I get it. Got a little nursery up the street from me kinda high but the plants are always healthy.

I like water hyacinth as well but it's illegal here (supposedly), I like water lettuce as well. I've had better luck with the lettuce.

[koikeepr]

Yes, in some states these plants are illegal because foolish folks throw them into public waterways and they spread very rapidly and can do great harm to the environment when left to multiply unchecked. Where I am here in NC, fools thew parrot feather into the lake and it created such a nightmare of growth that people couldn't even go boating because the stuff would wind up around motor propellers. A sterile asian carp that had this plant as its main diet had to be brought it in to eat it.

If you have plants such as these that multiply to more than what you need, you simply a) give it to friends and b) throw it in the trash or compost pile.

[wvairman]

Yes, in some states these plants are illegal because foolish folks throw them into public waterways and they spread very rapidly and can do great harm to the environment when left to multiply unchecked. Where I am here in NC, fools thew parrot feather into the lake and it created such a nightmare of growth that people couldn't even go boating because the stuff would wind up around motor propellers. A sterile asian carp that had this plant as its main diet had to be brought it in to eat it.

If you have plants such as these that multiply to more than what you need, you simply a) give it to friends and b) throw it in the trash or compost pile.

Are you near Lake Norman?

[Will]

On Ebay, I've used ThePondPlantGirlShow to order stuff from, her material is awesome. She'll send out dwf hyacinth, too, extremely healthy and fast growth, and so much more graceful.

[addy1]

very nice lettuce............good job!

[stroppy]

well done serenae i done exactly the same as you, but mine shrunk until they almost disappeared !!

[Serenae]

well done serenae i done exactly the same as you, but mine shrunk until they almost disappeared !!

Did they almost look like they were dissolving or melting into the water? Mine were doing that at first, until I started leaving the grow light on for longer.

I wish I could get plants online. I've tried growing a couple of things from seed this year (water primrose and some reed), but they are tiny so far. I tried ordering from a business in the UK on eBay, but the plants never made it to me!

I'm at the point of just going to a local lake and picking some things, even though I know that could bring back diseases into my pond....

[nigil]

Those look great! I to tried, without success, in over wintering my hyacinth/water lettuce. Glad in worked for you, though.

[tranquility]

Did they almost look like they were dissolving or melting into the water? Mine were doing that at first, until I started leaving the grow light on for longer.

I wish I could get plants online. I've tried growing a couple of things from seed this year (water primrose and some reed), but they are tiny so far. I tried ordering from a business in the UK on eBay, but the plants never made it to me!

I'm at the point of just going to a local lake and picking some things, even though I know that could bring back diseases into my pond....

Just make sure to either use PP on them or a 10% bleach solution...and then qt them just like you would do a fish--most parasites need a host so hopefully by the disinfecting them and then leaving them in a tub of water for a few weeks you won't be putting any bugs into the pond...

[stroppy]

Did they almost look like they were dissolving or melting into the water? Mine were doing that at first, until I started leaving the grow light on for longer.

I wish I could get plants online. I've tried growing a couple of things from seed this year (water primrose and some reed), but they are tiny so far. I tried ordering from a business in the UK on eBay, but the plants never made it to me!

I'm at the point of just going to a local lake and picking some things, even though I know that could bring back diseases into my pond....

yes i think maybe i didnt have enough light

[Serenae]

Just make sure to either use PP on them or a 10% bleach solution...and then qt them just like you would do a fish--most parasites need a host so hopefully by the disinfecting them and then leaving them in a tub of water for a few weeks you won't be putting any bugs into the pond...

Oh thanks for this! I didn't know if it was possible to clean them/quarantine them. Great!