# outdoor pond plants come inside



## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

So this winter I will be bringin a good number of pond and marsh plants into the house and hopefully into a tank or two (10 or 20 gals) in the basement.
I want to keep a light over the marginal plants, and was wondering what type and how strong a bulb i would need for this. 

basically I want to put the plants root submerged and take a strip light like the ones that come with tank kits and create a stand for it to sit above the marginal plants that will be sticking out of the water.


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

i'd just use shoplights from the hardware store with daylight bulbs in them. just hang them so they are just above plants


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

ksimdjembe said:


> So this winter I will be bringin a good number of pond and marsh plants into the house and hopefully into a tank or two (10 or 20 gals) in the basement.
> I want to keep a light over the marginal plants, and was wondering what type and how strong a bulb i would need for this.
> 
> basically I want to put the plants root submerged and take a strip light like the ones that come with tank kits and create a stand for it to sit above the marginal plants that will be sticking out of the water.


It's hard to get enough light to keep outdoor plants growing well over the winter.

If they are temperate climate plants that are hardy in Ontario, you can just plant them in the garden over winter, perhaps dumping a bag of leaves over them to protect them. If they are temperate but not hardy here, you can let them go dormant, then pack them in wet newpaper or similar (sawdust, vermiculite, peat moss) put them in plastic bags with a little ventilation, and store them in a cold but frost-free place, or even in the fridge.

For tropical plants, try to give them as much light as possible and keep them cool. This will help keep them from getting too stringy and pale from reaching for the light. Shoplights with cheap cool white tubes work fine for plants, or you could rig up something with compact fluorescents. If you have a really sunny window, you could try putting them in a tub near it instead. No need to waste a tank on this -- a plastic tub should be fine, and easier to move and work with.

Good luck!


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Anything from a temperate climate can be over-wintered in your pond by simply cutting back the parts protruding from the water and moving the plant to a deep section of the pond. I assume a de-icer will be used to provide an air exchange area for the fish which will provide ample exchange for the plant too. 

Tropicals and anything else that could be iffy can be trimmed back placed in a shallow tub and left to sit under a decent light. Keep the water level up, supply small amounts of nutrients every now and then and you should be good to go for the next season.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Just a thought. Check out Lowes in thier mini pond section they're clearing out ponds for fall. Also check Canadian Tire/Wal-mart/etc stores for thier small kids pools. Get the smallest kid pool (inflatable would be better or the moulded ones) which you should hae no problem finding in the clearence or cheap in the shelf area. 

Fill with water. Hang that strip light over it (cool white gives you the most lumens for cheap if you're going wiht stock bulbs at the local hardware store) and put a cheap timer on it. I've heard and seen people do that for thier overwintering and buying 1-2 27cent small goldfish or 3-4 17cent minnows from Petsmart and throwing them into the cheap setup so you got some bio going to feed your plants. Cheap, simple, works for 4 months. A cheap 65-85gph $9.99 waterpump and some plastic hose and you can make a little small tube fountain to aerate the water or a cheap $9.99 air pump. Just a thought there.


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