From: Dan Levin <levin at pixar.com> on 2007.02.14 at 05:34:21(15294)
Dear Julius,
Here on the other side of the US I stumbled upon the same solution
as Enid, perhaps 5 or 6 years ago. In my case I'm using a Home Depot
inexpensive pre-formed plastic fish pond set well into the ground, a
submersible heater/ submersible pump inside. The pond itself is located
inside my greenhouse- conservatory style- set amongst an in-ground
planting bed (it's too cold in the San Francisco area to sustain a
heated
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pond outside year-round...).
The one thing I'd like to add here: I discovered that using any solid-
surfaced props (bricks, e.g. or even inverted clay pots) to elevate
my submerged aquatic pots resulted in anaerobic conditions and
serious root die-back at the solid surface/ pot interface. In other
words, the greatly restricted water circulation at the bottom of the
potted aquatic plants resulted in noticeable "dead" zones within the
media profile. I'm growing my aquatics in plastic net pots by the way,
so roots would grow out the sides only- not down through the bottom.
I've since been buying 4" ABS black plastic pipe couplings (slip x slip
type) which are very sturdy and of the correct height for me, then using
a stepped drill bit to bore numerous large diameter holes in the sides
of said couplings; 8 or so holes each. Water (read: oxygen) now
circulates freely beneath the pots. I suppose any strong, very open,
inert support would do the same- I merely found the couplings handy
and easy to modify.
The results have been significant and the plant's increased vigor quite
substantial. They're growing easily twice as many roots as before, so
no surprise (this includes Lasia, Cyrtosperma and Typhonodorum).
All best,
-Dan
On Feb 13, 2007, at 2:36 AM, Julius Boos wrote:
My friends Enid and Sam, of Natural Selection Exotics
www.NSExotics.com<
have developed what I consider the most simple and yet effective
method to keep her potted aquatics not only growing during our cold/
cool season, but also flowering reproducing freely!
Her system consists of a large, square plastic 'concrete mixing
trough', abour 4' X 4', or maybe it was 5 'X 5' by 12" deep (any
other suitably sized container would do). These are available at
any large hardware store. To this she adds an underwater aquarium
water heater, and one of those small underwater devices that pumps/
circulates water in many marine fish tanks you see at a fish
store. She puts water in the container so that it stands about
4"-5" deep, sets the larger 3gal. and 1 gal. potted plants in it
(Urospatha and Cyrtosperma sps, etc.), the smaller 4" and 6" pots
are put on a suitable base (a brick, etc.), to bring them to the
correct height, and then she plugs in the two devices, aiming the
flow of now suitably warmed water across the heater and around the
pots in the container!
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