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Re: Growing emersed outdoors
> At 03:48 AM 7/11/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >Java fern grows pretty slowly when submersed, but
> it usually grows
> >emersed in nature. I suspect that commercial
> growers grow it emersed
> >and that it will grow that way much faster than it
> will grow when
> >submersed.
>
> Has anyone experimented with growing such plants
> emersed, in a tub outdoors? Might be a good way to
> beef up plant size before transplanting it
> into the tank. Lots of light for free outside, they
> tell me.
Why dink around with a tub? Get some 6 or 8 mil black
plastic from Home Depot, dig a 8'x8'x12" deep hole,
build a frame out of $2 lanscaping timbers, and become
your own grower.
You'll have some problems decontaminating your
'produce,' though. If you think you're amazed at where
the heck all these critters and weeds in your planted
tank come from, wait until you 'create' a body of
water outdoors.
By the way--I know this is a tad off topic, but: My
400 gallon garden pond has been 'found' by the local
toad population. I was a bit excited when I found a
few strings of toad eggs in my pond on Easter Sunday.
I figgered it to be a good sign.
That excitement waned somewhat when I discovered FIVE
mating pairs of toads on several different occasions
in May, and again in June. Each pair produced
hundreds of eggs. I now have the largest collection
of the cutest little black tadpoles on the planet.
They're everywhere. Not a cubic inch of water in the
pond isn't occupied.
These little guys and gals are doing a fantastic job
of munching on hair algae and keeping detritus on the
bottom of the pond under control. The water is
crystal clear all the way to the bottom. I'm growing
big honking tropical lilies with two and three blooms
each. I also have more hydrocleys than I know what to
do with. Not to mention the fistfuls of anacharis,
cabomba and hornwort. Three water lettuce plants
harvested from a local canal have quadrupled.
But they are also putting a strain on the biofilter.
Not only does their waste require conversion, but the
little buggers keep getting sucked up by the pumps and
end up swimming around in the filter chamber. Does
anybody have an idea as to when these fellas might
grow large enough to climb out and give my filter a
break?
Would anybody like a few thousand tadpoles for their
pond or fountain? Maybe tadpoles are a good idea to
try for algae control in a large planted tank. Of
course, those of the feminine gender only think
they're cute when they're little. I have four females
in this household, and all thought the tadpoles were
darling. All remarked at the number of them as well.
All four freaked out when I reminded them that they
were going to be toads one day.
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