Deck ponds

[taherrmann4]

Is this going to be a permanent structure or something you only use in the cooler months?

 

[j.w]

You do nice work

 

[minnowman]

Thanks JW
T mann, It's only for the Winter, to keep the tropicals growing as long as possible. It will probably stay up 5 months a year.

 

[taherrmann4]

I sure do envy your work to keep the tropicals going. To put that up and then have to take it down kudos to you. Once you finish it how long do you anticipate this will take you to install and take down in the spring in fall. Nice work so far and the decks look great.

 

[minnowman]

Tmann, I guess it will take about 2 hours to take down each one. The top will be one piece of plastic which will roll up. The ends should come apart in two pieces each with the plastic still on them. It will take a little longer to put them back together, but I would expect to finish in a weekend. It will be worth it to have large, blooming plants in April.

 

[fishin4cars]

Be sure and keep us updated Gary, I'm interested in seeing the final enclosure and also how long they keep blooming and how early they start in comparision to mine and Dan's next spring. Looks nice, BTW, The lily I got from you has a bud coming to surface, I'm hoping to get to see at least one open bloom from it before they die back for the winter. I really like the leaves, they are much more red than most of my other night bloomers except for Red flare, Should be open I think by the weekend.

 

[lotusfreak]

patiently waiting for an update!!!!!!! *hint hint* :razz:

 

[minnowman]

Larkin, The pads of 'Antares' and the four hybrids I kept from it are green when they are growing rapidly, but they turn red when they are declining. Below is a pic of one of the other nightbloomer hybrids that Pauline took today.
Lotusfreak, I had to put up plastic on the original greenhouse this weekend, so I didn't get much done on the new greenhouses. I will send pics when I can. Patience is a virtue.

 

[minnowman]

I finished putting up the hoops on one greenhouse today. There are 3 pieces of 1" emt conduit in each hoop, connected by 6" long pieces of chain link fence top rail. the only purpose for the hoops is to hold up the greenhouse plastic.

 

[fishin4cars]

Gary, If possible please try and winter over some of the Mosiac plant, I would really like to try and get a start of that again next year, last year harbs didn't get any in and I didn't get to grow any this year, But I did get to grow a few new Taro's. I've almost got as many variations of taro's as I have color variations of "Antares"

 

[minnowman]

No problem, Larkin. It's growing like a weed.

 

[taherrmann4]

Minnowman,
Do you have one large pond with a bridge that seperates them or is two large ponds? Was going back and looking at the photos and can't tell.

 

[fishin4cars]

I asked Gary the same thing, They are two ponds that share the same water. I'll let him better explain that part. lol

 

[minnowman]

Tmann, They are two ponds.One is 20'x20', the other is 16'x20'. I have a small [1/2"discharge] submersible pump which transfers water from one pond to the other and a 2" pipe which brings it back to the first pond. Just enough for a little circulation. There is no skimmer or filter. I check alkalinity occasionally and add baking soda when necessary to keep it above 80.

 

[minnowman]

Here are the doors. The plastic is the hinge. Wood clamps hold the plastic at the top and left side. They are held closed by screws at the left side and a wood block to hold the bottom flap down. There is a door in the center of each end for ventilation when necessary. I might make some better doors later. Now I'm waitng for the plastic to come in.