What are these pond plants and what do I do with them in the winter?

[GIJeff]

Hello all,

New Koi pond owner here. It came with a house we recently bought. We put 5 small Koi in it and it came with 2 types of plants. What kind of plants are these and what do I do with them in the winter? Do I cut them all the way back and leave them on the bottom of the pond? I intend to keep my waterfall pump running until just before the first heavy freeze before replacing it with an air pump and will use a floating de-icer. I will also cover it with a tarp (or should I??). I live in Louisville, Kentucky, btw. Mild winters but it can snow a couple of inches here and there and can get down in the single digits. Any advice would be great, thanks all!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

The floating flower looking plants are water lettuce and are will not survive over the winter. You will have to pull them and throw them out.

I don't know what the other stuff is, sorry

 

[addy1]

looks like american crinum, good to 7a zone, mine survived many winters (with sinking it for the winter) until this last winter killed it. We did hit -15

http://www.plantdelights.com/Crinum-americanum-St-Marks-FL-for-sale/Buy-American-Crinum-Lily/

 

[Lisaebetten]

I brought a few baby size water lettuce inside 1 month ago to see if it would do well. So far so good in my fish tank.

 

[cnyle]

Welcome Jeff from a fellow Kentuckian, this will be my first winter also. I believe that I will do the same thing you're going to try.

 

[j.w]

Jeff

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Do not place a tarp over your pond. Sunlight is extremely important to an aquatic eco-system in the Winter months. Algae will still be present and requires sunlight to survive. It will supply much needed Oxygen to the water especially during periods of ice-over. It is also a food source for many micro-organisms. Although vent holes in the ice are important, too often snow is allowed to build up on the ice effectively blocking any sunlight from entering the water column causing eventual collapse of the food chain which in turn leads to collapse of the eco-system. So it is equally important, if not moreso, to keep the snow cover to an absolute minimum where possible.

 

[GIJeff]

Thank you all for the responses!! I think you are absolutely correct addy1, the white flowered plant looks like American Crinum. I'll trim it back and leave it under the water. I won't cover the pond with a tarp, thanks Meyer Jordan. I'm just going to throw the water lettuces out and restock next year - they spread like crazy.

What about the other plant, the all-green one I posted? Does anyone know what it is or what I should do with it in the winter? My guess is just cut it back and leave it under the water unless I hear something better.

Thanks all!

 

[addy1]

What about the other plant, the all-green one I posted?

Looks like umbrella pond plant, good down to zone 7.


http://www.bonniesplants.com/bogs_marginals/umbrella.htm