When to remove Hyacinth and other water plants?

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As we enter Fall just wondering when you remove the hyacinth and other water plants or cut back plants. Do you just wait for the first frost and then remove it? I have a lot of Hyacinth, close to half the pond surface. The water has been crystal clear for months and I know the plants are helping with that so do not want to take them out too early. Also, with water lillies do you cut them back to the planter before winter?
 
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I'm a little closer to your climate zone. :)

I take mine out as fall really sets in and the last time I get into the pond (in waders at that point because it's COLD). So when my maple trees have dropped their leaves, I get in and pull out all the hyacinths and cut back other plants. But I don't fully remove anything else. Those things are perennials and they will come back so long as they have roots in pots (lilies) or the rocks on the margin (bog bean, rushes, forget me nots, etc)
 
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As we enter Fall just wondering when you remove the hyacinth and other water plants or cut back plants. Do you just wait for the first frost and then remove it? I have a lot of Hyacinth, close to half the pond surface. The water has been crystal clear for months and I know the plants are helping with that so do not want to take them out too early. Also, with water lillies do you cut them back to the planter before winter?
You should wait for last frost, in my opinion it is better to get all the benefits of a nutrient sucking plant like water lettuce cause that's better for the fish and as the days get colder the water holds more oxygen so it's not like the fish are struggling because of it.
 

addy1

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As we enter Fall just wondering when you remove the hyacinth and other water plants or cut back plants. Do you just wait for the first frost and then remove it? I have a lot of Hyacinth, close to half the pond surface. The water has been crystal clear for months and I know the plants are helping with that so do not want to take them out too early. Also, with water lillies do you cut them back to the planter before winter?
I cut my lilies back, soon, have a bunch, takes a few days, easier when the water is not ice cold. Usually all cut back by October.

Then I post free tubers, if they grew well.

Bog plants, chop when I turn the pond off.
Iris, this year, cut them back, remove some.
 
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As we enter Fall just wondering when you remove the hyacinth and other water plants or cut back plants. Do you just wait for the first frost and then remove it? I have a lot of Hyacinth, close to half the pond surface. The water has been crystal clear for months and I know the plants are helping with that so do not want to take them out too early. Also, with water lillies do you cut them back to the planter before winter?
I'm in southern Vermont and I wait until they're dying, which should honestly be any day now. Most floating pond plants are not hardy to this area so they're going to start dying as soon as you get your first frost, and as you know, first frost is coming soon. I leave mine until they are yellowing, so long as they are green, they stay in the pond.

I wouldn't cut back any plants like lilies or any other potted plant that sends up floating leaves (I have brassica). I would just remove the dead leaves as they turn yellow and do nothing else. Just leave the pot in the bottom of the pond and do nothing. Let it freeze into the ice over the winter and they should come back next year assuming that you bought a hardy variety. If you bought a tropical then you'll have to bring it inside.
 

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