Journal Mission Bathtub 2017

[zozo]

Probably not something you find in nature growing close together, Lobelia and Grapes..

Here a Lobelia spontaniously growing submersed from the soil in the pot.. Around it is Pogestemon stellatus, indoor in a low tech about impossible to grow with regular lights, outdoors receiving sunlight i grows submersed like weed..

The Bog arums flower keeps going strong and developing seeds.. That's going to be interesting.. I have some indoor plans with this plant, seeds come in handy for that.

This is a picture from the backside, the submersed portion of the Bog arum, growing all the way from the far left corner out of the soil slobe, 40 cm long rhizome now.. I guess you get my idea why i find this an interesting plant for an indoor shallow scape from a submersed perspective. One plant giving the best in both ways, a sub as wel as emersed very decorative plant.. And now its also explaining to me why the common name we give it is, Snake root.. The legend goes it was used as medicine for snake bites, but not officialy confirmed, probably just folk bollucks.. Its root travels horizontaly over the substrate like a snake is more obvious..

 

[Mannic05]

I really like this topic. What a great oasis of green in your garden. Don't you also think that a terrace is looking so much better whit the green between the tiles, it looks so much more natural in a green environment. I hope I can build my little pont in the next spring. So I keep looking over your shoulder, because it's just so inspiring.

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[zozo]

Thank you..

Don't you also think that a terrace is looking so much better whit the green between the tiles

Sometimes, yes to a certain extend.. I like to let it grow and inspect what it all is before i take it away, found some nice little plants and mosses growing there.
It also collects a lt of debri, gets slippery etc. So at one time i have to clean it. The first 2 years it stood on the lawn surrounded by the ferns, that looked even beter. But to much hidden from view.

Don't forget to post a Journal if you do next year..

 

[zozo]

From this, early June..

To this end of august..

Where is all the water? That little tank is bursting, especialy with Potamogeon gayi.

What a bit of sun and some blue clay soil can do..

Look at the size of that Lobelia.

And than this one, it isn't planted in soil, did put it in a hollow piece of dw, so it feeds from the water colums only. Smaller, less color, no flowers. Obviously there is more in the soil that aint in the water column.

The big lobelias have some major snail damage, but it seems to grow faster than the snails can eat. That was different last year.. In the back some big hydrocotyle it started late but the long warm summer got it going finaly. There is also some small tripartita in the same basket, but this one seems to prefer to grow into the water, very little grew emersed.

Pogostemon stellatus also still in there, but didn't flower, not expecting it to anymore. Also the lily in there didn't.. But bought it last year, might still be to young, dunno, it just didn't.

Some grapes? Anybody?. This maybe is half of it... I don't know where to go with it. But need to cut them out soon, else they all fall into the tub and on teh terrace.

 

[LondonDragon]

Stunning I will take some grapes and some Potamogeon gayi, love that plant!!

 

[zozo]

Stunning I will take some grapes and some Potamogeon gayi, love that plant!!

Please pm me your adress.. I gladly send you some.. From the bottom of my heart for free of course, because of all the hard work you do for us.

 

[LondonDragon]

Please pm me your adress.. I gladly send you some.. From the bottom of my heart for free of course, because of all the hard work you do for us.

Don't have a tank for it at the moment, but when I do I will let you know, many thanks Marcel

 

[zozo]

Don't have a tank for it at the moment, but when I do I will let you know, many thanks Marcel

Ok! I already had a hunge you were still tankless in a way.. But pleace when ever you do and still want, drop me a line.. Also shall keep that Microsorum needle leaf aside for you.. No hurries, no worries..

 

[LondonDragon]

I already had a hunge you were still tankless in a way.

Just waterless! the tank has been there hardscaped for a while! lol people that come over keep asking me if I have a snake in there!! lol

 

[zozo]

Put in a rubber one, just for fun.. Than you can answer with yes, i do..

 

[frederick thompson]

Hello Marcel looks out of this world mate. You deffo know your stuff on the plants bud
Hello london dragon. Hope your well bud.

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[zozo]

You deffo know your stuff on the plants bud

Thanks Fred.. Nice to see you.. There is more i still don't know.. But it's just that what keeps this hobby interesting and fun.. The wonder..

 

[frederick thompson]

Thanks Fred.. Nice to see you.. There is more i still don't know.. But it's just that what keeps this hobby interesting and fun.. The wonder..

My top pond has developed well this year. Nothing like your bath tub though. So for my small plant limits.
I am chuffed. Looks the buisness your tub mate. I am very impressed.
Take care fred

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[zozo]

My top pond has developed well this year. Nothing like your bath tub though. So for my small plant limits.

Could be a temperature thing, plants grow fatser and lusher at relative healthy higher temps.. Some plants even need long term higher temps to make a flower. In my case it's only a few 100 litres of water divided over 3 vessels with a relative low turnover.. This warms up pretty quick. And your massive water body stays way cooler and takes way longer to warm up..

And than there also is some patience involved.. Plants store energy in their rootsystem and you'll experience older plants with more mature rootsystems growing bigger each season. All the realy big plants in my tubs are in their second season now, they realy didn't have this mass in the first season.

Unfortunately ive lost the pictures due to a HDD crash.. But years ago i started this tub with 3 Iris stems in a 5 litre mesh pot, left them in untouched for 3 seasons, the 3th season it grew a rootsystem of 25 litre in volume and 1/3 the tub was filled with Iris only.

 

[zozo]

Summer is ending, plants are on the retreat mosses are slowly comming back...

This umbrella moss did rather good in wet swampy conditions, never seen it grow so big, only scratched a little from the pavement before the summer and grew into this.

But all signs, to get ready and prepare the indoor winter habitat in my cellar. Especialy for the tropical plants...

So i decided to do a major cleanup for the outdoor tank.. Took out about all Potamogeton gayi, this plant realy grew totaly out of proportion overgrowing everything in this outdoor tank.

Only a small bucket filled with P. gayi came out..

Also took out the, Elodea, and most of the Potamogeton natans and the big emersed Lobelia and after trimming all the potamogeton gayi i found a lot of submersed form lobelias at the substrate and also the Lilaeopsis brasiliensis still propagated very good despite beeing totaly overgrown.

This is lobelia sprouting from the substrate..

Now al is cleaned up i'm going to take this aquarium indoors for the winter periode. If i don't do that i would need to drain and clean it out completely..
The unidentified nymphoides growing in there is tropical and suffering already i don't want it to die completely off. Aslo still found some Juncuns repens back, also this plant dies bellow 10°C. SO it's best to move the complete tank indoors.

Also got some Echinodorus etc. to harvest and repot to go indoors.

So from Mission bathtub to mission cellar tubs and the winter enclosure is almost ready to role, tubs are filled, the new light is build and up and running and some plants are already in.. The tank will stand in the back on top of the 2 smaller tubs.

In the back a Nymphaea i like to grow on during the winter and ofcourse my priced Waterpoppy still flowering actualy.

Found an old aluminium industrial light hood at the flee market and builded a new light from it using COB LED flood light modules. After everything was installed i found out it got a little to hot and the lights started flickering. So i added an old fan i still had in the garage as cooler and it works like a charme.

These are the AC220 volt modules i used 2 of them, according specs i have 200 watt and 15000 lumen hanging above the tubs. DOn't know, but definitively are awfully strong. But as said these modules get extremely hot, i mounted them on a square hollow aluminium profile, but the hood capture to much heat and prevents air flow.. So a forced fan cooling is absolutely necessary if placed in a hood.

Its still wait and see how this light works for the longer term.. As backup i ordered also this one should be same luminous output with 50 watt less consumption.

Anyway, with in 4 weeks from now i want everything inside.. And realy curious how to left over plants in the outdoor tank will develop indoors during the winter.

 

[Edvet]

Just found and read this Brilliant!