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Mission Bathtub 2023 - Azolla Mania

zozo

Member
Joined
16 Apr 2015
Messages
8,643
Location
Netherlands
Springtime is rocking again! Still a tad cool at this time of the year, but it doesn't seem to bother the plants in the tubs... :)
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All survived the winter and are growing happily... Even the young Willow tree i planted 2 years back is growing like a champ and needs a trim again...
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The bog fern in the filter box is sprouting again...
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Skybox occupied again...
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Typha and some others, nothing seems to stay behind.
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Some Salvinia sp. kept om thriving all winter long, seems to turn deep red during cold periods. Also, Hydrocothyl is still all over the place.
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The experimental airlift pump on a solar power air pump works like a charm... :) Now and then...
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I moved the Potentilla to the little aquarium and it grew very well hanging over and growing on submerged runners, I always wanted to see how this plant grows and looks behind glass spreading its wooden-like stems and roots submerged over the substrate. Indoors I tried but this never worked for me, I don't have the light source for it. But I think it looks kinda nice with its foliage that emerged from the wooden-like stems and roots underwater. With the correct lights, this would be a nice scaping alternative indoors.
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Most curious and what I didn't expect is the Alisma lancelot (Water plantain) in the background it survived the winter in a submerged form. Also this i tried indoors, but no go not enough light either way. But if this is enough it definitively has a submerged grow form. It stayed submerged from the day I planted it last year. No idea how it will mature and emerges later on. Now it grows with very thin grass-like leaves... Emerged it more like resembles Helanthium tenellum.
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Also still have a baby Sacred Blue Nile Lotus in there, still a very tiny one, I hope it might flower this summer but a doubt it...

We will see!?... The start is already promising something... :)
 
Looks great. Are they all joined together with water flow? Do you empty the glass ones in winter to protect from frost?
 
Looks great. Are they all joined together with water flow? Do you empty the glass ones in winter to protect from frost?

Thank you! Yes, the sinc tub, the plastic round tub and the aquarium are joined over the same planted trickle filter box. The wooden tub used to be joined as well but since it wasn't 100% watertight and drained the complete system too much. That's why it is a standalone now with an airlift pump for some circulation. :)
 
Do you empty the glass ones in winter to protect from frost?
This winter I used some heaters during the freezing periods... It was a pretty soft winter maybe used them for 3 weeks total. But yes, without heaters i would need to drain all and take a lot indoors. :)

This one is overwintering in one of the tubs already for several years. It seems to be happy and only see it growing fatter each year again.
Always enjoy the early sun rays to warm up after hibernation, it doesn't mind me being around but not too close and doesn't like to be touched. Tho if I move slowly enough we sometimes sit face to face staring at each other.

I find it remarkable, I live on top of a hill surrounded by several large natural ponds, creeks and boglands in all directions, and Fat Froggy picked my place on top of the hill to stay and hibernate.
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Can't say it aint growing!... :)
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But this is madness! :lol:
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Where is the water?

The other tub...
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Some Salvinia sp. I got as a sneak-in a few years back, just 4 or 5 leaves with ordering some water lilies and now it stacks and stacks like mad...
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It has some Wabi Kusa potential because also creeps into the mosses on some DW out of the water...
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And it even doesn't mind a bit growing to the glass... What a bugger!
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At the right hand emerged side of the small tank it looks lovely
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Potentilla hanging over and flowering...
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Took a cutting and placed it in the Bathtub next to the Watermint and Gratiola
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The small Lancelot water plantain that's placed a tad deeper makes floating leaves resembling a mini floating Potamogeton (pondweed). It looks kinda neat and interesting. Unfortunately could not get it to go indoors, fail to have enough light.
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:)
 
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Thank you! Indeed now I remember Azolla!...


Are you serious!... :nailbiting:
:lol:
It’d happily take over left to it’s own devices, well that and salvinia . But it’s a very sexy plant. Just needs thinning out every now and then.
 
It’d happily take over left to it’s own devices, well that and salvinia . But it’s a very sexy plant. Just needs thinning out every now and then.

It indeed is a sexy plant, what I love the most is it growing emerged too on damp substrates if given the change. The Wabi Kusa potential.
But according to my current Azolla index that now and then thinning out is once a week. Never seen a plant grow this fast and I thought duckweed was a pain in the neck. But this one really is a record-breaker. In less than 4 weeks' time, it stacked half an inch thick on the surface.
 
Is it not banned in the Netherlands then? It is in the UK.

No idea, never looked it up... 2 years ago I ordered a few Blue Nile lotus from Germany and a couple of Azolla leaves came with it. And this is the result... :)
Must be something in the air, dunno but last year it was less rampant, this year is complete madness.
 
Hi all,

I'd be surprised if all the Azolla "species" for sale aren't actually A . filiculoides.

Cheers Darrel
As far as I could find out there are 3 varieties the A. filiculoides (Big water fern) the A. cristata (Small water fern) and the A. mexicana (Really tiny water fern? - Mexican mosquito fern).

According to the description and pictures, I got the A. filiculoides... It's not really banned but considered an invasive sp. already been established in our country for about a century and is considered native by now similar to Crassula recurva. No turning back...

It's recommended not to spread it intentionally in open water but trash it in the bin.

:) I wasn't planning to throw it in the local ponds anyways...
 
Hi all,
According to the description and pictures, I got the A. filiculoides... It's not really banned but considered an invasive sp. already been established in our country for about a century

It's recommended not to spread it intentionally in open water but trash it in the bin.

:) I wasn't planning to throw it in the local ponds anyways...
I got mine originally from the Wilts & Berks canal. I'm away at the moment, and not tech. savie enough to link threads on my phone, but I've got a few posts with it in.

Cheers Darrel
 
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