Spring is here

[Rubra]

Well, this year I decided to let my aquatic utricularia overwinter in their ponds instead of removing and babying the turions. So I looked at one of the ponds the other day, and see U. macrorhiza (Plumas Co., CA) already growing. The funny thing is that they actually anchored themselves in the substrate at the bottom, and then grew about 2 ft. straight up before they finally reached the surface.

Peter

 

[jimscott]

Did they ever freeze?

 

[Rubra]

Nah, southern CA never gets that cold. I think we had a few frosts, but that was it. I know that their natural habitat sometimes gets 6 ft. of snow, so I don't think cold is really an issue.

Peter

 

[jimscott]

Being in SE PA, we see enough freezing temps to have alternate means of dealing with dormancy and winter. A plastic tray in a refigerator atthe lab did the trick for me.

 

[Glenn]

I collect mine to over winter indoors for safe keeping since my above ground metal pond freezes solid in the winter. I looked at it yesturday and several truions have started to open. I guess I didn't get them all before winter set in. So it looks like they can tolerate freezing.

Glenn

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

The U. macrorhiza native to the Plutonian wastes of virtually eternal winter here in Oswego can take being frozen solid, and I mean solid. We get to -20F (-27C) here in winter for weeks on end. They survive happily in my dishpan season to season, forming turions in the fall and return every spring although they rarely flower for me in captivity.

 

[BobZ]

It MUST be Spring. Tamlin seems to be coming out of dormancy.

 

[IceDragon]

Lol, yah where the heck have you been Tamlin?
Hmm, i'm sorta depressed this year with my aquatic utrics... I lost almost all my inflata except 5 small strands out of like a billgillion... and my aureas are pretty much non-exsistant...
Oh yah rubra did you still want bisqumata "betty's bay"? At least i think you wanted it at one point... it's been to long. =X