How hardy is that?

[Booswalia]

This is not the first time that I've put a clump of java fern down the basement in a bucket and then forgot about it.

I can't believe how hardy that plant is. It stayed alive for a good 6 months last time, but I just figured it was because it was still attached to a piece of driftwood. This time it was down there for at least 3 or 4 months--- attached to a rock--- in the darkest, coldest, part of the basement, and it actually is thriving.

I put some of it back in my tank today and had to pull all the little plantlets off (cause I don't like the look of them.) There was no algae on it and it was in really good shape.

Just had to share that with some people who might be as amazed as I am. I get blank stares and big yawns around here....

 

[Captain Hook]

Wow that's really surprising. I didn't think any plant would live in a dark bucket for more than a couple weeks, month at tops. Interesting story, thanks for sharing.

 

[plantass28]

*Yawn*

J/K I couldnt resist!

Actually how the hell could it have thrived without light?!?!

 

[Booswalia]

Very funny.

......and when I say no light, I mean NO light. No window on that side of the basement and a tarp hanges between the two sections.

 

[SnakeIce]

what is the temperature down in your basement? that probably plays some part in how long it will survive with no light.

 

[Booswalia]

I put them down there in the fall. Mid September maybe. Temperature would have been about 60F. Now it would average about 45 to 50F with the furnace running down there. The furnace itself is the only heat down there though, and it's on the lighter side of the tarp.

 

[Starry]

Thanks for sharing! I'll be telling that story to my plants when they look sad

Cold temp helped, slows the metabolic rate a lot. I also remember reading a long time ago that keeping fish in cooler water extends their life as well. Last fall at school I didn't have heat in my house for a week or two, and the tank temp went down to about 15C (don't know fahrenheit, sorry). I fed the fish only every 5 days or so, and I could still tell that they weren't digesting, their gut never went down.

 

[F.sparverius]

Sounds like the kind of plant I needed. Atlass the store had none.

 

[as40]

Man, wish my plants would do that well in my tank, giving them all the nutrients/clean water they could want and a ton of light!

That's a cool story!

 

[bozco]

Sounds like your plant went into a period of dormancy. Some plants actaully require a dark cold dormant period because it is a part of their natural cycle. (Of course I'm talking about land plants, still trying to learn about aquatic ones. )