Water Hyacinth

[Celia]

Want to find out why I have had such bad luck trying to grow my Hyacinth this year.  I've had two ponds before, they grew like weeds, but this year we put in a new bigger pond, and they will not grow for me.  All my other plants have grown, even multiplied.  Water lillies bloomed within a month of potting, but Hyacinth, rotting and staying barely alive.  One fact that I think may be the culprite is our water softner.  I did not have a softner on the other two ponds prior.  We are on well water, but do have the softner.  Its too late to bother with them this year, but next year I want them to do better.

[goldenangel]

Sorry I can't help you.  I have the exact same problem.  One year they will grow and multiply and even bloom and the next year they don't do anything.  I think maybe the weather has something to do with it.  I'm not really sure.  I have even tried growing them where the fish can't get to them and that doesn't seem to work for me either.  I have better luck with water lettuce, except for this year.  They didn't grow for me either.  Oh well.  I got a late start so they didn't have much of a chance anyway.  At least my lillies went crazy and gave me millions of blooms. 

[Celia]

Thanks Goldenangel, that could be it, we both live in zone 5, I am southwest of St. Louis.  I also got a late start, but thought when the water warmed up it would make them start going link gangbusters, it didn't.  My neighbor has had the same problem, water lillies galore, but no luck with the Hyacinth.    Thanks again

[milliemax]

Hey! I was going to start a thread, but now I don't have to!
  I got some Hyacinth from freecycle, healthy and reproducing in June, anticipating a pond. They did well in the shade in a metal tub for quite awhile, even multiplying!
 Since being in the pond (Plastic preformed) they have yukked!
 The pond is in semi-shade, about 2 hrs full sun, then shade again.
  we have about a 270 gal pond with 4-6 young comets .
  Any ideas? are the hyaciths not good in shade? Any suggestions for shade plants?   Nancy

[tinkster]

Same here.. I started my pond late last year and didnt even get them in the water till august and they still bloomed beautfiuly.. This year I have two ponds.. big one and small lilly pond.. almost side by side and they just barely lived in the big pond they did so well in last year but the small pond they are doing good.  nothing like last year though!

tinkster

[milliemax]

  Well, I asked on another thread and was told that Hyacinth (and the umbrella palm) are tropical and won't like the cold  nights.
  I'm going to put them in the greenhouse for the winter and see if they do OK in there.
  The funny thing is that I got the hyacinths from someone in this area and she had so many she had to get rid of them! She never said anything about them dying in the winter.
  Oh well, experiments! Fun!
  This is my first year with a pond and a greenhouse!
  Nancy

[reptilegrrl]

My friend's pond pH got really high and it killed almost all of her water hyacinth.  Only one plant survived.  That plant repopulated her pond once she got the pH down.

My WH have started looking really yucky as the summer wore on.  I don't know what caused them to get so ugly.  They all have some brown and rotting leaves and they have not been growing very big. 

[Celia]

Hey, I think were getting somewhere.  PH, I have been thinking water quality myself, only I was thinking heavy metals.  However, I have big enough pond that it takes a lot of chemicals to adjust, so I have been leaving the ph alone.  Fish doing fine and lillies doing good, but some of the other plants not growing like I think they should be, and not like some I see here online, or at the local pond store.  I think I better get off my duff and bring the ph down, and treat the water for heavy metals.  Thanks Reptilegrrl, I think you have hit on something.  Nancy, talking about the temperature and shade or sun, I have had my best luck with Water Hyacinth out in the hot direct sunlight.  I don't know about every one else but mine would cover the pond I had in no time and be thick and green and bloom like crazy in direct sun.  However, in the pics I see people post here, a lot of them have them in part or mostly shade, so maybe its temperature as well.???  Not to sound dumb or cheap, but does any one know a natural way to bring PH down.  I know a real economical way to bring it up.  Thanks for all the  replies. 

[milliemax]

  Well, just went out with a test strip, and PH level reads ideal,alkalinity-ideal,total hardness-hard, nitrite-caution and nitrate-safe.
  Can anyone explain this to me? I guess I have to figure out how to balance the nitrite (whatever that is)
  I'm sure it is becoming clear to you that I am a TOTAL newbe at all this pond stuff! Even the water stuff baffles me cause I've never had a pool or hot tub to learn about all these things!
  I put my WH in the greenhouse along with the umbrella palm to see if a warmer environment will help.
  Otherwise, I will start fresh in the spring with water plants.
  Right now I have unicorn grass and cat tails that are also looking a bit yellow.
  Is there anything I can introduce at this time of year that will be good through the winter?
  I kinda started my pond at the wrong time of year.
  TIA   Nancy USDA zone 8  No. Ca. North of San Francisco. We get light frosts, mostly rainy winters. An occasional "hard frost" that will form ice on the dog bowl.

[krandy21784]

It seems a lot of people are having this issue....mine never took off and the water quality is very good.  I used to have to pull plants off of my last pond nearly everyday but never once did it this year. I get full sun almost all day and I needed the plants to help the water quality....my lilies are thriving.

[Desertponder]

Water hyacinths like to be grouped together and crowded. They also like dirty water. Most of our ponds are probably too "clean" for them to do well. They don't really get the nutrients they need. The only ones I've had that did well this year were in my skippy filter.

[Rocmon]

  Is there anything I can introduce at this time of year that will be good through the winter?
  I kinda started my pond at the wrong time of year.
  TIA   Nancy USDA zone 8  No. Ca. North of San Francisco. We get light frosts, mostly rainy winters. An occasional "hard frost" that will form ice on the dog bowl.

Water Hawthorne is said to do well over cold weather. I'm trying one this year. Watercress did well for me last winter, if only the raccoons would leave it alone. Equisedum will carry on as well. Yellow eyed grass... I'm just so. of SF.

My water hyacinth perk up, more green, when I add Iron Chelate and Sulfate of Potash together to the water... So do the other plants.

[karen J]

Milliemax, The Nitrite reading you posted (caution) is too high. Bad for the fish. Keep a close eye on the fish until the biofilter catches up. Is it a new filter?

Water Hyacinth is a tropical, so it likes heat, light, and poo. 
I've had years where it didn't do well, but given some fishy-poo water and full sun it usually recovers.
My pH never varies from 9.

[Vickie]

Millie. To winter over water hyicent plant them in dirt in a pan and put water in the pan. I can overwinter them here in zone 5 that way in my basement with lights. I use old refridgerator drawer plant them in it and put water in it. I plant them in August. And take them inside in Oct.

[Ky Kim]

Mine in my skippy type filter went wild this year, over 3 ft tall.  But the babies I took from them and put in the pond stayed small. 

I think I'm going to try what Vickie has suggested.  Never hurts to try.

Kim

[milliemax]

  Thanks for all your replies!
  I know I wasn't the OP, but tons of info from all of you!
   Don't recall who responded about the hard water, but how to amend it without buying a vey expensive water filtration system?
  We're buying ourselves an ultriviolet light system for a Xmas gift this year! Boy Oh Boy do the prices vary! We've found them from $130- $750!!!!!
  I have my WH and umbrella palm in the greenhouse now, hoping they'll live till spring!
  NT