How to grow water hyacinth from seed. Eichornia is a water hyacinth. Eichornia as a purifier

Eichornia plant - water hyacinth, lives in warm tropical waters. For the rivers and lakes of Africa, Asia and South America, where the climate is suitable for it, eichornia sometimes becomes a real disaster. A warm environment promotes the growth of culture and it is able to completely fill the reservoir, leaving not the slightest chance to break through. sunbeams. For this, she was nicknamed the "green plague".

In more cold water the plant does not live, so we can meet this beauty only in artificial reservoirs, aquariums and ponds. Thanks to fragrant flowers of very delicate shades from white and blue to purple, beautiful leaves of juicy green color, it has rightfully become an adornment of water landscapes. The unique properties of the plant as a natural filter are also appreciated. It was found that the plant is able to absorb radioactive substances from water bodies. heavy metals and radionuclides. Eichhornia is also used to clean industrial effluents from oil products and at livestock treatment facilities.

Water hyacinth has nothing to do with garden hyacinth and does not belong to this family. The similarity of flower stalks with garden hyacinth determined the name.

Eichornia is a plant that lives exclusively in tropical waters rich in organic matter. In the tropics, water hyacinth blooms almost all year round.

Eichornia blooms very beautifully. A flower, shaped like an orchid, is formed on a peduncle in the center of the rosette. On one stalk there can be up to 12 flowers with delicate light purple petals. But water hyacinth blooms for a very short time, after a day the plant is pollinated, and the seeds ripen and fall into the water. In the tropics, the seeds immediately begin to germinate, but in a temperate climate this does not happen, since this requires a water temperature above +26 degrees, and an air temperature of +35. Therefore, reproduction in the middle climatic zone occurs only vegetatively.

Eichornia leaves are arranged in a special way, so it does not sink in water, but can float on the surface. The peculiarity lies in the fact that its sheet resembles a sponge. It consists of many cavities that are filled with air. Therefore, no matter how deep the reservoir is, the plant will float on the surface. It is the roots of the plant that serve as a filter for water, absorbing all chemically hazardous contaminants, phenols, insecticides. Very useful quality for fish farms and stocked reservoirs. But here you have to make sure that the eichhornia does not grow too much on the surface, as this can deprive the fish of oxygen.

If the depth of the reservoir is small, then the plant will take root in the ground.

The body of water in which water hyacinth grows affects the shape of the plant. In a quiet pond with calm water, eichornia will grow with long and slender stems, but if the water has movement, then the plant will turn out with thick petioles.

Reproduction and cultivation of water hyacinth

In the cool climate of the middle latitudes, reproduction of eichornia by seeds is impossible, because when they get into the water they cannot germinate and begin to rot. Therefore, the plant is propagated vegetatively. The process is similar to the propagation of garden strawberries by "kids". Especially a lot of them are formed when daylight hours decrease. In a month, you can grow a hundred shoots. Moreover, the process of transplantation does not present technological complexity. Like the "children" of strawberries, they are simply determined with small roots to a new place in the water.

Eichornia can be quite grown in a temperate climate if it is settled in a small reservoir in which the water can warm up sufficiently by the beginning of summer. If the temperature allows, then already in June - July it will be possible to observe the flowering of water hyacinth.

To prevent excessive growth of the flower, it is necessary to cut off new horizontal shoots. In this case, it is better to work with rubber gloves - the juice of water hyacinth can cause severe skin irritation, since it contains cyanic acid.

Wintering

A prerequisite for growing eichornia is to determine a place for wintering. The tropical beauty will certainly freeze if the water temperature starts to drop below +12 degrees. With the help of a net, the plant is transplanted into a prepared container. The temperature of the water in such a container must certainly be the same at which the eichornia lived. This is important because the plant can become stressed during transplantation and die.

How water hyacinth hibernates, video

Lighting

Hyacinth is a tropical plant, so it needs 12 hours of sun each day. IN middle lane in winter, this can be achieved by additionally hanging a fluorescent lamp over the container in which the flower grows. With insufficient lighting, the leaves of the eichornia begin to fall off. In addition, it is necessary to protect the flower from drafts and temperature changes.

Sometimes in winter, the leaves of the eichornia begin to rot. The reason is that the flower is in stagnant water in small space. To prevent the death of the plant, you can plant it on an annular float, in this way isolating the leaves from the water.

Composition of water and fertilizer

Especially beautiful plants become when grown in water rich in organic matter. In natural lakes, these impurities are formed naturally, while additives are purposefully introduced into artificial reservoirs. When constructing a new decorative pond, there is no top dressing in the water, therefore, in order to achieve a violent flowering of a collection of water hyacinths, it is worth adding at least complex fertilizer to the water for aquarium plants.

Water hyacinth or eichhornia is excellent - a herbaceous aquatic plant with a rosette of rounded green leaves and beautiful flowers. Eichornia is native to South America. In a hot tropical climate, the plant grows rapidly, covering the surface of water bodies. In addition to decorative appeal, water hyacinth has practical use. Its root system absorbs harmful substances and heavy metals dissolved in water.

Botanical description

Eichhornia excellent or thick-legged (Eichhornia crassipes) belongs to the Pontederiaceae family. These are monocotyledonous plants common in the subtropical and tropical zones. Water hyacinth is an annual, spreading along the surface of the reservoir with shoots up to two meters long. Glossy fleshy leaves form a basal rosette, of 4-8 pieces. They are curved, somewhat narrowed towards the top, the edges are even. Longitudinal veins are clearly visible.

At the base of the leaves, a spherical or ovoid swelling with a diameter of 4-9 cm is observed. If the cutting is cut in a wide place, a porous middle is visible. Spongy tissue is filled with air, which does not allow the plant to be completely immersed. Peculiar floats keep large leaves and flowers on the surface. With a massive accumulation of rosettes, swellings decrease in size.

Information. Eichornia water hyacinth originated in Brazil. Under natural conditions, it is found in the tropical areas of the Amazon. From South America, the water flower spread to Africa and Asian countries.

The fibrous branched root is completely submerged in water. It is black in color, grows up to 50 cm in length. In shallow water it takes root in a muddy bottom, in the middle of a reservoir it swims freely. Flowering begins in August. Spike inflorescence resembles oriental hyacinth, hence the second name of the plant. There are no family ties between an ornamental flower and an aquatic plant.

A simple perianth consists of six petals. In diameter, they grow up to 6-7 cm. Up to 35 flowers are found on one peduncle, but on average about 5-7. When ripe, a multi-seeded box 1.5 cm long is formed. It opens, throwing seeds into the water. In hot tropical waters, they germinate, giving life to a new plant.

There are blue and purple eichornias. The photo shows what an interesting pattern covers the upper middle petal of water hyacinth. You can admire this miracle only for one day, then the stem falls into the water. In a sprawling plantation, flowers bloom continuously, so the process looks amazing.

Interesting fact. Large curved leaves help eichornia beautiful to settle in new places. They, like sails, carry a rosette across the reservoirs.

reproduction

Water hyacinths reproduce vegetatively. Shoots (whiskers) are formed, like those of strawberries. At the end, a new rosette of 4-8 leaves is formed. The process proceeds at a tremendous speed, especially under favorable conditions. climatic conditions. Growing water hyacinth from seed is not practiced. In our climatic zone, they do not have time to ripen; it is much easier and more reliable to propagate the plant vegetatively.

Landing and care in the pond

Water hyacinth is not exotic plant for reservoirs of central Russia. It perfectly takes root in artificial and natural ponds. Planting time and care for water hyacinth depends on the climate in the region. In the south, it is lowered into water bodies in May, in more northern latitudes in early June. The main conditions for its development are heat, long-term lighting, a sufficient amount of organic matter and dissolved minerals. If the first requirement is not subject to people, then the rest is easy to fulfill.

For a young plant bought in a store, any body of water in an open area is suitable. Often artificial ponds filled with fish and algae. With such a neighborhood, excellent eichornia will always be provided with food. At the same time, it purifies the water in the pond.

In a clean pond, the plant has nothing to eat. Fertilization required:

• bottom silt;
• complex mineral additives;
• humus.

Nutrients are especially important in the spring, during the summer time plants and insects fall into the water, creating a nutrient medium. Care consists in periodically cutting off overgrown shoots. Water hyacinth should not occupy more than 60% of the surface of the reservoir.

Attention. Slow development of rosettes and pale color leaves signals a lack of nutrients in the pond.

In cold summers, the water warms up slightly, so the water hyacinth does not bloom. But the juicy dark green foliage of a rounded shape looks decorative.

How to save water hyacinth in winter

Negative temperatures do not allow leaving excellent eichornia in open water during the cold period. How to save water hyacinth in winter? This can be done in two ways: by placing it in a container with peat or an aquarium. In the first case, a young rosette is taken and placed in a pot of wet peat. The container is placed in a pan, where water is always poured. Instead of peat, a 1:1 mixture of garden soil and sand is used. The plant is placed in a warm place with good lighting. A south-facing window will do.

For wintering at home, it is recommended to leave a plant with a root of no more than 10 cm. It must be healthy, then the chances of keeping it until the beginning of summer increase. It is not always possible to succeed, what reasons lead to the death of eichornia:

• The plant was not timely transferred to a warm room. Cold night temperatures, in the 10-8 range, could lead to water hyacinth disease. A frozen plant darkens and rots.
• The leaves dry, starting with the horses from too dry air in the apartment. A tropical flower requires not only high temperature, but also humidity. Covering the container with pots with plastic wrap with holes for ventilation will help ensure the right conditions. The aquarium is covered with a glass lid.

Advice. Leave between leaves and cover free space, they must not touch the lid.

• Insufficient water and poor nutrition lead to the death of the plant.
• Non-observance of recommendations on the temperature of the content and the duration of daylight hours.
• Sudden change in temperature, exposure to draft.

The recommended room temperature is + 24-25 °, water - 20-22 °. In cooler conditions, parts of the plant will turn brown and die. Experienced flower growers have a secret, they collect water for the wintering of water hyacinth in the reservoir where he lived in the summer. When stored in a pot, peat is replaced with silty bottom sediments from the same pond.

Interesting fact. After rooting on the cuttings, the growths that act as buoys disappear. The plant does not need to stay on the water, there is a transformation of spongy tissues. When returning to a deep reservoir in the summer, swellings on the cuttings are restored.

Aquarium water hyacinth

The floating plant can be kept in spacious, buried tanks on a full-time basis or during the winter. They require good lighting, high temperature and water with an abundance of macronutrients. The aquarium is equipped with a lamp and an aerator to supply oxygen. There should be a distance of about 20 cm between the cover glass and the surface of the water on which the plant rests. Before buying a water hyacinth for an aquarium, prepare everything you need.

You will need sand and peat in equal proportions. The mixture is poured to the bottom of the aquarium and used to root the eichornia. The layer should reach 10 cm. Roots are dug into it, then water is poured. The socket should float on the surface. The content must comply with the following conditions:

• temperature - 22-25 °, during the flowering period raise to 28 °;
• acidity of water - 6-6.7 pH;
• fluorescent lamp for backlighting with a power of 3 kW per sq. cm;
• lighting duration is not less than 11-12 hours;
• lack of drafts provides glass covering the aquarium;
• aerator.

Information. If water hyacinth is kept in a tank with fish and other plants, it should not grow much. Over time, the copy will shrink.

In favorable conditions, the water flower grows rapidly, releasing shoots from the axils of the leaves. They need to be cut off. Once a year, it is necessary to remove specimens with a large root, which increases in size and loses its decorative effect. Needed for nutrition organic matter. In an aquarium with live inhabitants, they are in large numbers. When growing eichhornia, fertilizers for aquarium plants are applied in a separate container. There is information about top dressing with humus and compost. The advice is good, but not everyone will like the smell of fertilizer dissolved in water.

green plague

An ornamental aquatic plant, with inept use, in a short time turned into a biological weapon called the green plague. In the southern United States, in Australia, Africa and Asia, eichornia flooded rivers, lakes, irrigation canals and rice fields. She interfered with navigation, due to lack of oxygen, fish died, the peasants were left without a rice harvest. They tried to deal with a large-scale disaster with the help of animals, but even the mighty hippos did not have time to eat the leaves. The water hyacinth was blown up, but it turned out that this was only to his advantage. Parts of the plant took root in new places. Finally, herbicides were applied. Pesticides stopped Eichoria for a while, but killed many animals and fish. The use of herbicides was prohibited.

Almost desperate scientists went to the homeland of an aquatic plant, where no one suffers from its fertility. It turned out that water hyacinth has natural enemies - insects. Several species of weevils, mites and moths feed exclusively on Eichhornia crassipes. The insects were released into the water flower beds. Soon they had the result of their activities - free areas of water.

In some countries, green plants are used for livestock feed, fertilizer and paper are made from it.

Water purification with eichornia

The main function of the root of the water hyacinth is to extract nutrients from the water. It actively absorbs pesticides, phosphates, oil products, organic matter and other pollutants. For the plant, they are a nutrient medium. There is a practice of planting beautiful eichornia in settling tanks, ponds, spoiled sewage. On personal plot it can be used for post-treatment of domestic wastewater. Plants do an excellent job with the assigned functions, improving water quality.

In a temperate climate, one does not have to worry about the uncontrolled spread of green mass. With the onset of cold weather, the plant dies. It remains to get it from the reservoir. The spread of innovation is hampered by the problem of recycling water hyacinth contaminated with chemicals.

Eichornia beautiful (Eichhornia crassipes) is another name for this beautiful aquatic plant, whose homeland is the south of the American continent. When growing eichhornia, an environment close to natural should be created for the plant. What conditions are comfortable for Eichhornia crassipes, where you can grow it at home and how to achieve lush flowering of the plant, we will tell further.

Water hyacinth is a fairly common plant of the Pontederiaceae family, small in height. It is equipped with filamentous, dark-colored drooping roots with unique properties:

• in the natural environment, water bodies are cleaned of harmful impurities discharged into them (phenols, nitrates, phosphates);
• in home aquariums they purify water from excess salts.

On the surface of the water there are rosettes of succulent oval leaves - a formed hyacinth can have up to ten leaves.

The surface location of eichhornia is provided by intrapetiole cavities filled with air, which allows water hyacinth to grow in reservoirs of any depth:

• at a depth of 50 cm or more, Eichhornia crassipes will exist afloat;
• at a lower level, it will take root in shallow water silt.

The plant flowers in summer period- on the peduncle, located in the center of the rosette, a pinkish-lilac fragrant flower of extraordinary beauty appears. On one of its petals, a dark speck is slightly noticeable. The duration of the existence of flowers is small - one day. Then the peduncle hides under water.

Eichornia - water hyacinth: cultivation

Eichornia in a summer reservoir with a sufficiently high air temperature and sunny weather does not require special care. It reproduces like strawberries - side shoots. Even with not particularly hot weather in central Russia during the three summer months, water hyacinth in an open reservoir can form up to three hundred young plants.

Another thing is the cultivation of this heat-loving plant pet in room conditions. This work is very painstaking and requires certain knowledge and skills.

So, with the approach of cold weather, eichhornia, which has slowed down its growth, is transferred to a winter garden or a domestic reservoir, the bottom of which is covered with soil (peat + sand). The hyacinth itself is placed with the help of a float ring (for example, from foam plastic) into a container so that the roots are in the water - they are then buried in the ground, while the leaves are above the surface of the aqua.

For successful wintering plants provide him with the necessary conditions:

Stable high water temperature(not lower than 25°C), without drops. A place for an aquarium with Eichhornia crassipes should be chosen without drafts, but not near heating appliances. To stimulate the flowering of water hyacinth and air, increase to 30-32 ° C. During the ventilation of the room, in order to avoid drafts and to create a humid chamber (at least 20 cm high), it is advisable to cover the tank with glass.

We remember, however, that the space of the aquarium must still be periodically ventilated, so the glass must be removed from the tank for this time.

Sufficiently soft water(The hardness index is preferably below 6 units, and the pH is 6-6.8).

Year-round fertilizing. For these purposes, it is used, intended for aquarium plants. However, liquid fertilizer for indoor plants will also work.

Aeration and filtration aquarium water. Otherwise, a musty smell will appear in the container.

Good lighting. In winter, use additional sources light (for example,), since the daylight hours of water hyacinth should last at least 12 hours. It should only be borne in mind that longer lighting can lead to the active growth of the hyacinth plantation, and it will need to be thinned out more often.

How did the most beautiful tropical plant turn into a green plague?

The history of the distribution of water hyacinth was not without curiosity. Now this beautiful plant known throughout the world, as it grows in the natural environment of the tropics and subtropics of all continents. But the very process of its distribution almost ended in a real environmental disaster!

1884 Cotton show in Texas. To enliven the interior, the organizers of the event install an artificial reservoir with an unknown beautiful plant floating in it. It attracts everyone's attention with a harmonious combination of emerald green leaves with pale lilac inflorescences.

To attract visitors to the exhibition, they start a massive sale of outlandish plants. Satisfied with a successful purchase, people went to their estates, where from that very moment they began breeding Eichhornia crassipes in pools and ponds. The process went quickly: eichornia multiplied quickly in comfortable conditions, and its owners distributed the children to everyone.

Surplus specimens were sent directly to the nearest reservoirs. Soon everywhere you could feel the delicate aroma and see the delicate inflorescences of hyacinths.

However, rather quickly, general admiration was replaced by anxiety - a rapidly multiplying plant created a real threat to rivers, ponds and other bodies of water. Each plant needed only a couple of months to create up to a thousand of its kind, which, in turn, began to divide, forming new specimens.

Gradually, these aliens began to conquer more and more new water spaces. And only now came the realization of what the thoughtless actions of a person who transferred the plant organism to conditions devoid of natural enemies in the form of pathogens or insects can turn into for nature.

So the handsome hyacinth of ornamental plant turned into a green plague, a weed that populated reservoirs and:

• hindered navigation;
• interfered with fisheries;
• did not allow birds to settle in familiar places;
• dammed canals for irrigating the land, threatening starvation to entire peasant villages.

The green plague did a lot of trouble, filling the reservoirs of Africa, Asia, Australia, before it was possible to cope with it. Science came to the rescue - it was decided to bring insects that feed on the leaves of this plant in their natural environment to the places of distribution of eichornia. So the fatal error was corrected.

However, this negative experience was not in vain. He forced people to independently look for a use for an immoderately multiplying plant. And it was found. Water hyacinth began to be used as:

• livestock feed;
• fertilizer;
• raw material for paper production.

Water hyacinth in the wild is found in the rivers of South America and in Asia. Very often, eichornia is a real problem, because it captures the entire water surface.

Eichornia in many ways resembles the familiar bright hyacinths that bloom in flower beds. She feels great and grows quickly in a warm pond, where there is a lot of organic matter. Water hyacinth is almost continuously covered with flowers and belongs to perennial crops.

On the surface of the water, the flower is held by petioles, which consist of light, “airy” tissue.

Flower stalks emanate from the center of a lush, juicy rosette. The inflorescence stays on the plant only for a day. Powerful eichornia roots can grow up to 50 cm.

Features and difficulties of cultivation

Eichhornia excellent can grow well in a pond on a personal plot, if you create suitable conditions for it. Despite the exotic origin, this plant does not require special care. The main thing is that there should be a lot of organic matter in the water.

Flower growth directly depends on nutrients, so it is useful to add to the water:

• mullein;
• compost;
• complex compositions and mixtures for feeding aquarium plants.

Excellent for growing eichornia water with a slightly alkaline reaction. The plant is not at all afraid of even harmful impurities that are harmful to other crops.

Eichornia roots are very strong, powerful, and well absorbing nutrients, process harmful components along with them. Very often, water hyacinth is used to grow in septic tanks to purify water.

We must not forget that the water hyacinth is very thermophilic and loves the bright sun. Therefore, you need to plant a flower in the spring so that it can take root well before the onset of the first cold weather. The culture tolerates temperature changes very hard.

Planting Eichornia excellent in a pond, in an aquarium

Eichornia is an excellent plant for ponds in home gardens and parks. It can also be grown in a home aquarium, where it is much easier to create conditions that are as close as possible to the natural habitat of a flower.

Planting a water hyacinth is carried out as follows:

1. First, the outlet is separated and placed in an aquarium with warm water. It is necessary to provide the plant with good lighting.
2. Water should contain a lot of nutrients.
3. If the hyacinth feels bad in a new place, then with the opening of new leaves, the old ones will inevitably begin to die off.
4. If the climate is favorable, that is, the flower will be light and warm, then it will begin to develop very quickly. The roots will begin to grow, and around May a young first rosette will appear.
5. If the plant grows in an aquarium, then it is no longer touched. If you plan to transfer to the pond to fresh air, then this should be done in June.

The process of planting water hyacinth is extremely simple - the plant is simply placed on the water.

Hyacinth can be planted in an aquarium in a warm room in winter, but the plant is transferred to the street only in summer.

Plant care rules

It is desirable that the air temperature be around +24 ºС. When this indicator drops to +20 ºС, the plant will stop blooming. At low temperatures, water hyacinth will try to survive. It is also important for him that daylight hours be at least 14 hours.

When grown in an aquarium, the flower should be cut off constantly. It is important to carry out the procedure with gloves, as the juice of the plant can cause severe irritation.

Throughout the summer, when growing a crop in a pond, its dead petioles are removed. They are clearly visible, as they become lethargic, due to which the plant loses its decorative effect.

It should be noted that water hyacinth is very afraid of drafts. To prevent the reservoir from blowing, bushes or vertical plants should be planted on the shore.

Throughout the season, make sure that there are enough nutrients in the water to provide the crop good growth and flowering.

Propagation of water hyacinth

Propagating a flower is simple - the sockets are separated and transferred to a new place. You can do this throughout the season.

Interestingly, with a short daylight hours, the plant begins to actively increase its green mass, which can be used to get a lot of planting material.

Eichhornia is also propagated by seeds, but this method is very laborious, lengthy and not popular.

How to keep an aquatic plant in winter

Growing water hyacinth is a must to create suitable conditions for wintering, because it needs warmth.

With the advent of cold days, water hyacinth should be transferred to an artificial reservoir indoors. Any container, such as a home aquarium, can also serve as a container. For filling, take the water in which the plant grew throughout the summer. Silt can be added to the bottom so that the eichornia is well rooted.

• It is important to consider that such a high temperature is no longer needed in winter. It is quite enough if the room is about +20 ºС.
• But the water must be warm.
• Eichornia must be illuminated in winter so that the sockets do not die. Light day should last 14 hours.
• It is impossible for the room to be stuffy, as water hyacinth loves fresh air. In this case, you need to ensure that there are no drafts in the room.
• It is imperative to control evaporation, as the culture really does not like very high humidity.
• Eichornia should not starve in winter. Therefore, organic matter and fertilizers are added to the water throughout the winter.

The magnificent, bright flowering of an excellent eichornia in a pond on a personal plot can become its main highlight. However, the owners should not forget about one significant drawback of this unpretentious plant - it grows very quickly, which can cause the death of other inhabitants of the reservoir. Therefore, periodically, water hyacinth must be ruthlessly thinned out.

If you have a desire to decorate an aquarium in an apartment or an artificial pond on a plot, water hyacinth for this purpose is the most suitable plant. In the article, we will consider the features of planting a flower, caring for it in summer and winter.

Water hyacinth or eichornia is a plant native to the tropical regions of South America. As the name implies, a flower grows in water. In nature, he settles in natural reservoirs - ponds, lakes, adorns the banks of ditches and swamps. Hyacinth needs stagnant, calm water, so you will not find it near flowing reservoirs.

External characteristic

Water hyacinth has a wonderful decorative appearance. The plant boasts dense bright green leaves of the petiolate type: in diameter, one leaf sometimes reaches 20 cm. The peculiarity of the foliage is such that, gathering in a dense rosette, it keeps the plant on the surface of the water. Interesting detail: if a flower grows in restless water, exposed to gusts of wind, its petioles will be thick. If the water is calm, without ripples, the petioles become long, graceful.

One stem produces about 10-15 buds - quite large and bright. The color of the petals can be any shade from the pink-violet spectrum: sometimes pale pink, sometimes deep lilac. In addition to the wonderful appearance the buds also emit a delicate fragrance.

In our climate, eichornia blooms only in summer. The peduncle is located in the very middle of the leaf rosette: the bud blooms slowly, gradually becoming more attractive and fragrant. The delicate color of the petals looks advantageous against the background of uniform green foliage (see photo).

One bud blooms for only a day, after which a seed box is formed in its place. After ripening, the seeds fall into the water, where further independent reproduction of flowers occurs. But this is possible only if the water temperature is at the level of +26 degrees, not lower.

The plant remarkably cleans the water in the pond, extracting harmful compounds, heavy metals from it. Hyacinth makes the water clear and eliminates its unpleasant musty smell.

But we note that if under artificial conditions we grow eichornia as decorative flower, then in the wild it is a real weed for the local population. The fact is that water hyacinth in warm and organic-rich water grows at an amazing speed, quickly fills the entire space of the reservoir. Sometimes for this property, the plant is also called "water plague"

When it blooms

The plant is accustomed to warm, semi-tropical conditions of existence: after all, in nature, the average temperature in the place of their main growth is about +26 degrees. Water hyacinth can bloom in this way in its natural environment almost all year round.

But in our climate, such conditions cannot be imagined by a plant in any way - especially when it comes to open space. Therefore, under artificial conditions, water hyacinth will delight in flowering when the temperature rises to +28 degrees. If the temperature drops to +22 degrees and below, flowering stops.

Based on these features, the cultivation of water hyacinth north of the black earth regions is a very dubious undertaking. Greenery, of course, will be, but buds are unlikely to appear. In the south of our country, the plant blooms, and for quite a long time.

Growing features

Water hyacinth is a very capricious and demanding plant, therefore it is necessary to approach its planting and growing conditions responsibly and seriously. If we are talking about the southern regions, you can grow a flower both on the street in a pond and at home in an aquarium, if we mean more northern regions, then only in an aquarium. Next, we will consider the features of both methods of cultivation.

In the pond

If you decide to breed eichornia in an outdoor pond, take care to create conditions as close as possible to the natural environment. The most important thing for a flower - warm water rich in organic matter, minerals, vitamins. Before planting, it is recommended to fertilize the water with compost or humus. The pond does not require preliminary cleaning, since the water hyacinth itself is able to decompose harmful substances into its constituent parts and get rid of them.

If there is a choice, it is recommended to choose a pond with slightly alkaline water - but this parameter is not critical. The main thing is the temperature of the reservoir: hyacinth can develop and bloom normally only at a temperature of + 24-30 degrees. It is important that the pond is well lit, not in the shade.

In aquarium

If we talk about room conditions, then in this case it is possible to grow eichornia even in cold regions. In an aquarium, you can easily regulate the temperature of the water - the most important condition for the existence of a flower.

However, in this case, there are also disadvantages. The main one is that the aquarium should have a decent size: in small space water hyacinth will not develop normally. In addition, since natural light is limited indoors, care must be taken to artificial lighting aquarium.

Landing

Learn how to plant water hyacinth.

The first step is to separate the outlet, the daughter process, from the mother plant. The separated part is placed in a pond with warm water - it can be an ordinary small aquarium. Provide the plant with good nutrition and lighting. If the flower feels bad, it will demonstrate this by dying off the foliage. Take immediate action by increasing daylight hours or increasing temperature by fertilizing.

In favorable conditions, young eichhornia develops very quickly. Her roots grow, and the plant soon acquires its own rosette foliage.

At further cultivation in the aquarium this is followed by the usual standard care. If you plan to transplant hyacinth outside into a pond, then this should be done at the beginning of summer, when warm weather sets in. The transplant is quite simple: the hyacinth is simply transferred to the surface of the pond and is not touched again.

How to care

Let's find out what kind of care is required for eichhornia when growing it in a pond or aquarium.

Temperature

It is very important, as already mentioned, to maintain the optimum temperature of water and air. If it falls below +24 degrees, this is fraught for the plant with a loss of health, the ability to bloom and develop. Note that water hyacinth can survive at a temperature of + 10-20 degrees, however, there will be no flowering in this case.

Lighting

For normal life, water hyacinth requires a lot of light: the duration of daylight hours should be at least 14 hours.

pruning

Do not forget about pruning the plant, as the hyacinth reproduces quite quickly. It is especially important to remember this procedure when growing in an aquarium where fish also live. If the flower grows strongly, there will simply be no place left for the fish.

To prevent strong growth from occurring, it is recommended to immediately remove the resulting horizontal shoots. Remember that the pruning procedure is performed only with gloves, since water hyacinth juice has poisonous properties may cause skin irritation, allergic reactions.

In summer, pruning of dead leaf petioles is also required, since otherwise the reservoir will quickly become clogged. It is easy to understand which of the petioles have died off: they stand out against the background of the main foliage in a dark color and lethargy. Also, thin out plantings from time to time, as eichhornia grows uncontrollably in favorable conditions.

top dressing

Water hyacinth will develop and bloom well only in “fertile”, saturated water. nutrients. To fertilize the water, it is recommended to regularly add the following substances to it:

• compost;
• mullein;
• complex minerals for aquarium plants;

When you move the plant to a new pond, add some superphosphate to the water.

Wintering

The main difficulty in growing water hyacinth in a pond is our Russian winter - a tropical flower is not able to survive it in natural conditions. A severe cold snap is a huge stress for the plant, so the first task of the grower at this time is to help survive the harsh times.

When the temperature drops below +15 degrees, the hyacinth must be removed from the pond. Try to prevent the plant from freezing, as in this case, eichornia may die. It is most convenient to catch a flower from a reservoir with a net.

Place it in a large container filled with water from the same pond and move it indoors. Lighting in winter should be maintained at a minimum of 10 light hours.

It is important to monitor the temperature of the water in the container in winter, keeping it at +20 degrees. In addition, the flower must be provided necessary quantity fresh air, while being protected from drafts.

Don't forget to fertilize the plant to help it overwinter safely. From heating batteries, you need to place the container at a distance, since eichornia does not tolerate dry air well. It is impossible to cover the container from above, it is also forbidden to remove hyacinth from the aquatic environment for a long time.

Important: if within winter period you noticed that the flower began to lose foliage, which means that it has little light. In this case, hang an additional lamp over the container.

Reproduction features

In nature, a flower reproduces without any labor, easily and quickly. But even in artificial conditions, reproduction is also not a very complicated procedure. There are opinions that this process is very similar to the propagation of garden strawberries with a mustache: water hyacinth also multiplies with the help of daughter shoots.

Under favorable conditions in summer, water hyacinth increases its population at an unprecedented pace, forming up to 100 new young plants in a month. You can help him by plucking the child process from the mother bush in time and transplanting the latter to another place.

If you don’t have your own hyacinths yet, seed propagation is also possible. But this procedure is fraught with difficulties, the main of which is to provide the seeds with a long stay at a temperature of +35 degrees.

Diseases and pests

This plant is distinguished by good health and its illnesses are exclusively a consequence of improper maintenance or care. As for pests, the danger for hyacinth is mainly the weevil beetle. But even this pest will not be able to cause any tangible harm to the plant.

Pay attention to the appearance of the plant. If the leaves appeared suspicious dark spots, this may indicate a hyacinth cold due to drafts or a lack of fresh air.

If the spots have multiplied and become dark brown, this symptom may indicate root rot. You can prevent putrefactive processes by placing plants on special float rings that will keep the hyacinth above the surface of the water.

The plant does not tolerate drafts and gusts of wind. Therefore, in order to exclude such a negative impact, it is recommended to densely plant some bushes or tall plants along the banks of an artificial pond.

So we got to know amazing plant- water hyacinth. Of course, growing it in our cold climate is fraught with difficulties - after all, the flower is of tropical origin and is very thermophilic. However, if you can meet all the conditions, you will get a wonderful decorative decoration for a pond or aquarium.