Comments on: Using Water Hyacinth in Water Gardens – Water Garden & Feature Q & A

By: Annette Cherry

Annette Cherry — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:36:40 +0000

I found that the Water Hyacinths I purchased from the nursery were all in huge molded ponds, all in shady areas so, of course, they died from the heat. But, last year, somehow, Water Hyacinths ended up in certain irrigation canals and in our river as well. It completely took over the canals and the county had to remove it but in the river, it didn’t spread over the entire length due to the pace of the river itself. I acquired my hyacinth from the bank of the river. I took only one plant, now I have 6 and my Koi love them. So do all my tadpoles. Of all my water plants, the Parrot’s Feather is the most aggressive but it certainly keeps the egret from eating my Koi. Thanks!

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:46:37 +0000

Our pond is 8′X12′. Late May we put in 12 water hyacinth and 12 water lettuce. LOVE them! 6 of each would have been plenty though as they multiply quickly. They have completely covered the pond. We keep taking out extras so we can still see our fish. They have done a GREAT job though especially giving shade to the fish as we have very little early AM shade. Would highly reccommend either of these plants in a contained pond.

By: kathiethueme

kathiethueme — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:25:59 +0000

Hi Stacey,

Physical removal is probably the easiest way to remove the mass of hyacinth. These are floating plants to they do not have a root system that attaches to the bottom of the pond making them much easier to capture. A pond rake or large net used like a seine is probably the quickest. You can also use a chemical spray which would kill them but you would still need to remove the mass once dead. Good Luck!

By: STACEY

STACEY — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:00:53 +0000

HELLO POND GUY I LIVE IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA, I HAVE AN ACRE OR SO SIZED POND AND I MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY PONDS LIFE. NOT TO MENTION MY NEIGHBORS WERE P_ OFF. SO PLEASE TELL ME IS THERE A SOLUTION TO GETTING RID OF WATER HYACINTH PLEASE HELP GETTING COVERED OVER E MAIL ASAP ITS GETTING WORSE AS I TYPE THANKS

By: Why are my koi chasing each other? – Decorative Ponds & Water Gardens Q & A – Week Ending May 8th « The Pond Guy’s Blog

Wed, 05 May 2010 14:39:42 +0000

[...] On The Plants: Adding Aquatic Plants like Hornwort and Water Hyacinth in your pond will provide excellent surface area for freshly laid eggs to attach to and will also [...]

By: thepondguy

thepondguy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:07:23 +0000

William, pH levels can affect your plants. If the water is too hard it can stunt the plant growth. A pH level of 7 is perfect; a range of 6.5 to 8.5 is usually fine for plants. Another thing to consider is if you are you using salt in your pond water: Salt will affect the Water Hyacinth, as well as other aquatic plants. It is recommended to us 1 ¼ cups of salt per 100 gallons if there are plants in your pond. Fertilizing your plants with fertilizer in small frequent feedings will also help with yellowing plants. Bloom and Grow is a concentrated liquid. Use one ounce per 300 gallons of pond water.

By: William

William — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:37:56 +0000

My water hyacinth leaves start drying up after 4 weeks in the pond, and they all turn yellow brownish, but my water is crystal clear after I add water hyacinth. I kept them separate from my fish, so roots are all in good condition, but can’t figure out why leaves are turning yellow and dried up. There is no water splashing on the leaves, but they are in direct sun in the morning. Could it be PH level?? Please help.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:57:17 +0000

I bought 3 water hyacinth plants for my small backyard pond. The top is almost entirely covered, I almost never have to clean the pond filter and it gets direct sunlight all day. Next year, I think I will start with just 1 plant!!!

By: donna

donna — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:32:14 +0000

Hyacinth does not like getting thier leaves splashed I know that sounds funny being they are a water plant but like a lotus if the leaves are splashed by a fountain or waterfall for example they burn.

By: thepondguy

thepondguy — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:50:13 +0000

Kathy,

You can definitely try and I’ve talked to some customers who have been successful wintering them over and other customers who haven’t been so successful. A water tank should work. The biggest thing you have to make sure of is keeping the temperature warm.

Thanks for the comment!