Description of water hyacinth and its reproduction, planting and care in the pond
Water hyacinth is a beautiful, slow-growing plant to keep in aquariums and open water. It easily adheres to the surface thanks to the porous bumps at the base of the trunk. In his homeland, culture blooms almost continuously. In temperate climates, inflorescences form in 1-2 summer months. More information on planting and caring for a water hyacinth in a pond and in an aquarium, as well as on how to reproduce it and use it in landscaping.
Description and peculiarities of the plant
Eichornia is a perennial plant with a height of 10 to 15 centimeters. Leaf plates are shiny, fleshy. They have arcuate veins. The curved leaves, 4-8 pieces in number, form a basal rosette. At the base there are bulges with a diameter of 4-9 centimeters.
Inside they are filled with air. Due to this quality, the plant is afloat. Acting like a float, the trunk holds the leaves and flowers to the surface of the water.When the output is too large, the bumps are reduced in size. The water hyacinth grows a black root about 50 centimeters long. If the reservoir is shallow, it takes root at the bottom. In deep water, the root floats freely. Under the right conditions, many children are formed at the base of the root system.
Eichornia blooms in July-August. This is only possible at an air temperature of 28°C during the day, at least 23°C at night. The spike-shaped inflorescence contains up to 35 blue or purple buds. The viability of each flower is 1 day. After that, a box with seeds is formed, which then opens.
In hot countries, the seeds germinate on their own. New plants are formed from them. In reservoir conditions, they do not have time to form. Water hyacinth easily reproduces vegetatively, like garden strawberries.
How to grow in a pond
When growing, it is important to create conditions for eichornia close to natural ones. The plant should be supplied with warm, nutrient-rich water. For enrichment, you can add compost or humus to it.
The cleanliness of the reservoir is not the most important condition for the development of culture. It grows well in slightly polluted waters. One of the properties of water hyacinth is to purify the water itself. Therefore, before planting a plant, the pond does not need to be cleaned.
Water and air temperature play an important role in the growth of a crop. A well-lit place for planting a water hyacinth is chosen. The plant will thrive at 24-30°C. Culture coexists well with water lilies, algae, but, growing, can destroy them.
In the southern regions, eichornia is planted in the pond in May, in the northern regions - in early June. In a cold summer, a thermophilic plant may not produce flower buds. At the same time, leaf plates do not lose their decorative effect. For the winter, water hyacinth is removed from an open tank and stored indoors.
The peculiarity of eichornia is that it multiplies very quickly. In a short time, culture can fill the entire surrounding space. As a result, fish and other living things will lack oxygen. Therefore, the grower must regulate the amount of water hyacinth in the pond.
Features of growth in aquarium conditions
Eichornia multiplies rapidly, therefore a large glass container is selected. Aquarium culture can be maintained all year round. Plants need warmth and good light. These conditions are provided with the help of special devices.
A mixture of peat and sand is poured to the bottom of the aquarium. The root system is laid in the substrate, then the container is filled with water. In this case, the socket must be located at the surface of the water. The plant is well adjacent to algae, aquarium fish.
Water hyacinth should be lit at least 11-12 hours a day. To do this, use fluorescent lamps with a power of at least 3.2 watts. An aerator is installed to provide oxygen. Eichornia loves heat, but you can not cover the container with foil. The plant can die.
To note! Experts recommend placing a water hyacinth in the aquarium instead of expensive filters for water purification. It will absorb fish waste, salt and other harmful substances.
Breeding methods
Eichornia easily reproduces vegetatively. Seeds, as a rule, are not bred at home.
vegetatively
In a container, the water hyacinth is able to reproduce autonomously, without human intervention. Small plants form at its base. Growing up, they form full-fledged bushes. They also produce a strawberry mustache type overlay. Reproduction is rapid: up to 100 new plants can form in a month.
If there are too many bushes in the outlet, they begin to shrink due to competition for food. The grower can carefully separate the plants from each other and plant them in separate containers. In some countries it is bred specifically to use the leaves for food.
Seeds
At home, the seed method is usually not used, as it is time consuming and inefficient. Reproduction takes place at a temperature of about 35°C. It is not easy to create such conditions at home. Artificial heating is essential. Seed propagation can be attempted in the greenhouse.
Rules of care
Water hyacinth at home should be provided in the same conditions as it had in its natural habitats. They are easier to provide in an aquarium than in a pond.
Temperature
Native culture of South America. The weather is warm all year round. Therefore, the optimum temperature for growing water hyacinth will be 24-27 ° C. In order for the plant to bloom, an even higher temperature is needed - 28-30 ° C. If the culture is grown in a pond, with the onset of cold weather, she must be brought into the room. Plants should be protected from extreme temperatures. In cool conditions they darken and may die.
Size
Eichornia reproduces rapidly. This characteristic is not very good when growing in an aquarium.An overgrown flower absorbs oxygen from fish and other plants. Therefore, newly formed bushes should be cut with a sharp knife. Since water hyacinth juice is poisonous, the procedure is carried out with gloves.
In addition, a sanitary pruning is carried out in the pond in summer. The stems of dead leaves are cut. They can be detected by their brown color, lethargy. If this is not done, the plants can die, the pond will quickly clog. Also cut too large copies. A large root grows on it, the culture loses its decorative appearance.
Protection against drafts
Eichornia needs protection from cold winds. Therefore, when growing in a nearby pond, you need to plant vertical plants. Such crops can be: marsh iris, cattail. Water lilies are not suitable due to their small size.
Important! If the water hyacinth is indoors, the aquarium should be placed so that no drafts enter it.
Wintering
The culture does not tolerate negative air temperatures, so it must be brought indoors for the winter. There are several ways to save eichornia until spring.
In sand or peat
Sand, peat or a mixture of these substances is poured into the pot. The plant is cleaned of brown leaves, rotten fragments. The substrate is moistened, the culture is placed there. Throughout the winter, care must be taken that the soil is not dry.
In the bank
If there are few plants, they can be kept in glass jars. Water from the pond is poured into the container. When the air temperature drops to 15°C, the hyacinth is removed from the reservoir, placed in a jar. The culture container is kept in a warm and well-lit place.Periodically, the room should be ventilated, avoiding drafts.
In the silt
This is another common way to store Eichornia in winter. For this, the container is filled with silt from the pond, a plant is placed there. Then it is poured with water so that it protrudes 3-5 centimeters above the silt. The container is placed on a well-lit windowsill.
In the aquarium
A large amount of water hyacinth can be stored in a large aquarium. The procedure is performed as follows:
- the sludge from a street tank is deposited at the bottom of the container;
- fill with water from a pond;
- saturate with top dressing;
- the flowers are planted.
The aquarium is placed on a windowsill, as the plant needs a lot of light. You can use fluorescent lights for additional lighting.
To note! You can not cover the containers with water hyacinth, otherwise it will choke from lack of oxygen.
Protection against diseases and pests
Culture, as a rule, becomes ill due to improper care. For example, dry air can cause brown spots on the leaves due to drafts. If the grower did not immediately notice the damaged fragments, the disease can be transferred to all plants.
You can protect them from putrefying microorganisms by placing the bushes on foam rings. They keep the flowers afloat; the roots are in the water. In addition to a fungal disease, a weevil, spider mite and moth can attack eichornia.
When the water hyacinth grew too much in its homeland, it began to interfere with navigation, fishing, insects were specially released into the thickets. As a result of their activities, open areas of water bodies appeared.If a grower wants to protect his plantations from insects, he must apply the insecticides according to the instructions on the package.
Important! Chemicals for pest control are not used if there are fish in the pond. Living things can die from it.
Pond cleaning with eichornia
The culture draws its nourishment from the water through its roots. Moreover, these are not only traditional nutrients, but also waste products: petroleum products, phosphates, pesticides, traces of oils and phenols. Water hyacinth not only does not die, but on the contrary, grows even better in such conditions.
Sometimes the culture is specially planted in contaminated places to purify it from sewage. Flowers perform their assigned function. The water becomes cleaner after a while. Some growers note that the plant grows better in polluted liquid than in purified liquid.
Advantages and disadvantages of growing water hyacinth
The positive qualities of Eichornia are:
- beautiful appearance;
- the ability to purify water;
- does not require additional power;
- indoors, it can grow all year round.
Disadvantages include the ability to reproduce quickly. It is not very good if there are fish, crustaceans, algae and other vegetation in the tank. When the hyacinth fills the entire space, the rest of the inhabitants begin to lack lighting and d 'oxygen. This can lead to the death of flora and fauna.
Use in landscaping
Eichornia is used to decorate an aquarium or an open tank. In the first case, it can be kept all year round, in the second - only in the warm season. Cultivation gives the reservoirs an exotic look, beautifully combined with fish, shells and other inhabitants.In addition, it can serve as a water purifier.
In small containers, water hyacinth is planted in 1-2 bushes, in open containers - in groups of several pieces. Under good conditions, the flower multiplies rapidly. This is both its disadvantage and its dignity. In an aquarium, a plant, having multiplied, can suppress flora and fauna. On the other hand, a group of Eichorns will give a nice view of the pond.
When growing a flower, you need to remember that it needs a lot of light and heat. If in comfortable conditions, flowering will begin in July or August. When freezing temperatures arrive, the plant must be taken to a warm room, otherwise it will freeze. You can keep the culture in a mixture of sand and peat, silt, a pot of water, an aquarium.