Water hyacinths transform every garden pond into an eye-catcher. And the best? They can even be easily multiplied.
The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an exotic pond plant. The steel blue to light purple flowers are particularly impressive. They let every garden pond shine in splendour.
You like the magical flowers and would like to have more of them in your pond? No problem. The water hyacinth even does most of the work for you. It mainly reproduces itself through its offshoots. That's why it's so important that you trim the plant regularly, as the pond will soon become overgrown and other aquatic plants will be crowded out.
Water hyacinth buds
As soon as the water in the pond is over 18 degrees, the water hyacinth will shoot. Within a few days, the shoots grow laterally so far that they are easy to see. From May to October, new shoots are constantly emerging. Young plants grow from the shoots. Now all you have to do is cut off the new plants. Under good conditions, the young plants will soon reach the same size as the mother plant.
With a bit of luck: the water hyacinth forms seeds
Beautiful flowers characterize the water hyacinth. Unfortunately, it rarely forms seed bodies. If you find seeds in rare cases, you can of course use the seed pods. This is especially useful if you cannot safely overwinter the plant.
You can also use this to build up a small supply - the seeds can germinate for up to ten years. Collect the round seed pods from the water hyacinth or fish them out of the water. Dry well and keep dry, then the seeds will remain fertile for a long time.
When you want to use the seeds, simply place them in a jar of water. The water temperature is optimal when it is between 18 and 25 degrees. In addition, the seeds need a lot of light to germinate quickly. It usually only takes a few days to break up. It may take longer only with older seeds. After about three to four weeks you will have plants that you can put in the pond. Anyone who has an aquarium can use the seeds directlyenter, here the conditions are optimal.
Optimum environment for the water hyacinth
The floating plant feels most comfortable in standing water. It is well suited for ponds and aquariums. Here you can simply place the newly formed young plants on the water surface, because the water hyacinth is not planted directly. It develops spongy, air-filled swimming bodies that help it stay on the water surface. Some of these floats also grow downwards.
If you want to keep the plant in a certain place in a large pond, you can weigh down these parts with stones at the bottom of the pond.