Water Hyacinth and Lettuce Galore!

[Mucky_Waters]

I've been in the Philippines for the last couple months and finally got around to hopping off my motorcycle in the middle of some rice fields and videoing one of the typical waterways around here that are clogged full of water hyacinth & water lettuce. I thought some here might find it interesting so I uploaded it to youtube.
I find it ironic that back home in Canada I have paid as much as $4 a piece for these things, and here ( in the Philippines) you can find millions and millions of them, and they are absolutely worthless,,,, except maybe that they help clean up the water somewhat in these sorry looking waterways.
Enjoy.

 

[sissy]

same here about 4 or 5 dollars but if you go down to NC to some of the big ponds there it grows wild and you can get it free .It is considered invasive around here

 

[Priscilla]

WOW! Here they are not expensive, sometimes the nursery gives them to me for free (big 50gall bags), BUT they just can't survive my hungry koi.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

It is amazing how the majority of our pond plants grow like crazy in the wild and yet we pay quite a bit. I don't think I'll be buying WH or WL next year. They just don't do well for me at all, though I do love the WH blooms.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I usually buy about 5 or 6 plants in the spring and start growing them in a special little greenhouse pond I built specially for growing water hyacinth where I keep high levels of fertilizer in the water. They grow like crazy in there and as they multiply in there, and the pond water in my main pond warms up, I start removing the extras from the greenhouse pond and putting them in my main pond.
I'll be heading home this Saturday, I have a strong temptation to accidentally misplace a few water hyacinth in a plastic bag in the corner of my suitcase .

 

[sissy]

I kept them in my basement for years but the year hubby had a heart attack I forgot about them .They grew great under a grow light .No pump no aerator

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Wow, That's a lot of plants. It looks like they are even growing up the side on concrete?

I normally buy three water hyacinth and three water lettuce in the spring (I want to say I pay $10 for 3 plants) They both multiply in my pond like crazy (I even end up moving plants to the stock tank and sometimes even other tubs or containers in the back yard) but I don't always get a lot of blooms on the hyacinth. I did try one winter to keep some of the plants in my house but they didn't last long. I think the lack of proper lighting was the issue.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Wow, That's a lot of plants. It looks like they are even growing up the side on concrete?
.

Actually that is some other type of plant, but it does grow in the water as well. If you change the youtube video setting to play in either 720 or 1080 HD you can more clearly see the different leaf shapes of the different plant.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Oh boy, I *thought* I was only having trouble seeing at a distance I will go back and look again, I can't remember what device I was on when I looked at the video (it may have been my phone which is why I didn't see the difference in the plants, screen is so small)

 

[sissy]

My lotus are growing great under the LED light in the basement and have to go over and get overflow from neighbors bathtub .I have the key but I don't like going in there when no one is home .She said it is OK as I take care of the house and pond for her while she is away .She said they are growing up the side of the bathtub .All water lettuce and hyacinth .I think she put in to much fertilizer .She should be home from work by 6