Floating hyacinth blooms

[Lisak1]

I put floating hyacinths in my pondless waterfall and patio pond every year. I've had them bloom maybe three times in 8 summers, and then it will be one or maybe two blooms at the most. This year every single one of them has bloomed. I have no idea what's different about this year, but they sure are pretty!

 

[poconojoe]

Years ago they would bloom for me, but not for the last 4-5 years. I asked in another thread and it was suggested to float them in a separate container with miracle grow for a while. I haven't tried that yet.

 

[Lisak1]

I've tried the Miracle Gro trick - makes them nice and green if they're struggling, but I've never found that it makes them bloom. We must just be having the perfect combination of heat and sunshine or something! Mine are always big, green, and lush but rarely bloom. I should says always... unless I put them in the pond. I think my fish eat the roots off too aggressively. They never do well in my pond.

 

[addy1]

I had them once, they bloomed a bit, but too much work lol! So never since They sure are pretty though.

 

[j.w]

Me too had them but think not enough warmth and sunshine here and they never bloomed at all.

 

[poconojoe]

Maybe sunshine is the key?

 

[cas]

I have read that they like a pH of 7. That could be why they did real well when I first built my pond, but not so much any more. The pH my the pond in the beginning was 7.5. After a few years it increased to 8.3.

 

[addy1]

Maybe sunshine is the key?

We have nothing but sun, they never bloomed a lot.

 

[Mmathis]

When I had them in my pond (full sun), and in my QT (an hour or so of sun), the ones concentrated in the QT were always bigger, greener, and had more blooms.

When you really study the bloom of a water hyacinth, close up — aren’t they lovely? The first time I had flowers, I was in awe! I wish they would bloom all year!

 

[Tula]

Lovely blooms !

 

[BKHpondcritters]

OK, this is just my personal hypothesis, but... many plants (pond or otherwise) will bloom better when 'stressed'. A plant on the verge of dying will bloom its head off because that's how it will reproduce before kicking. A Water Hyacinth in a pond full of nutrients will not have any compelling reason to bloom. If there is a high (too high?) level of nitrogen in the water blooming is unnecessary. I have potted tropical plants that I can't fertilize "too much" or they won't put our a single flower. Perhaps water hyacinth are such plants? I love their blooms, but I also found that (especially as my pond matured) the blooms were few & far between. So much so that I didn't even put any in my pond this year (first time, in..... EVER!) Mixed feelings, but, I'm not totally missing them.

 

[addy1]

My big pond hyacinth, bloomed miserably, the hyacinth I stuck in a small stream pond never cleaned, just gets fresh water when the timer runs. There they bloomed beautifully!
i figured due to the bog my big pond did not have enough nutrients for them where the small fishless non filtered pond had a lot more.

 

[Tuckers]

Where about did you get these I can’t find them anywhere? I thought they was banned in the eu now or something like that. I love them and so do the fish! Great pic by the way.

 

[Lisak1]

Where about did you get these I can’t find them anywhere? I thought they was banned in the eu now or something like that. I love them and so do the fish! Great pic by the way.

They are indeed on the banned list in some states... and probably countries, too. I always found it kind of odd that they are banned in some parts of the midwest as they will turn to mush at the first sign of cool weather. I did read once that the concern could be that the seeds will survive and re-grow, but again I can't imagine they would ever become the problem in our climate that they are where it's perfect growing season for them year round. We can still buy them here, but I'm sure our banning is coming.

A plant on the verge of dying will bloom its head off because that's how it will reproduce before kicking.

That's an interesting theory. I know that is indeed often how nature responds - when you apply certain kinds of weed killer to dandelions, the first response is to send up a bloom in an attempt to produce viable seed. I remember getting really excited when my hens-and-chicks sent up pretty flowers... until I read that it meant they were dying! And we've been struggling with getting our hydrangeas to bloom, only to be told that all the great, fertile soil we've worked so hard to build may actually be hindering the blooms. So all of those ideas make sense to me. The hyacinths may be responding to the stress of excessive heat... it has been hot hot hot here for sure!