Water Hyacinth die every year

Joined
Jan 19, 2023
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Country
Canada
Have had a pond for 15 years. For the first 10 years, my pond was about 2,500 gallons - with no filtration - just a fountain. My water hyacinth grew fine - although the water was smelly and gross. Five years ago, i rebuilt the pond (to about 4,000 gallons) and added a skimmer, and biological filtration. The water doesn't smell - although it is still green (I probably need a UV light) and it looks better. But - every year the water hyacinth slowly die off. They grow for the first two weeks or so, and then stop - and then slowly turn brown.

This has happened repeatedly for 5 years - I have no idea what the problem can be. Everyone else says that they grow like weeds. Mine used to - but now with the bigger pond, they don't.

I only have a few small koi (all the big ones died a few years ago from a heron) - so i know it isn't that the fish are hurting the plants.

Please help.
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
32,948
Reaction score
20,255
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
1674151145531.gif
@captaintimmoss
I'm wondering if they don't need more fertilizer?
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
32,948
Reaction score
20,255
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
But hyacinths are floating plants - how do you add fertilizer?
I've heard some here have taken the plants out and put into a tub w/ lots of fertilizer till they really get going. I don't have the plants so not exactly sure how they do it or what kind of fert they use. Hopefully someone can help you here.
 

YShahar

Enthusiastic duct-tape engineer
Joined
Feb 4, 2022
Messages
822
Reaction score
1,639
Showcase(s):
1
Country
Israel
I'm not sure this is the problem, but I also had water hyacinths die off for no apparent reason this year. By chance, I noticed that one was growing in a place inaccessible to the fish was still thriving after the others had died. So I placed a few of the next batch in a large plastic colander (the kind used for washing veggies) to see if that would help. The colander floats, but is tethered to the side of the pond to keep it from migrating toward the intake bay. Two months into the experiment and the plants in the colander are fine, while those that were free floating died back.

Tentative conclusion: the fish were nibbling on the roots to the point where the plants couldn't survive.

You might want to try a similar experiment, just to rule out fish nibbles as the culprit.
 
Joined
May 21, 2018
Messages
1,228
Reaction score
904
Location
Florida
Country
United States
Welcome captaintimmoss! Are you adding the plants at the same time of year as before? Is the water temperature and photoperiod about the same as before? Are the new plants from the same source?
 
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
13,077
Reaction score
13,395
Location
Northern IL
Showcase(s):
1
I've had years where my hyacinths did great and years where I couldn't keep them alive - in my big pond. In my patio pond and pondless they are 100% reliable. No clue what the difference is - same water, same fish, same pond. Different hyacinth stock maybe? I have noticed over the years that sometimes they are big, massive plants and other years they stay much smaller. So maybe that's it? Or perhaps your water isn't as nutrient rich as when you had a smaller volume with more fish. I do notice they do better when they are in shallower water and kept closely crowded together.

Keep trying - you might have a good year again!
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
2,518
Reaction score
2,999
Hardiness Zone
7b
I have found them to be very finicky. If they are happy, they go like gangbusters! If not, they die. I just decided it's not me; it's them. :LOL:
 

cas

Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Messages
2,267
Reaction score
3,039
Location
NE Ohio
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6a
Country
United States
Do you know the pH of your pond when the water hyacinths were growing well and now that they are not? I read that Water hyacinths like water with a pH of 7 or lower (but that isn't necessarily good for the fish). The first couple of years the water hyacinths did really well in my pond and the pH was about 7.5. In later years the pH of the pond increased to 8 and I have never had any luck with hyacinths since.
 
Joined
Sep 27, 2022
Messages
100
Reaction score
113
Country
Canada
You can remove them to a bucket with some 20-20-20 in the water and an airstone if you have one. Make sure to rinse them well before returning them to the pond. The fish will eat the new white roots growing under the plant. If all of those are gone it could be fish. For the first month I had my goldfish they refused to eat anything but hyacinth roots. I also tried placing the plants in a makeshift styrafoam floater with some window screen attached. After the water warmed up the plants grew like mad and by august I was culling them daily as they covered the pond.
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
32,948
Reaction score
20,255
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
You can remove them to a bucket with some 20-20-20 in the water and an airstone if you have one. Make sure to rinse them well before returning them to the pond. The fish will eat the new white roots growing under the plant. If all of those are gone it could be fish. For the first month I had my goldfish they refused to eat anything but hyacinth roots. I also tried placing the plants in a makeshift styrafoam floater with some window screen attached. After the water warmed up the plants grew like mad and by august I was culling them daily as they covered the pond.
That's what I heard! Worth a shot and if one can protect the roots too then they just might flourish!
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
13,384
Reaction score
10,486
Location
Ct
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
no hyacinths here for a few years now. not since i built dead pool and the negative edge
 
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
3,990
Reaction score
2,682
Location
Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
Hardiness Zone
6a
I'm not sure this is the problem, but I also had water hyacinths die off for no apparent reason this year. By chance, I noticed that one was growing in a place inaccessible to the fish was still thriving after the others had died. So I placed a few of the next batch in a large plastic colander (the kind used for washing veggies) to see if that would help. The colander floats, but is tethered to the side of the pond to keep it from migrating toward the intake bay. Two months into the experiment and the plants in the colander are fine, while those that were free floating died back.

Tentative conclusion: the fish were nibbling on the roots to the point where the plants couldn't survive.

You might want to try a similar experiment, just to rule out fish nibbles as the culprit.
I use a couple of those floating plant nets to keep the fish away from the roots. I have a weight tied to the bottom of the net to keep it expanded downward. As the plants start growing and filling the nets, I let some go onto the open water.

You can buy these nets or make them.
 
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
3,990
Reaction score
2,682
Location
Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
Hardiness Zone
6a
Years ago hyacinths would bloom for me, but that hasn't happened for many years.
I couldn't tell you why. Could be a lot of reasons. Plants of different strains, Ph, nutrients? I have way too many fish, so it shouldn't be lack of nutrients. Maybe it's the lack of the proper nutrients?

The hyacinths and water lettuce multiply like crazy though and toward the end of summer I have to pull a lot of them out or they will completely cover the pond.
 

JBtheExplorer

Native Gardener
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Messages
5,189
Reaction score
9,919
Location
Wisconsin
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
5b
Country
United States
They grow for the first two weeks or so, and then stop - and then slowly turn brown.

I had this same problems years ago when I first built my pond. I tried them for three years but they always did the same. Now they're illegal in Wisconsin so I couldn't get them anyway, but my pond gets nice and filled in now days with my waterlilies and bog bean.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
30,785
Messages
508,605
Members
13,043
Latest member
cisifom

Latest Threads

Top