Water Hyacinth Greenhouse

[Mucky_Waters]

That's pretty interesting, good growth but yellowing. Normally you don't get those two things together. What the air and water temps been?

I don't know how deep this is but when I grew once in a trashcan the roots bottomed out, maybe 30". Maybe they don't like shallow areas? Just guessing.

I know everyone says WH need or like moving water...I don't know where that comes from. Makes no sense to me. Their native habitat is still water. They do occur in slow moving rivers, but more as being broken off from still waters. A small tank with a pump is more like a cat 5 white water ride. Just saying.

Water temps have been normally around 21-27 C (70-80 F), but when I first put them in it was pretty hot and sunny for a few days and I didn't have a door made yet, just a plastic flap which I left closed, and the temps spiked up to 32 C (90 F), I since turned down the aquarium heaters and built the door which I cracked open during the day so it wouldn't get too hot. Of course as soon as I turned the heaters down the outside temps dropped and it's been cloudy and rainy, so low water temps got down to 10 C (50 F) which isn't great for growth, but still a lot warmer than in the pond. In fact outside the temps have been as low as 4 C (39 F).
The air in the little greenhouse probably stay close to the water temps.
But I'm pretty sure it isn't the water temps that are causing the yellowing, nor the water depth, or length of the roots, or the water movement.

Like Koiguy, through my own experiance I have found water hyacinth grow better in moving water. I had tubs sitting side by side, some with still water (and fertilizer), and tubs with a small pump and the exact same water (and fertilizer), and the moving water ones always grew faster. I don't know much about how, or where, they grow in their "native" habitat (where is that anyway?), but I'll bet my fertilizer enriched water habitat changes the rules a bit.

So, nobody but Waterbug brave enough to venture another guess why they are turning yellow? As I said, I'm not exactly sure myself, but I have altered something and it will take at least a week to see if it works.

 

[j.w]

Got this off a site that sells them locally in Iowa. Says they yellow due to lack of fertilizer.​

Caring for Your New Water Hyacinth
Aqualand's inside info on growing Eichornia crassipes​

Water Hyacinth Factoids​

Origin
Amazon River basin -- mostly Brasil
Substrate
Immaterial
Fertilizers
Add if leaves start yellowing Uses Beautifies, purifies, provides shade and security Flowers Light purple blooms when temp hits 80[sup]o[/sup] Growth rate [sup]Fastest growing plant in the world[/sup]
Sun or Shade
Full sun best
Threats
Cold weather, salt, herbicides, children
Water
Removes pollutants from water

CH
Craig Hall's pic of his hyacinth ranch. Just kidding, Craig. Water hyacinths are pretty.
Origins: Originally from what most people call Brazil, water hyacinths came to the U.S. in 1880. They were brought to the Cotton Exposition in Louisiana, introduced into Florida, and from there quickly spread to all our southern states. Now considered a noxious weed in these states and “the worst aquatic plant,” they are illegal to export or import into these and several other states. They grow so fast that they block waterways and impede navigation in many states.
Movie Stars: If you saw the movie “Anaconda,” you saw their boat plow thru vast quantities of water hyacinths. It was a sad movie, because the anaconda died at the end.

Really attractive flowers.
Floating Plants: You don’t plant water hyacinths in special pots; you just toss them in the water. Their air-filled leaves keep them afloat. They float like a green-leaved cork. You don’t even need to remember “green side up.” Their heavy roots automatically right them no matter what you do.

LA
Older roots turn black. New roots come in white.
Root System: Long heavily branched roots looking like they’re covered with black whiskers very efficiently remove fish wastes from the water. Older roots turn black. Younger roots are white. Roots can grow as long as 18 inches. If they reach a mud bottom, they grow even faster.

LA
Baby plant growing off the bottom left side.
Starting out: We trim our hyacinths back as far as possible. If you get yours elsewhere, pull off ALL dead or broken leaves. They will not repair themselves. Also pull off the excess roots. Trimming them back (a lot) encourages new growth and makes them look better. Dead or broken leaves will not repair themselves.

LA
Even this young plant has three daughter cells growing from its base.
Reproduction: Water hyacinths can reproduce by seeds in warm climates -- not in Iowa. Seeds can survive 15 to 20 years during crummy weather. However, most hyacinths reproduce by stolons (like strawberry runners). In good conditions they double in population every 12 days. In Florida, they can yield 200 tons per acre. All these traits make them a great pond plant for Iowa -- but not Florida.

LA
Once they look like this, they will not recover. Our fall weather really slows them down.
Iowa Winters: We see some reports saying hyacinths die at temps below 20[sup]o[/sup]. In Iowa backyards they stop growing at 40 and die out at 32. The first frost wipes them totally. If we had no winters in IOwa, they would be a noxious weed here also.
Substrate: It matters not what you put on the bottom of your pond. Water hyacinths will prosper. If you have a dirt bottom, they will very likely have access to more nutrients.

LA
With no fish in here, you can use any fertilizer you want. See photo at bottom for results.
Fertilizers: You will need to fertilize your fast-growing hyacinths if their leaves turn yellow. Use any fertilizer you know will not hurt your fish. If you have no fish in your pond. use any type of fertilizer you want. Small frequent feedings work better than one massive feeding.

LA
At the beginning of the pond season, water hyacinths arrive in bags of 100.
Excess Plants: Once they get a good start, you wind up with more than you need. At the end of the pond season, disposal of dead hyacinths can present a problem. We find the best solution involves raking them out of your pond, drying them a couple days, then mulching them with your lawn mower. If you leave them in your pond over the winter, they make a royal mess. Get the dead ones out as soon as possible. In some countries, they compost their hyacinths and use them to grow mushrooms.
Algae Cure: Water hyacinths control algae growth in two main ways. They reduce the amount of sunlight entering the water. They also suck out the nutrients that algae need to grow successfully.

LA
About 2 inches across at first, these baby hyacinths will explode in size and number.
Other Uses: In addition to looking good, water hyacinths also provide the security some fishes need. Their roots also serve as prime spawning areas. The roots also provide a home for tiny insects and other critters that fishes enjoy snacking upon.
Water: Water hyacinths grow in nearly any kind of water without salt in it. Copper will kill them, so will most algae treatments. The only algae treatment that lets them live is AlgaeFix.

LA
Trimmed water hyacinths ready for sale in Aqualand's front window.
Size: Most water hyacinths grow 12 to18-inches tall. They will grow taller -- up to three feet tall. Crowded conditions plus fertilizer make them really stretch out.

LA
Hyacinths in plastic trays in LA's backyard. They bloom when temperatures hit the eighties.
Last Word: Water hyacinths will grow for anybody. Lack a green thumb? Try the water hyacinths. LA.

 

[addy1]

i would have guessed fertilizer, usually nitrogen deficiency causes the yellowing, at least with the plants I deal with

 

[j.w]

Guess they like a lot of fertilizer but spread out in doses not a bunch at once.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Nice little write up J.W.
So their "native" habitat is the Amazon river huh?
It says "In good conditions they double in population every 12 days". Even with my yellowing leaves my population doubled in about 7 days, so I must still be doing something right.
Still, that article doesn't mention at all what I am guessing my yellowing problem was caused by.

 

[j.w]

One place says if growing conditions aren't ideal, the plants become stressed and develop yellow foliage.
If the water is colder than 64 degrees Fahrenheit, water hyacinths will be stunted and lower, older leaves may yellow and die. Conversely, the same happens in fall with cooler water temperatures and with the onset of frost and repeated subfreezing nights.

Water hyacinths dangle their fibrous purple and white roots into the water, absorbing necessary nutrients from the water. Lakes or ponds rich in organic matter or fertilizer runoff are rich in nutrients that promote lush, fast growth of floating plants. When the natural levels of nutrients in a body of water become depleted over time, the green coloration of water hyacinth leaves may change from deep, medium green to more yellow-green. Feces from fish and amphibians and rotting leaves and insects help replenish nutrients in the water profile.

Water hyacinths appreciate warm water and lots of sunshine. The more sunshine, the warmer the water becomes. Ample sunlight, at least four hours of direct rays daily, sustains the leaves of water hyacinths but may not lead to flowers. Insufficient light levels slow plant growth and may cause leaves to yellow and prematurely die. A minimum of eight hours of sun promotes flower production.

Freshwater that is highly acidic or too alkaline in pH can limit the growth and vitality of water hyacinths. It may not kill the plants, but can cause yellowing leaves because the inhospitable pH levels prevent nutrient uptake by the roots. Water additives, pond liners or submerged materials may alter water pH. Residues of cleaning sprays or pesticides can lower water quality. Poison containing lead or arsenic and other heavy metals also can harm plant life as well as fish.
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[koiguy1969]

just a couple pics showing pond vs. filter hyacinths...
pic 1 is the filter hyacinths...look at the heigth and lush rich green color.... best pic i could find, wish i had better.... i believe there are some growing rootless,outside the filter in this pic

pic 2 is in the pond green but nowhere near the rich color and probably 1/10th the size.

 

[addy1]

pretty fish..........

That is how my pond vs little pond looked, my lil pond looked like your filter ones, the big pond the others. Any that were out by themselves where yellow and stunted.

 

[koiguy1969]

thats the nutrient rich, moving water in the filter feeding them...when the water hits the pond its diluted way down. theyre feeding directly from the nitrates made below them in the filter. same in a stream pool..the waters moving and continuously flowing nutrients thru the roots, keeping food readily accessable.

 

[j.w]

That does jive w/ what I read so they really love the rich stuff flowing through their roots! Guess ya gotta have an unclean pond or a nice nutrient filled container w/ moving water to keep them happy.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

One place says if growing conditions aren't ideal, the plants become stressed and develop yellow foliage.
If the water is colder than 64 degrees Fahrenheit, water hyacinths will be stunted and lower, older leaves may yellow and die. Conversely, the same happens in fall with cooler water temperatures and with the onset of frost and repeated subfreezing nights.

Water hyacinths dangle their fibrous purple and white roots into the water, absorbing necessary nutrients from the water. Lakes or ponds rich in organic matter or fertilizer runoff are rich in nutrients that promote lush, fast growth of floating plants. When the natural levels of nutrients in a body of water become depleted over time, the green coloration of water hyacinth leaves may change from deep, medium green to more yellow-green. Feces from fish and amphibians and rotting leaves and insects help replenish nutrients in the water profile.​

Water hyacinths appreciate warm water and lots of sunshine. The more sunshine, the warmer the water becomes. Ample sunlight, at least four hours of direct rays daily, sustains the leaves of water hyacinths but may not lead to flowers. Insufficient light levels slow plant growth and may cause leaves to yellow and prematurely die. A minimum of eight hours of sun promotes flower production.​

Freshwater that is highly acidic or too alkaline in pH can limit the growth and vitality of water hyacinths. It may not kill the plants, but can cause yellowing leaves because the inhospitable pH levels prevent nutrient uptake by the roots. Water additives, pond liners or submerged materials may alter water pH. Residues of cleaning sprays or pesticides can lower water quality. Poison containing lead or arsenic and other heavy metals also can harm plant life as well as fish.​

Bingo!
I did a ph check and the water was off the scale high, so I adjusted the ph to 7 and we'll see how it goes.

 

[j.w]

Aha so that means according to the one place that the roots were unable to pick up the nutrients even tho you were giving them plenty of fertilizer. Lets see what happens!

 

[Mucky_Waters]

It appears to be working.
After adjusting the water PH with some "PH down" stuff for pools, and after only a couple days, it looks like I already see some of the yellow leaves turning green again. Unfortunately the still yellow part of the leaves are developing some brown spots, likey due to their weakened condition.

Here is a picture of the hyacinth after only two days after lowering the PH level of the water. Notice some of the yellowed leaves have green coloring coming up from the bulb and the stem.

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/gallery/image/1834-greening/


Here is a close up showing the brown spots and the greening.

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/gallery/image/1835-spots/

 

[j.w]

That's good to know.
On the brown spots I wonder if it is just the natural aging process and the stress from the lack of being able to draw up the fertilizer before you got the ph adjusted? Maybe the newer leaves won't do that at least til they get old and turn that way also and fall off. I don't know the way this plant ages so this is all just a guess. You will just have to wait and see and let us know what happens.

 

[Waterbug]

The pH is an issue I was discussing in an aquaponics thread in another forum. We knew high pH bound some nutrients in terrestrial plants so I was wondering how pH in a aquaponic system was handled but never ran into any documentation. What I found only talked about keeping pH buffered as over time the water went acid. So I've still been curious how to manage pH in aquaponics. If you run into any data, or any data you can provide, would be interesting to me. Like pH levels and if you can get them to stabilize, or really anything.

There's a little aquaponic work in universities, but it seems like most of it is being done in backyards with not a lot of science. So your results could be useful to aquaponics.