Growing water hyacinth indoors

[Mike C]

I have moved a water hyacinth indoors from my pond into a large glass
bowl. I like the way it looks and am wondering what kind of
fertizilizer I should add to the water. I know I need ot makje sure it
gets plenty of light. Can I throw standard Mircale Grow in the water
and at what concentration?

[Köi-Lö]

"Mike C" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I have moved a water hyacinth indoors from my pond into a large glass
> bowl. I like the way it looks and am wondering what kind of
> fertizilizer I should add to the water. I know I need ot makje sure it
> gets plenty of light. Can I throw standard Mircale Grow in the water
> and at what concentration?
========================
They need full sun and make sure they don't have mites or aphids already
infesting them. I use Miracle Grow or Peter's Fertilizer - about 1/4th tsp.
to a gallon of their water. Most die before spring. They just sort of melt
away. Water lettuce does much better indoors.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[Bill Stock]

"Mike C" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I have moved a water hyacinth indoors from my pond into a large glass
> bowl. I like the way it looks and am wondering what kind of
> fertizilizer I should add to the water. I know I need ot makje sure it
> gets plenty of light. Can I throw standard Mircale Grow in the water
> and at what concentration?


I brought some in last year and put them in a large stock tank with a Metal
Halide for light. Since I had fish, I couldn't use Miracle Grow. I added
Nitrates (Stump Remover), Phosphates, Potassium and Iron. The tops did
extremely well, I had all kinds of runners on top of runners. They
eventually started losing their roots though, the melting effect that KL
mentioned. I really can't explain this, it must be a missing nutrient, as
the stalks were beautiful. Perhaps it was a carbonate problem, but the PH
never dropped. I kept them in the aquarium the year before and almost none
survived, but I had to throw out buckets of them this year.

The good news, is that they are HUGE in the pond this year. Since I had them
early in the season and they were fully grown they look like bean stalks. No
flowers this year though. They also cured my String Algae, I have none,
except for the waterfall.

[~ janj]

>"Mike C" > wrote in message
>I have moved a water hyacinth indoors from my pond into a large glass
> bowl. I like the way it looks and am wondering what kind of
> fertizilizer I should add to the water. I know I need ot makje sure it
> gets plenty of light. Can I throw standard Mircale Grow in the water
> and at what concentration?

What worked for me, and I read later worked for others, was to have them in
something with soil at the bottom so they're floating with their roots in
contact with the soil. My biggest problem was tiny aphids & mites coming in
with them. So be sure and debug them, consider using a systemic-type
pesticide if not in with fish. ~ jan www.jjspond.us
-----------------

Also ponding troll free at:
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium

[Marco Schwarz]

Hi..

> What worked for me, and I read later worked for others,
> was to have them in something with soil at the bottom so
> they're floating with their roots in contact with the
> soil.

Will try it out next winter..

> My biggest problem was tiny aphids & mites coming in
> with them.

Good at removing plant lice in aquaria with hoods is Gerris
lacustris, the Common Pond skater..
--
cu
Marco

[Esme]

Bill Stock wrote:
> "Mike C" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> >I have moved a water hyacinth indoors from my pond into a large glass
> > bowl. I like the way it looks and am wondering what kind of
> > fertizilizer I should add to the water. I know I need ot makje sure it
> > gets plenty of light. Can I throw standard Mircale Grow in the water
> > and at what concentration?
>
>
> I brought some in last year and put them in a large stock tank with a Metal
> Halide for light. Since I had fish, I couldn't use Miracle Grow. I added
> Nitrates (Stump Remover), Phosphates, Potassium and Iron. The tops did
> extremely well, I had all kinds of runners on top of runners. They
> eventually started losing their roots though, the melting effect that KL
> mentioned. I really can't explain this, it must be a missing nutrient, as
> the stalks were beautiful. Perhaps it was a carbonate problem, but the PH
> never dropped. I kept them in the aquarium the year before and almost none
> survived, but I had to throw out buckets of them this year.
>
> The good news, is that they are HUGE in the pond this year. Since I had them
> early in the season and they were fully grown they look like bean stalks. No
> flowers this year though. They also cured my String Algae, I have none,
> except for the waterfall.

This is a very timely thread for me. I was encouraging a friend to
bring his water hyacinth in and keep them in a 14" deep plastic barrel
(circumference about 62"). He had heard that they would turn to mush
but I have volunteered to give it a try. Is that a large enough
container? And what size Halide light would be needed? I suppose it
would be important not to crowd the hyacinths? And in the end would it
be worth it?
Thank you,
Esme