How to grow water hyacinth? Mastering these cultivation methods is all you need

Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant with well-developed fibrous roots that are brownish-black, and pale purple flowers that are very beautiful. It is native to Brazil and is now widely distributed across the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins and the provinces of South China. So, how do you grow water hyacinth?

1. Seedling selection

Choose new, strong plants, remove diseased and rotten leaves, and keep them as seedlings, with a stocking density of 5 kg/m.

2. Temperature

Keep the temperature low to inhibit seedling growth. During the preservation stage, the suitable water temperature is 13°C-15°C, and the day-night temperature difference must not exceed 2°C. Growth stops below 10°C, survival can be maintained at 4-5°C, and below 0°C the plants die. Therefore, during the preservation stage, the indoor temperature should be prevented from getting too high; low-temperature storage is best, keeping the seedlings in a dormant state.

3. Ventilation and air exchange

Ventilate every day to keep the air inside fresh. By late April, all doors and windows can be opened during the day and closed again at 4-5 pm; from 10 days before planting out, they should all be opened day and night for hardening off, so the seedlings gradually adapt to the natural environment and are ready for planting.

4. Maintain light

Water hyacinth has high light requirements; the longer the light period, the more vigorous the photosynthesis. Regardless of whether it is cold or warm, it must receive 4-5 hours of light every day, especially in spring. If for 2-3 days it cannot receive light or be exposed to light because the cover is too tight, water hyacinth will rot at the roots or even die. Therefore, the preservation room should have its cover curtain opened every day to increase indoor light and raise the room temperature.

5. Changing water and fertilizing

Water hyacinth likes to grow in shallow water, and the indoor relative humidity should preferably be kept at 70%-80%. In spring, the temperature rises, the wind is strong, and water evaporates quickly, so at this time the pond water should be sprayed often and the water changed regularly, generally once every two months, and the temperature difference of the water should not be too great. If low-temperature seedling preservation is used, the water does not need to be changed. In addition to applying enough base fertilizer before preserving the seedlings, topdressing should also be done regularly during the preservation period, preferably with decomposed human manure and urine diluted to a concentration of 1:20. When topdressing, it must not be sprinkled directly on the seedlings.

6. Pest and disease control

Water hyacinth grows slowly in the early stage and is easily harmed by weeds, so algae and weeds in the water should be removed promptly. A common pest is aphids, which can be sprayed with a 40% dimethoate 2000-fold dilution.

7. Harvesting

From 1 to 10 months after planting out, once the plants are growing and multiplying very vigorously, harvesting can begin. Each harvest can take 1/4 of the total number of plants, and should not exceed 1/3 at most. After harvesting, the plants left on the water surface should be spread out evenly so they can continue to reproduce. Generally, in summer, harvest once every 5-7 days, and after autumn begins, harvest once about every 15 days, until the plants enter a relatively dormant stage, when harvesting should stop in order to keep seed plants for overwintering.

Growing water hyacinth has relatively high requirements for water, light, and temperature, so everyone must pay close attention to these aspects.