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Allotment Articles1.
Allotment Articles 2.
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Water Hyacinth
Water Hyacinth, or to give it its Latin name Eichornia Crassipes is a free-floating plant sold for fishponds. The plants roots trail downwards looking like feathery gills and the plant floats due to its own little buoyancy chambers. These are grossly enlarged hollow stems with the leaves of the plant held above the waters surface. It does have a very attractive mauve flower, but it rarely flowers in this country outside as it is not warm enough. It will flower quite readily in a greenhouse, or conservatory. Because the plant is imported from warmer climates it must not be put outside on the fishpond before all risk of frost has gone and then will only last outside until the colder nights of the autumn come. It is sometimes possible to bring them in for winter and keep them for the following year in a fish tank, or bucket in the kitchen.
The water hyacinth is a very fast grower under good conditions and spreads like a strawberry by offshoots. Indeed in Florida it grows so well it chokes the waterways and is considered to be a menace although some fish eat it. Because of its fast growth it is a greedy feeder taking the nitrates out of the water thereby helping to keep the water sweet. It is now catching on for use in vegetable filters that supplement the ordinary biological filter. These are simply a large container holding as much water hyacinth as possible through which the pond water is pumped.
The plant also provides valuable shade for the pond in mid summer when the sun can be fierce. (We have all heard about John Majors sun burnt goldfish!)
Fish will also nibble at the roots of the Hyacinth eating the algae that they collect and the insects that they attract which helps their diet. Another use for the water hyacinth is as a spawning medium for fish. In Japan it is much favored for spawning Koi, who lay their eggs in its long filamentous roots. Goldfish also like to spawn in it and because it is a natural medium, success may be better than with artificial spawning mops.
One thing which must be remembered is that water hyacinths don’t tolerate algaecides at all and some other chemicals may also affect them so it is advisable to remove them from your pond for a couple of weeks if you treat it with any medicine.
Water Hyacinths are available in season from all good aquatic retailers and will cost between one and two pounds each, but as they grow quickly they are good value for money.
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