How to preserve water hyacinth eichornia in winter. Water hyacinth: planting and care

In the quiet garden ponds, you can find amazing water hyacinths. It is noteworthy that the plant, whose scientific name is eichhornia crassipes, is not a hyacinth per se.

What is a water hyacinth

The green miracle water hyacinth got into domestic water bodies from tropical rivers, where it grows like a common weed. Eichornia has earned the love of flower growers thanks to its beautiful hyacinth flowers. Air floats located at the base of the petioles keep the plant afloat. An erect peduncle grows out of a rosette of leathery leaves in the hot summer in July-August.

The plant is so not demanding that the size, depth of the reservoir, the composition of the soil do not play a significant role. The water flower hyacinth or eichonia blooms actively during the hot months. If the summer does not work out, then the plant directs its efforts to the formation of shoots.

The decisive factors for the flowering of the water hyacinth are the length of the daylight hours and the temperature regime.

Microclimate for water hyacinth

Easy care for eichornia allows you to grow water hyacinth at home. The main agricultural rules relate to temperature and lighting requirements. Water hyacinth has no special requirements for the composition and amount of water. The plant takes root in silt when the depth of the reservoir is less than half a meter. In deeper ponds, its roots spread freely in the water column and provide the specimen with food.

The air temperature in the homeland of Eichornia in the Amazon basin throughout the year ranges from +14 ° C to +40 ° C. Water hyacinth is not able to withstand a cold snap up to +13 ° C. A decrease in the average daily temperature to +20 ° C causes the active growth of daughter plants. Eichornia bloom occurs when the thermometer is stably kept in the range of +28 ° C to +30 ° C.

Fertilizers for hyacinth in the pond

Eichonia is often used for post-treatment Wastewater. Root system tropical weed successfully assimilates dissolved trace elements of heavy metals and other industrial and agricultural waste.

When growing water hyacinth in a decorative pond, it must be added to the water mineral fertilizers or nitrogen complexes:

Superphosphate.
Diammophos.
Urea.
Saltpeter.

Eichonia responds well to organic feeding:

Mullein.
Chicken droppings.
Wood ash.
Compost.
Bottom sludge.

Water hyacinth is fed in the spring after the end of wintering by adding a weak solution of fertilizers to the reservoir. During the summer, organic residues of plants enter the pond, which support the breeding ground.

How to organize wintering for eichornia

Gardeners successfully grow water hyacinth in open reservoirs of the middle lane, providing the plant with proper wintering indoors.

Eichornia is taken out of the ornamental pond when the nights get colder than +14 ° C.
The specimen is placed in a container with settled water at room temperature. For these purposes, terrariums, aquariums, barrels or other containers can serve.

The plant is placed on a floating foam ring. This keeps the leaves from rotting. Only the root system should be in the water. The water hyacinth leaves will be protected from rot by keeping them dry thanks to the floating raft.
In winter, the eichornia is fed with a mineral complex for the aquarium flora. Do not forget about the support of 12-hour daylight hours. The optimal solution there will be a tank installation on the south window, provided that there are no drafts.

The water hyacinth terrarium must not be covered with a lid as the plant needs oxygen.
Taking care of eichornia in winter is easy.

Important:

Monitor the water level.
Arrange artificial lighting.
Ventilate the terrarium regularly.
Protect the specimen from drafts.
Feed at least once a month.
The optimum air temperature for wintering water hyacinth is in the range of +20 + 22 ° C.

How to propagate water hyacinth

In tropical rivers, water hyacinth reproduces in two ways:

Seeds.
Daughter processes.

Eichornia seeds germinate at an air temperature of +35 ° C, which is difficult to achieve under conditions temperate climate... For this reason, water hyacinth is almost never propagated by seed in horticulture.

Water hyacinth is very easily propagated by daughter plants. From the center of the rosette of leaves grows a thin "tendril" similar to strawberry, on which a young eichornia is formed. The main rule for breeding this culture is compliance with personal safety precautions. The sap of the plant irritates the skin and gloves must be worn.

Young rosettes are separated at the beginning of summer so that the plant has time to get stronger before the onset of autumn. The young shoot is carefully separated from the mother bush and placed on permanent place... Planting and caring for your new water hyacinth is straightforward. Echornias planted in a new reservoir require protection from drafts and feeding with a nitrogen complex of fertilizers. Soon the bush will adapt to the changed microclimate conditions and will continue growing.

Errors of agrotechnology of eichornia

The decorative value of water hyacinth lies in the beauty of its flowers. Straight peduncles are crowned with five to 12 pale purple one-day flowers.

Agricultural mistakes when growing a tropical weed in an ornamental reservoir can lead to:

Curvature of peduncles.
Decay of leaves in winter.
Excessive overgrowth in the pond.
Water hyacinth loses its leaves in winter.
Death of a wintering specimen of Eichornia.
Lack of water hyacinth bloom.

A water hyacinth growing in a pond of stagnant water produces a straight, strong peduncle. In the restless river water, a thin pedicel tilted towards the water grows.
The leaves of the wintering water hyacinth are easily affected by rot. It is necessary to organize the planting of the plant on a floating raft so that the leaves do not come into contact with the water. It is also extremely important not to cover the terrarium with a lid or ventilate daily, avoiding harmful drafts.

Eichornia is able to completely fill the entire surface of the reservoir, since it releases 200-300 shoots per summer season... Unpretentious culture suppresses flora and upsets the balance of the pond.

It is required to regularly remove excess specimens in order to avoid the expansion of the water hyacinth.
In winter, eichornia can lose a few leaves, which is acceptable if there are no other problems. The plant will safely wait for spring, if it is supported by additional lighting and feeding. Instance will quickly regain its attractiveness after returning to open water.

Water hyacinth should not be placed in dark basements for the winter. Tropical plants do not stop photosynthesis throughout the year. Without light, the eichornia will quickly perish. The second common misconception is transplanting a flower into soil or sand. The roots of this plant grow easily into muddy river soil. It should not be forgotten that water hyacinth never grows on the shore.

Eichornia does not bloom in cool summers. Usually, active flowering is observed in July-August, when the weather is hot. Water hyacinth pleases with flowers at an air temperature of at least +25 ° C.
Experienced flower growers recommend purchasing eichornia seedlings from local gardeners.
In this case, there is a guarantee to obtain accurate information about the flowering of water hyacinths in a given area.

Water hyacinth, also known as eichornia, belongs to the Pontederia family, which has about 30 varieties of aquatic plants. This plant has long been a permanent inhabitant. decorative ponds and aquariums, but there was a period when it posed a serious threat to the ecological system. They began to call it water hyacinth because of the similarity of flowers, but in reality, eichornia has nothing to do with hyacinth.

Eichornia - floating plant

In nature, eichornia grows in water bodies with fresh water in tropical and subtropical climates. The most densely populated area of hyacinth on earth - this is the Amazon basin, where average temperature ranges from 20 to 27 degrees above zero. Most often, water hyacinth is located on the surface of the water and only occasionally spreads its roots in the muddy bottom. Remarkable is the fact that this plant settles in water bodies of absolutely any depth.

Eichornia is a floating plant with large elliptical leaves with small swellings at the base of the leaf petioles. These the blisters are filled with air, which keeps large leaves on the water surface. Beautiful leaves dark green in color, having a smooth texture, are collected in a kind of basket, and flowers resembling an orchid bloom for only one day.

Filamentous roots perfectly cleanse the reservoir of poisonous chemical elements that get there through the fault of a person. When growing at home, for example, in an aquarium, the flower will not allow an excessive concentration of salts in the water, neutralizing them.

Flowers and reproduction

The flowers of the plant are very beautiful and graceful, have six petals of a pleasant lilac, one of which is necessarily decorated with a bright spot. In the middle of the flower there are several tall dark blue stamens. After pollination, in the place where the flower was, a fruit grows with a large number of seeds, which subsequently fall into the water.

Once in the water, the seeds begin to grow rapidly, but for this they good illumination is necessary and the temperature is at least 25 degrees Celsius. In the Russian climate, this plant spreads vegetatively, releasing young shoots.

As already mentioned, it cleans water well, but using it for these purposes on its own is dangerous because it is rather breeding difficult to control plants over a large area. The flower will multiply quickly and take over the entire reservoir completely, displacing other plants, and will destroy the local fauna.

It should be noted that the aggressive behavior of the plant manifests itself only under very warm and mild climatic conditions, for which the people called it the green plague. In climates similar to ours, he behaves quite moderately.

The popularity of eichornia

The plant looks great in reservoirs, so it is understandable why it has gained great popularity among gardeners around the world. The plant can be grown even in middle lane Russia with its cold climate in garden ponds. IN small ponds the water warms up well by the end of spring, and the hyacinth can be planted in the reservoir.

It is noteworthy that if the water in which the flower grows will constantly be in a restless state then the foliage stalks will grow thick. If the reservoir is quiet and calm, or the hyacinth grows in the aquarium, then the petioles will have a long, slender shape. Under suitable conditions, eichornia will delight you with its greenery of large leaves and beautiful flowering.

Eichornia loves warmth

There are no particular difficulties in growing it, it is only necessary to create a moisture and temperature suitable for the plant. Then you just have to watch behind the development of the plant and in time to remove the emerging horizontal shoots from the leaf rosettes, in order to avoid excessive spread in the reservoir.

Lateral shoots of water hyacinth must be removed in rubber gloves, since the juice of the plant has a high concentration and often causes irritation of the skin. Eichornia blooms in the summer and loves warmth very much. In this regard, it is necessary to take care of the plant in winter period and observe a number of measures when growing it. In countries with tropical climates cold winter does not happen, so hyacinth reproduces all year round.

Water hyacinth in winter

In cool climates, the plant requires human intervention, therefore, in the cold season, the hyacinth is moved from the reservoir to the aquarium or damp sand and taken to a warm room. It is imperative to maintain heat and humidity until spring, otherwise the plant may die.

Moving from the reservoir must be carried out until the water reaches a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. When the water temperature reaches about 15 degrees above zero, the plant is carefully fished out of the reservoir with a net and transferred to a previously prepared container.

It is important to take into account that the water in the container must be the same as in the reservoir in which the hyacinth grew, so that the plant does not undergo a temperature shock and does not die. Since the flower came to us from a tropical climate, it needs to try to recreate as close as possible conditions for life. In winter, the daylight hours are much shorter than in summer, and the water hyacinth is accustomed to 12-hour daylight hours, so they install over the containers with plants fluorescent lamps.

Subtleties of care

It is very important to ensure that the plant is not exposed to temperature changes, and to protect the hyacinth from drafts, but at the same time, a constant supply should be ensured. fresh air... If you notice that during the winter it begins to lose its leaves, it means that the plant does not have enough lighting, in this case it is necessary to install additional lamps.

In the spring, when the plant is moved to new reservoir, you first need to add superphosphate, and then the hyacinth is planted. Sometimes eichornia leaves during wintering, they can rot in stagnant water, to avoid this, the plant is placed on a special ring float. With this device, the leaves do not touch the water, and the roots do not protrude to the surface, and the rotting stops.

If you decide to purchase a plant in a store, then it should be borne in mind that some varieties are too thermophilic and very whimsical, and even due to a small temperature drop, they may not bloom. It is recommended to purchase only Eichornia species proven in our cold climate.

Eichornia as a purifier

The root system of an adult water hyacinth resembles a long and bushy beard. In our climate, the roots of eichornia, growing, reach more than one meter. Scientists have discovered the extraordinary ability of eichornia is impressive processing speed organic pollutants and various chemical compounds... In fact, it turns out that the more polluted the reservoir, the better the hyacinth grows and spreads.

Noticing this feature, people began to grow eichornia and successfully use it in sewage treatment plants and industrial enterprises saving on expensive water treatment systems. Scientists from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics conducted research and experiments in various places and conditions. As a result, it was proved that eichornia also successfully absorbs cesium, strontium radionuclides and a number of heavy metals.

After the plant has exhausted its resource, it can be burned. From one ton absorbed radioactive elements Eichornia, when burned, only about 20 kilograms of radioactive ash remains, which must be further buried.

Water hyacinth as a food supplement

IN South-East Asia Water hyacinth has long been used as a dietary supplement in livestock diets. In Russia, eichornia underwent official research at the Don Zonal Institute of Agriculture.

Scientists have found that the plant is very rich in the following substances:

Protein.
Carotene.
Vitamins: A, B, C, E.

One hectare treatment facilities on the basis of eichornia gives from 350 to 1500 tons of plant mass, from which about 30 tons of dry fortified feed is obtained.

One ton of this feed contains:

Potassium - 60 kg.
Nitrogen - 20 kg.
Phosphorus - 17 kg.
Protein - 28 kg.
A large number of amino acids.

Nuances of use

Consumption of water hyacinth feed promotes the best absorption of the main livestock and poultry. To use water hyacinth for livestock feed, plant drying is required. It is produced in the shade, under a canopy, for better preservation of nutrients and vitamins, and especially carotene. Depending on the growing environment of the eichornia chemical composition may change somewhat.

If you use eichornia in agriculture, then it will undoubtedly, to a certain extent, help in solving problems with livestock feed and birds. The green mass that you receive from your reservoir will subsequently be enough to feed livestock or poultry from your private treatment facilities. And the main thing is that the reservoir on which the eichornia will grow will be environmentally friendly.

Eichornia or water hyacinth is an aquatic plant for a pond, native to the tropics. It is successfully grown in our conditions, in reservoirs and ponds, despite its tropical origin. Moreover, thanks to the harsh winters, the water hyacinth got rid of some of its shortcomings!

7 factors successful storage in the winter in the aquarium + 3 other storage methods, and features of care in summer period, not so simple with water hyacinth!

Water hyacinth (Eichornia) - description

Eichornia leaves are collected in a rosette. There is a specific bulge at the base of the sheet, distinctive feature plants, inside of which there is a porous tissue, thanks to which the plant is kept afloat. According to the observations of gardeners, in calm waters, this compaction becomes less pronounced. The roots are long (up to 0.5 m), completely submerged in water.

The flower is extraordinarily beautiful, its shape resembles a hyacinth, pink, blue or purple. Flowers appear in late summer.

Water hyacinth is capable of absorbing hazardous and harmful elements dissolved in water:

insecticides,
phenols,
phosphates,
cadmium,
nickel
silver.

IN warm lands, at home, eichornia multiplies rapidly and soon covers the surface of reservoirs with a dense carpet. Due to the dense vegetation layer, the oxygen regime of the reservoir deteriorates sharply, which leads to the death of other plants, the reservoir itself acquires an extremely bad smell.

In our conditions with cold winters, eichornia does not have time to fill the water surface during the warm season enough to become a problem. And for the winter you have to hide it in a warm room. It seems to be unpretentious plant, but also in summer and during winter, water hyacinth shows its character, knowing its requirements, you can easily get along with it!

Eichornia in a pond, reservoir - summer, planting and care

Eichornia absorbs harmful substances, seemingly, the best plant to cleanse the pond cannot be found. But everything is not so simple, in the mineralized and nutrient-poor water of the lake, it does not grow very well. More precisely, it does not grow at all.

There must be a lot of nutrients in the water!
And the water should be saturated with oxygen to the maximum!

As soon as the plant lacks oxygen, growth and development will stop!

In practice, forced aeration of reservoirs is equipped, and fertilizers are supplied.

Landing

In shallow reservoirs, the water warms up well in the sun, and in the middle of spring you can plant a plant in a pond.

In the well-heated water of the reservoir, eichoria begins to multiply rapidly.

It reproduces vegetatively, developing on lateral shoots daughter plants, they are separated and seated.

The best reservoir for eichornia:

Open
Not deep
With forced aeration or dynamic natural, with springs and water movement.
With a lot of organic residues - for nutrition.

Water hyacinth - how to keep in winter?

When the temperature drops below +10 degrees, water hyacinth is brought into the room. More precisely, they bring in the future planting material... The main task is to keep the plants alive for reproduction in the next season.

Known methods for storing water hyacinth in winter are:

in aquarium
in damp sand
in silt
in a three-liter can

How to store water hyacinth in an aquarium in winter: 7 success factors

Water must be taken from the reservoir in which the eichornia grew, this is the most the best option... In extreme cases, it is defended. Water from the reservoir should be prepared in advance for the whole winter.
Sludge from the pond native to the water hyacinth is added to the bottom of the container.
The storage container should be transparent: an aquarium, a jar.
The water must contain nutrients for the plant. some gardeners recommend adding fertilizer to aquarium plants.
Do you need backlighting? Most gardeners believe that backlighting is indispensable, but there is practical examples when hyacinth survived in a regular jar on a regular windowsill without additional lighting.
Leaves often rot during storage. To prevent this phenomenon, the plant is "planted" on a foam float in an aquarium, glass container. To prevent the leaves from touching the surface of the water.
The temperature will be normal room temperature.

Keeping eichornia in wet sand in winter

The water hyacinth is planted in the sand, and the humidity is constantly maintained.

How to store water hyacinth in silt in winter

Another way to store eichornia.

A deep pot is filled with silt from the day of the reservoir.
The water level in the pot is constantly maintained at 3-5 cm.
The pot is placed on a regular windowsill.
Not supplemented.

How to store eichornia in a three-liter jar in winter

The third year of successful storage of eichornia in a three-liter jar in an apartment!

Tightly closed plastic cover.
North window.
No backlight.
Young shoots (about 10 cm in diameter) are stored for storage, and the roots are about 10 cm long.
I take water from my own reservoir.
The bank is one third full.
The temperature on the windowsill is room temperature, but fluctuates when ventilated.

By spring, the water turns dark brown, like tea. Most of the leaves die off, the bulk of the roots disappear. But the plant itself survives. In the reservoir, it quickly grows roots and leaves, and blooms by August.

The area of cultivation of eichornia, and where to buy water hyacinth?

We know for certain that wild hyacinth can be grown in almost all regions of our country with a warm summer period. The readers of these cities succeeded in growing and multiplying on their pond:

Minsk
Tashkent
Moscow
Penza
Krasnodar
Uralsk
Volgograd
Novosibirsk
Saint Petersburg

And these are only facts known to us. You can buy eichornia - water hyacinth easily and simply in the online stores of the "everything for ponds, reservoirs, fountains" group.

So bolder, everything will work out!

Water hyacinth - photo

Eichornia (water hyacinth) - video

Have you come across a water hyacinth? Can you save it in winter? How do you store it? Share in the comments!

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Water hyacinth is a tropical perennial, which must be landed in the water in the summer. It is considered a good water purifier. The plant is capricious - it requires a stable temperature and constant lighting. Consider how to preserve water hyacinth in winter in our latitudes.

Hyacinth is an aquatic floating perennial plant native to the United States. In another way, it is called "Eihornia". It is most commonly found in the swampy areas of the Amazon. But now water hyacinth is distributed all over the world. The plant mainly grows in the tropics, on the surface of water bodies - rivers, lakes and ponds. In addition, it can even be grown both in an aquarium and in decorative ponds.

Under favorable climatic conditions, hyacinth grows very quickly. This interferes with shipping, which is why the plant is often called water plague.

Hyacinth has swollen petioles on which the plant is kept in the water. These petioles contain air and are entirely composed of honeycomb fabric. Calmly stand a lush emerald rosette, from the center of which flower stalks depart. The leaves of the plant are oval, dense and wrinkled. Up to 10 leaves can be counted on one flower. The root system is fibrous and can be up to 0.5 m long. The rhizome of the water hyacinth possesses unique property: it is able to purify water from phosphates, nitrates, heavy metals, phenols and other harmful impurities.

Flowering lasts all summer, with each flower blooming for only 2 days. However, due to their large number, flowering seems to be long and plentiful. Hyacinths bloom especially beautifully and brightly in non-rainy and warm weather.

The peduncle, after it has faded, goes under the water. If the summer turned out to be cold, then over water surface a huge cap of emerald dense foliage appears. Due to the dense vegetation layer, the oxygen regime of water bodies deteriorates. This can lead to the death of other aquatic plants, while the reservoir itself acquires a very unpleasant odor. This phenomenon is usually observed in the homeland of the water hyacinth.

Planting and caring for eichornia

When planting a flower in a pond, you need to take into account that the water must be fortified and contain a large amount of organic matter. Gardeners advise adding humus, river silt, compost, mullein and commercially available complex dressings to the water. The active growth of outlets depends on the amount of micronutrients.

It should be planted in late spring - early summer, when a stable temperature is established. An open, shallow reservoir with forced aeration or a dynamic natural one with water movement is ideal for planting. Eichornia can grow in water bodies of any depth. If the depth is less than 50 cm, then the plant will take root in shallow water or muddy soil. And if the depth is greater, then the flower will simply float.

The plant does not require special care... Periodically, it is necessary to cut off the old black leaf petioles from it. They break off easily from the mother flower.

Active growth begins at a temperature of 25-27 degrees. Flowering begins at temperatures above 28 degrees. Such a climate in Asia and the United States. Of course, in the central and northern parts of Russia, it is difficult to achieve full bloom. Nevertheless, water hyacinth grows well in the south of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus. The closer to the south the plant is, the more abundantly it blooms.

The flower needs more than 14 hours of daylight. With a lack of sunlight, the plant begins to wither and shed its leaves. If there is a lack of lighting, then the plant must be artificially illuminated. To do this, you can use fluorescent lamps.

Flower reproduction is surprisingly fast. The procedure is a bit like the propagation of strawberries - the hyacinth has daughter processes. Per month mother plant gives more than 100 new copies.

The increase in mass in water hyacinth begins with a decrease in daylight hours. In addition, the flower can be propagated by seed. However, the seeds ripen fully at a stable temperature of over 36 degrees. After flowering, the fruits break with the seeds, after which they fall into the water. With a lack of heat, they rot, but at high temperatures they begin to grow very strongly.

When growing in our latitudes, it is very important to know how to preserve water hyacinth in winter. Consider this moment in details.

Overwintering water hyacinth

When the temperature drops below 10 degrees, the plant must be brought indoors. More precisely, the future planting material is entered. The main concern is keeping the hyacinth alive for reproduction next summer.

Only young shoots should be taken for storage, the diameter of which is about 10 cm and the roots in length reach no more than 10 cm.

Known storage methods for water hyacinth are overwintering in:

aquarium;
sand;
three-liter jar.

Wintering in the aquarium

This is not as laborious a process as it might seem at first glance. Choosing this method, you need to take into account some of the nuances. These include:

Collect water from the same reservoir where the eichornia grew. This is the best option. If this is not possible, take the defended one. Harvest water from the reservoir for the whole winter in advance.
At the bottom of the aquarium, place silt from the pond native to the hyacinth.
The water must contain nutrients for the flower. You can add special fertilizers for aquarium plants.
For storage, a regular room temperature.
It is advisable to place the aquarium on a windowsill to provide the necessary lighting. In the evening, the plant can be additionally illuminated with a fluorescent lamp.
To prevent leaf decay, "plant" the hyacinth on a foam float so that the leaves do not touch the water.

Silt storage

Take a deep pot and fill it with silt from the bottom of the pond.
Pour some water into it. Keep in mind that the water level in the pot must be at least 3-5 cm.
Place the pot on a regular windowsill.

In this case, additional lighting is not necessary. You only need to monitor the water level.

Sand storage

Take any transparent pot and fill it with sand. In winter, it is necessary to constantly maintain humidity, otherwise the hyacinth will die. No special maintenance conditions are required: room temperature, no additional lighting is needed.

Overwintering at the bank

Hyacinth can easily overwinter in a regular three-liter jar. For successful storage, adhere to the following guidelines:

Fill a clean jar with water from your own reservoir a third.
Place the scions there and close tightly with a plastic lid.
The bank should be placed on the north window. Room temperature is good. Additional illumination is not needed.

By spring, the water will turn dark brown. You do not need to be afraid of this, this is a completely normal phenomenon. The bulk of the roots will fall off, most of the leaves will die, but the plant itself will survive. After planting in a pond, leaves and roots will quickly grow back.

Water hyacinth is a flower of stunning beauty. It is unpretentious in maintenance, but quite demanding in terms of temperature and lighting. Particular attention should be paid to caring for the plant in the winter. There are many ways to preserve a flower for further reproduction.

A small at home or a bright aquarium in an apartment will never go out of style. Such things create a special atmosphere and comfort. It's great when fish and shells live in the water, but if you add a couple of interesting ones there, your reservoir will become extraordinary, special and irresistible. There are many colors for decoration, and the water one stands out especially favorably among them. In this article we will talk about it self landing and further care behind such a beautiful plant.

Description

Aquatic (Eichhornia crassipes) - native to tropical regions South America... It is also called excellent eichornia. The natural environment for a flower is lakes, rivers (with no strong currents), ponds, swamps and even ditches.

Did you know? In America, South Asia and other countries of warm climates, it was popularly nicknamed "water plague", since the plant develops very strongly and almost completely covers the rivers due to favorable weather conditions. This is a real disaster for the locals.

Botanically, it is a monocotyledonous plant belonging to the Eichornia genus. Its petiole leaves are up to 20 centimeters in diameter, have a rounded shape, are collected in a rosette in such a way that the hyacinth is always afloat. This is due to the air at the base of the leaf. Its coating is smooth, dense and glossy. The root system of Eichornia excellent is completely immersed in aquatic environment and grows to 0.7 meters in length.

The stem usually reaches 10-15 centimeters in height and produces approximately 10-15 flowers. IN natural environment it can grow up to one meter, and in the aquarium, the water hyacinth, of course, will be much smaller. Large flowers, reaching a diameter of 20-30 millimeters, the gamut can vary from pale pink to deep lilac hue. Because of the magical appearance and pleasant fragrant aroma of inflorescences, eichornia is called beautiful. In a European climate, the plant is likely to please with color in the spring and summer season.

Features of the view

The species is very unusual and has many differences from other living plants. Under suitable conditions, hyacinth grows incredibly quickly and covers the entire surface of the reservoir with a dense layer, which interferes with the passage of ships along the river, for hydroelectric power plants, fishing and other craft.

Important! Breed in large quantities eichornia excellent is not recommended, since the plant has the ability to braid the pond / aquarium so tightly that the air will not get there well, and aquatic inhabitants, be it fish or algae, will not be able to exist normally.

In some cases, the edges of the eichornia leaves are delicate and wavy, this gives a special aesthetic appearance to the plant. It feels great in warm and calm places. Provided a suitable environment, this representative of the flora can turn into an almost constantly blooming and perennial inhabitant. Water hyacinth has many benefits for the aquarium. Thanks to its absorbing abilities, the plant remarkably purifies water, makes it transparent and removes unpleasant odors. It is capable of absorbing toxic insecticides, heavy metals, fish waste and others toxic substances... Many experienced aquarium owners advise not to purchase an expensive filter, but rather to grow an eichornia. Hyacinth is also good in quality, as it contains many minerals and vitamins.

Features of planting and growing

Eichornia is excellent - it is an incredibly demanding and capricious plant, so the conditions of its planting and care should be approached responsibly. Water hyacinth like decorative view can be grown in a pond or in an aquarium: the specificity of the process depends on the selected conditions.

In the pond

When growing eichornia in a pond, the main task will be to create conditions that will be close to its natural ones. First of all, it is warm, rich organic matter and vitamins water. It would be good to add humus, prepared bottom silt or compost to it. This culture is able to quickly decompose substances, therefore, various harmful agents inherent in the pond are not afraid of it. That is why you do not need to pre-clean the reservoir before planting. If possible, it is worth choosing water with a slightly alkaline reaction, but this is not the most important factor. An important condition for growing water hyacinths is water temperature and the environment all in all. The fact is that at home, culture develops at + 24-30 ° C. The plant loves the sun and requires constant lighting. Planting should be started in May-June, so that the hyacinth has time to take root and grow before the cold weather. In addition, at this time the greatest amount of solar heat and light. Eichornia excellent is difficult to tolerate temperature changes, so this indicator should be stable.

In aquarium

Keeping eichornia in an aquarium has several features. On the one hand, it is much easier to control the temperature; there are a huge number of devices and devices that heat the water in the aquarium if necessary. On the other hand, there are several difficulties in this type of cultivation. Firstly, the container should be far from small, because the plant will develop poorly and may die from lack of space. Secondly, you need artificial light for the hyacinth, and you need a lot of it. Experts advise fluorescent lamps with a power of 3.2 watts or more. It will also be good to rearrange the aquarium, then your pet will certainly bloom in our latitudes.

Reproduction

Reproduction of water hyacinth is quite possible and easy to do. Experienced botanists say that this process very similar to reproduction known to all. The plant has daughter processes. This means that the eichornia is capable of reproducing. A similar procedure takes place at an incredibly fast pace - more than 100 new plants can appear within a month. As soon as the daughter process has several leaves, it can be safely removed from the main hyacinth.

Did you know? Eichornia is excellent - almost a universal flower, suitable not only for water purification and. In countries with suitable climates, hyacinth has recently begun to be massively grown for consumption as a salad and for the manufacture of fossil fuels.

This flower can multiply and. True, there is one thing: the whole point is that for the full ripening of the grains and their preparation for planting, a temperature of + 35 ° C is required, therefore this method is possible, but requires artificial heating at home. Seeds are a longer lasting and less efficient type.

Care

When caring for a crop, it is worth maintaining the desired temperature (from + 24 ° C). In the region of + 10-20 ° С, the plant may not bloom, but it will "live". Eichornia needs about 14 hours of daylight.

When grown at home, water hyacinth also requires frequent pruning. Do not forget about this in the aquarium, otherwise the fish will not get along with this plant.

Important! To prevent excessive reproduction of eichornia, as soon as the plant starts to shoot horizontal shoots, they must be removed. This isnecessarydo with gloves, because hyacinth juice, if it gets on the skin, can cause allergies and irritation.

Dead leaf stalks are also cut off in the summer. The need for this becomes clearly visible, because they turn into sluggish and acquire a dark unnatural color. The plant is afraid of drafts, so it must be secured in this sense. In order to save hyacinth, it is worth planting a marsh or. For this purpose, many vertically growing representatives of the aquatic world are suitable, the only exceptions are water lilies.

If the excellent eichornia multiplies too quickly, then its bushes need to be constantly done less often so that there is some distance between them. If you notice that the plant has become a little "lifeless", provide it with additional light and oxygen as soon as possible.