Water hyacinths are not hardy. They are only kept in the garden pond from May to October. They then need to be cared for indoors in high temperatures and lots of light. How to overwinter the South American aquatic plants.

Water hyacinths are not hardy and must be brought in by October at the latest

Bring indoors in the fall

Even temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius cause problems for the water hyacinth. Fish them out of the pond with a landing net by October at the latest.

Prepare the wintering place

In the house, prepare a place for wintering:

  • Clean the warm water aquarium or glass vessel
  • Put in a warm place
  • Apply a two centimeter thick layer of soil
  • let the water run in
  • Heat the water to about 15 degrees
  • install lighting

If you don't have an aquarium, you can use a deep water container like a bucket. The vessel should be 30 to 40 centimeters deep.

To set it up, you need a place where it is consistently warm. A warm conservatory is ideal, but if necessary, the living room will do as well.

Take care of water hyacinths during the winter

Water hyacinths need light during the winter. Adjust a grow lamp, ($24.99) aquarium cover or other lighting source to give the plants 12 hours of light.

The nutrient requirement of water hyacinth is very high. It is not always covered by the layer of earth. Fertilize regularly according to the instructions with a commercially available fertilizer for aquatic plants. Thin out offshoots more often so that the water hyacinth has enough space.

From the end of May you can put the rosettes back in the garden pond.

tips and tricks

Overwintering the water hyacinth is comparatively expensive. It's only worth it if you have empty aquariums lying around anyway. You can get new plants in the spring from any well-stocked specialist dealer for little money.

Category:

Vegetable garden