How to Plant Water Hyacinth
A brief knowledge sharing, introducing how to plant water hyacinth and the cultivation techniques of this green plant. Let's take a look together!
Water hyacinth, also known as water lily, water narcissus, and water flower, is a floating annual herbaceous plant of the family Pontederiaceae and genus Eichhornia. Native to America, it is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. In China, it is originally from the Pearl River Valley, a wild plant that was widely introduced and cultivated in the 1950s as green manure and feed. It is commonly cultivated in ponds and ditches in our province, with high yield, mainly used as pig feed and green manure.
(I) Habits
Water hyacinth prefers warm and humid conditions, with an optimal growth temperature of 25-35°C. It requires a large amount of fertilizer and grows rapidly when there is an adequate supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. According to experiments, two mother plants can grow more than 1200 seedlings in four months. At the fastest growth rate, one mu of water surface can increase by 700 kilograms of fresh grass per day, with an average yield of 50,000 to 75,000 kilograms per mu. It can also grow in relatively瘦 (thin) water bodies, but with lower yield. In its native habitat, it grows and reproduces throughout the year without distinct growing or dormant periods. In temperate and subtropical regions, due to seasonal temperature changes, it forms relatively distinct growing and dormant periods. It enters a dormant state at 7-10°C, begins to germinate above 10°C, and its growth is inhibited by temperatures above 39°C. When encountering frost in autumn, it quickly withers, and it can naturally overwinter outdoors when the temperature is maintained above 5°C. Water hyacinth has strong disease resistance and alkali tolerance, and can grow normally at a pH of 9.
(II) Cultivation Methods
After the frost period (Guyu), when the average temperature reaches 13°C or higher, it is time to start cultivation. For still water bodies less than one mu in area and not in a windy location, the seedlings can be directly transplanted to one side that gets more sunlight and allowed to float and grow. For larger water bodies or flowing water, it is necessary to use bamboo stakes to form triangular or square enclosures, floated on the water surface, and tied to stakes on the shore to keep them in place and prevent them from being scattered by wind or carried away by the current. The amount of seeds to be sown per mu can vary, generally about 150-200 kilograms, with a higher amount speeding up reproduction. Water hyacinth likes fertilizer, so before planting, it is necessary to determine the water quality and apply a base fertilizer if the water is瘦 (thin). For top dressing, apply about 1000 kilograms of manure every 15-20 days, or use water manure, or determine the application based on the leaf color. If the leaves are yellow, you can spray with a dilute urea solution of 0.2-0.4% or an alkaline ammonium solution of 1-3%. In ponds or ditches near villages where domestic water flows in, usually no fertilizer is needed, as the domestic sewage provides sufficient nutrients for the growth of water hyacinth. If aphids become a problem, you can spray with a 40% carbaryl emulsion diluted 200 times for control.
(III) Harvesting
About 1-2 months after planting, when the plants are growing and reproducing vigorously, you can start harvesting. You can harvest once a week, taking about one-fourth of the total amount each time, and no more than one-third at most. After harvesting, the remaining plants on the water surface should be evenly spread out to continue reproduction. In autumn, as the growth of the plants weakens, the harvesting interval should be longer, generally about 15 days. When the plants enter a relatively dormant stage, harvesting should be stopped to facilitate overwintering.
How to Plant Water Hyacinth
(IV) Seed Saving
In our province, the winter temperature is relatively low (around 0°C), and water hyacinth cannot overwinter outdoors. Preventive measures must be taken to ensure overwintering. Currently, the commonly used overwintering methods include:
(1) Plastic Film Coverage: Choose a location near water sources, with convenient drainage, sunny, and fertile soil to build a greenhouse. Maintain a depth of 30 centimeters inside the greenhouse and use 1000-1500 kilograms of manure as a base fertilizer per mu. After placing the seedlings, cover them with plastic film, add straw curtains at night for insulation, and uncover them during the day to increase temperature. If the temperature is too low, a fire should be lit inside the greenhouse.
(2)温泉 Water Conservation: Introduce温泉 water into the pond, place the seedlings, and regularly supplement with spring water to maintain a suitable water temperature.
(3) Greenhouse Conservation: In places with conditions, place the seedlings in a pond in a plastic greenhouse or glasshouse (5 kilograms per square meter), relying on the warming effect of sunlight to maintain a room temperature of about 20°C during the day and not lower than 10°C at night. This overwintering method is effective but costly. Water hyacinth has strong vegetative propagation ability, with axillary buds growing into stolons and forming new plants. The stolons between the mother and new plants are very fragile, and once they break off, they become independent new plants. These new plants form new plants, resulting in very high yields. Additionally, water hyacinth can also be propagated by seeds. Before and after the flowering period of the water hyacinth seeds, appropriate fertilization should be applied and artificial pollination should be carried out, which can result in a fruiting rate of up to 80-90%. Harvest the seeds 45 days after flowering to ensure they are full. Soak the seeds in water above 25°C for 10 days before sowing, then sow them on a soft muddy surface, keeping it moist, with a temperature requirement of around 30°C. It takes about 7-9 days to germinate, and from germination to seedling formation takes about 35-45 days. When the seedlings have 5-6 leaves, the petioles begin to swell and can be cultivated in shallow water. By the time they have 9 leaves, they can be placed in the pond for cultivation. The advantage of seed propagation is that it eliminates the need for overwintering management, saving labor and time and reducing costs, and it also results in a higher number of propagations. However, germination and seedling growth are slower, and planting is late, resulting in lower yield per unit area.
This article shares the experience of how to plant water hyacinth and its cultivation techniques, hoping that reading this article can bring you some help!