Q • Can you tell me how to overwinter a water hyacinth? I grew one for the first time this summer. I kept it in a bucket of water and just moved the bucket indoors this fall.
A • In warmer sections of the southeastern U.S., the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a noxious weed, notorious for clogging waterways. It’s not hardy in our local climate, but nonetheless is a difficult plant to overwinter and requires special care. It would prefer to spend the winter floating in shallow water in a tropical greenhouse, as it requires high light levels and warm water. If you can’t provide these conditions, try growing it in a heated aquarium equipped with a fluorescent light fixture. Place the aquarium in a bright, sunny room and leave the light on for 12 to 14 hours each day to supplement natural light.
These same conditions can be used to overwinter water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), an equally exacting tropical floating aquatic plant popular with area water gardeners.
Try overwintering water hyacinth in a heated aquarium
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