[original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
On Sun, 15 Jun 2003 07:10:07 -0400, John Bachman
wrote:

We have two water hyacinths in our new pond and they seem to be doing
well. They have doubled in size and appear healthy but have not
bloomed yet. Will they propagate? If so, how?


They need warmth to take off (and some potash if you have fish, full
fertilizer if not). They suck nutrients up like crazy - The University of
Vermont has even experimented with them in "green houses" to scrub sewage.
VT is too cold for them to survive in the winter and most lakes are too cool
for them to spread very much in one summer. Thus they are no treat as an
invasive species in VT.

They are illegal in many southern states - in FL, one plant can have 3
million offspring in one season via natural vegetative reproduction!

They normally propagate via multiple side sprouts, each growing one pant
which quickly starts sending out it's own sprouts. I don't know if "sprouts"
is the correct word, it isn't "runner" because only one plant forms from
each, it isn't rizome since there is no food storage in the "sprout".

In MA Z6, mine just sit there until things warm up. Usually by later July
I'm composting them by the bushel.

gerry

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