Water Hyacinth Harvesting

Native to tropical South America, water hyacinth has now spread throughout the southern United States. This free floating, freshwater plant grows prolifically in warm, mild climates. When released into the environment, water hyacinth causes serious problems like blocking water ways and preventing boat use, along with depleting oxygen levels. Lack of oxygen kills fish and other flora and fauna. In a controlled, landscaped environment, water hyacinth is grown in ponds. The plants have waxy, green, bulbous leaves that grow close to the water. The flower stalks grow up to 20 inches tall and produce clusters of blue, purple or pale pink flowers. Water hyacinth is harvested for propagation, to thin a colony in a private pond or to control the spread in a natural environment.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Rake
• Tarp
• Net

1. Lay a tarp out on the ground next to the area where the water hyacinth are growing. For smaller areas, a bucket or wheelbarrow is suitable.
2. Hold the rake just above the water hyacinth plants. Lower the rake over the plants and drag the rake toward you.
3. Scoop the plants out of the water using a long-handled net. A large pond or pool skimmer works.
4. Deposit the plants onto the tarp or bucket. Repeat until the desired area is cleared. If you want to simply thin the colony, leave a few plants to repopulate the area. To clear an area completely, every plant must be removed.
5. Place the removed plants in the sun for two to three days to dry, then mulch them with a garden mulching machine or with a lawnmower.

Tips & Warnings

• In cold climates, remove all plants from landscape ponds before the first frost. Place 10 to 12 plants in a flat tray of water indoors for the winter. In the spring repopulate the pond with the overwintered plants. Left in a pond over winter, the plants will die and become messy and difficult to remove.

• It is illegal to introduce water hyacinth into many states in the Southern United States. Check regulations for individual states before importing water hyacinth.

• Only plant water hyacinth in closed, private ponds where they cannot escape into public water ways and natural environments.