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| ATCHAFALAYA BASINS WATER HYACINTHS ORNAMENT HOME PONDS | |
| Published: July 29, 1997 | |
Plants keep pond water clear of algae while producing exquisite summer bloomsQ:I read The Advertisers recent story on the Atchafalaya Basin which included a photo of a blooming water hyacinth. Can these plants be used in home ponds? Where can I get them?A:Water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) are used in home ponds as much for their usefulness in keeping the water clear of algae as for the beauty of the flowers and foliage. The floating plants remain buoyant on inflated, spongy stems, and although they spread very rapidly, they are easily lifted from the pond when they become too crowded.Procuring "water hydrants," as they are sometimes called by old-timers, is as simple as lifting them from the water anywhere along the levee bank. A good place for a hyacinth-hunting expedition is McGees Landing on Henderson Levee Road. These are absolutely the easiest-care plants youll ever find.. "Planting" consists of dropping them in your pond, and "maintenance" is pulling them out of your pond when they get too crowded. Forget spraying, fertilizing, pruning and mulching! I like to cut the lovely purple flowers to bring indoors. If youve been in South Louisiana for a while youll remember that rapidly multiplying water hyacinths have at times been a menace to our navigable waterways. Florida still has laws forbidding bringing the plants into the state. There are at least three urban legends describing where these exotics orginated. how they got into New Orleans in the late 1800s, and how they escaped into the bayous. Growing plumerias from seedsQ:A friend has given me about 30 plumeria seeds. Please tell me how to plant them.A:These instructions are from the "Houston Garden Book" published by Houston Home and Garden magazine. Remove the seeds from the pod, moisten them with water and dip them into a rooting powder containing a fungicide. Place them vertically in a flat filled with at least 3 inches of a soil mixture of one part loam, one part sand, and one part peat moss. Place the flat in a warm spot out of drafts and keep the soil moistened. In about 10 days a sprout encased in a fibrous sheath will appear. Moisten and carefully peel back the sheath to release the sprout.When the seedling is 3 inches high and has four to six true leaves, transplant it to a 6-inch pot filled with rich, acid potting soil, and maintain a constant amount of moisture. Colors produced by seed propagation are unpredictable. The seedlings take about three years of growth before they bloom. Why wont ice plant bloom?Q:I planted an ice plant this year but it hasnt bloomed. It gets sun from early morning until 2 to 3 p.m. and is planted in rich soil amended with compost. It looks a lot like aloe vera. Do you have any suggestions for getting it to bloom?A:Like aloe vera, ice plant is a succulent. When planted in poor, dry, very well-drained soil and full sun, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum makes a beautiful ground cover or hanging basket filler plant. It is reported to have small white to rose-colored daisy-like flowers and mat-like fleshy leaves that are covered with crystalline drops that sparkle in the sun.I suspect that your plant would bloom better in soil that is somewhat less rich, and in full, rather than part-day sun. I hope that you find the right location, because the flowers must be beautiful. |