Water hyacinths are very easy to grow.

First , you should purchase them from a licenced nursery . A licenced nursery that strictly sells plants and no fish or other water garden products, will have much less of a chance of having plants that are infected. Often, sellers of multiple products will mix plants in with thier fish , and snails that are for sale. To treat the plants with Potassium Permanganate is a answer, however, the treatment will NOT kill many types of snails that have trap doors, such as the Zebra snail that is highly invassive.

This snail has been found in the Central valley area of California, Sacramento and Fresno areas. Birds from these areas have been known to spread the snail from place to place. A bird can stand in a mud bank area that is infected get the snails on it feet and then carry the snails to other locations. Fishermen with waders have been doing the same thing.

By buying from a seller of only nursery products, insures  that you are getting plants that have not been put in with fish.

When you get your plants , add them to your pond. Simply put them in the water with roots down. Many times it will take a week or so for the plants to float totally upright. As the night time temps raise up to above 68 deg, the plants will start putting on flowers.

Water hyacinths are considered to be invassive as well, they can reproducce at the rate of 1 plant every 10 days per mother plant.

Thin them out as needed.

Now lets kill some rumors about the plants.

There is no mini or dwarf water hyacinths, there is no dark green special strain of plant. The more shade a water hyacinth has , the darker the green it will be.The more shade it has and the tighter they are grown

 together the taller they will be. Light green or yellow plants and small plants have too much sun, and are

stunted from the lack of nutriants in the water.

To grow water hyacinths , it really is as simple as tossing them in the pond.

Happy ponding...............