Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Azolla in the north

Fairy moss, mosquito moss, or duckweed fern all names for Azolla. Has anyone colder than zone 7 tried this floating aquatic plant in their pond? I believe it's a type of duckweed but won't survive my winters. I don't know if it's capable of coming back and if so I probably won't try it. It uses phosphorus and fixes nitrogen. Fish are supposed to love it. Could I corral it in my pond and remove it in the fall?

I tried growing water hyacinth the same way but it was a disappointment, they did poorly. My water temperature might be too cool for them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla

Loretta, I fish a stock pond in Texas that was nearly ruined by water hyacinths. The owner decided to fertilize on their own without consulting experts about the few hyacinths already there, with disastrous results.

Water hyacinths are beautiful in an ornamental pond, but in a fishing pond they are dangerous. Be glad it is too cold for them to do well!

Anthropic, I want the plants to do well in the summer but die in the fall when I pull my floating corral to shore and remove the plants. My intention is to use it as a living biofilter to remove waste from the water and I would compost the plants.

I still have my hoop from my hyacinth test. They did multiply but only 1 or 2 flowered and they never filled the hoop. I removed them once the frost hit. I want to try Azolla in the hoop but not sure if it would be something I could control.

I've only seen pictures of Azolla, I'm not sure how small it is. Can anyone tell me if Azolla can be contained in a floating hoop or are they so small they could float over my hoop (1.5" flexible pvc), If they produced seeds would the seeds survive the winter?

Loretta - we had Azolla just show up a few years ago along the shoreline of one of our ponds. The plant is small - about 1/4" across. We had no idea what it was, so we left it. When we returned to our property two weeks later, this half-acre pond was completely covered. There was not 1" of water showing. I thought it was duckweed at first glance, but it was the Azolla. It had taken over our pond. We tried to "corral" it to remove it, but the plants were so small they could not be contained. It was a nightmare getting rid of it. I would RUN from this plant!

Loretta, you might be okay with hyacinths due to the extreme cold of Michigan winters. They really don't like temps below freezing for prolonged time periods.

They do filter the water and they are very pretty. Also, small fish and bugs shelter in their extensive root systems. So there are benefits.

But they sharply increase water evaporation, nearly double if I remember correctly. If you are subject to droughts, they make things worse. Much worse. And if you fertilize, they will spread like crazy. Maybe not so much in your climate, but in Texas they literally took over a 12 acre pond in a year. If you really want them to bloom, fertilize.

One last thing to keep in mind. It may not matter given your climate, but hyacinths put down seeds that last up to fourteen (yes, I said 14!) years. Maybe if they are frozen solid for weeks they won't germinate, but maybe they will. Once you have them in your pond, there is a good chance you will see them again, and again, and again...