Utricularia Vulgaris

[Carnivine]

Can anyone tell me how to successfully grow this plant? Mine seem to have vanished over winter. Cheers.

[Richard]

How where you attempting to grow it? Pond, tank, bucket/bowl?

The plant is fairly easy to grow, I've grown it and U australis successfully many times.

You have to condition the water before introducing the plant. It will not do well if it's competing with algae! I put a 4 inch layer of peat at the bottom of the container, weighted down with pebbles then slowly fill with rain water. The water will turn green and nasty within a few days do you need to introduce tough plants to suck up excess nutrients. My favourites are Typha minima and Water Hyacinth. Water Hyacinths in particularly are hungry plants and are great at using up excess nutrients in the water. After a few weeks the water should clear and your Utric will be able to thrive.

U australis

Edited May 14, 2016 by Richard

[manders]

Can anyone tell me how to successfully grow this plant? Mine seem to have vanished over winter. Cheers.

Do you have pond snails?

[Carnivine]

Do you have pond snails?

No I dont have pond snails.

[Carnivine]

How where you attempting to grow it? Pond, tank, bucket/bowl? The plant is fairly easy to grow, I've grown it and U australis successfully many times. You have to condition the water before introducing the plant. It will not do well if it's competing with algae! I put a 4 inch layer of peat at the bottom of the container, weighted down with pebbles then slowly fill with rain water. The water will turn green and nasty within a few days do you need to introduce tough plants to suck up excess nutrients. My favourites are Typha minima and Water Hyacinth. Water Hyacinths in particularly are hungry plants and are great at using up excess nutrients in the water. After a few weeks the water should clear and your Utric will be able to thrive. U australis

Hi Richard

Basically the plant was put into a bowl of rainwater. It has indeed got algae in it now. I will start again using the method you use. I'll let you know how I get on.  

[Mark Long]

Thought I'd add this as I only found this out myself yesterday and was quite surprised by it. Water hyacinth is now banned from sale in the EU and is listed as an invasive species. I've grown it before with Utricularia and the main problem I've had with it is keeping it alive over the winter! It does cause great problems in warmer parts of the world than North Wales though.

 

I agree with Richard, it is a great plant for hoovering up nutrients and controlling algae. There are quite a few posts and blogs on the internet for growing Aldrovanda and aquatic Utricularia that recommend growing alongside other aquatic plants and marginals to improve water conditions and also the help create a mini-ecosystem, sedges appearing to be quite a popular choice.

 

Text below taken from the RHS website. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=530

 

There are 14 plants on this list, most of which are of marginal importance to gardeners, or are already banned from sale in the UK (marked with † in the above list), but two widely grown species, Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) and Lysichiton americanus (skunk cabbage) are included. Although there are transitionary measures allowing businesses to sell off their stock of these species within one year, to minimise potential for confusion, we have taken the step of not listing the species in the 2016 RHS Plant Finder. Those species affected are:

 

Baccharis halimifolia (tree groundsel)

Cabomba caroliniana (Carolina fanwort)

Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)

Ludwigia peploides  (water primrose)

Lysichiton americanus (American skunk cabbage)

Parthenium hysterophorus (Parthenium weed)

Pueraria montana var. lobata (Kudzu)

 

Gardeners who already have these species in their gardens are not at risk of prosecution for possession as the Regulation is not retrospective, but will be required to meet the other requirements of the Regulation to ensure that they control the species effectively on their property and do not allow it to spread.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Mark Long

[Mujinamo]

These plants look amazing!

[Richard]

Interesting but confusing. There are indeed many reports online to Water Hyacinth as being banned in the UK, which is strange as it cannot survive our winters. I purchased my plant three weeks ago from a local GC. They are also available online through many reputable sources. I can't help but think that the information is either incorrect or still awaiting approval.

Interesting but confusing. There are indeed many reports online to Water Hyacinth as being banned in the UK, which is strange as it cannot survive our winters. I purchased my plant three weeks ago from a local GC. They are also available online through many reputable sources. I can't help but think that the information is either incorrect or still awaiting approval.

[Mark Long]

Absolutely. Both water hyacinth and skunk cabbage appear to still be readily available but it says something in the RHS link about there being a 1 year transitory period when nurseries can clear their stock. I'm not sure if this really is part of an EU wide ban (or maybe I've got my wires crossed entirely) but it does strike me as a strange choice to be banned in the UK.

[AndrewLuton]

I had this growing very well in a deep tub of water for a few years until I added 3 gold fish which I think have killed it off. It winter it died back and sunk to the bottom before coming back when it warmed up.