Pistia

Pistia is one of the most interesting floating plants. The rosettes of its velvety bluish and green leaves will decorate any body of water, and the lush root system will decorate the aquarium and become a safe haven for fish. The plant is unpretentious, but not all and not always grows. How to tame and grow a pistia in an aquarium, terrarium and pond is easy and hassle-free.

Content

How to get a pistia for free
Natural habitat
Types of pistia
Ruffles
Colored or variegated Pistia (Angyo Splash)
Blue
pistia Growing a pistia in an aquarium
Useful properties of a pistia in an aquarium and an artificial reservoir
Basic conditions for growing "water lettuce"
Sufficient lighting for a pistia
Increased humidity Ambient air
Adequate volume of the pond Feeding
temperature Hardness and pH Winter dormancy in the aquarium Thinning, weeding Growing a pistia in a terrarium Water cabbage in a paludarium Peculiarities of growing a pistia in a pond

 

 

 

Wintering of a pond pistia
Growing in a pot, like a houseplant
Reproduction of a pistia
Vegetative reproduction
Seed propagation
Diseases of a pistia in an aquarium
A selection of the best and most useful videos about Pistia

 

Pistia is an ornamental floating perennial plant with an unusual shape. Its leaves grow in such a way that they resemble in their appearance the buds blooming on the surface of the water, this explains the many popular names of the plant: "water salad", "water cabbage" and "water rose". The diameter of an adult plant is no more than 15 cm, and the height can vary from 15 to 30 cm, depending on the conditions of detention.

The root is about twice as long as the above-water part. A well-formed root hangs loosely from the base and looks spectacular in an aquarium. In addition, the roots of the pistia actively absorb organic matter and even salts of heavy metals. In pure water, water poor in organic matter, the pistia has powerful roots, sometimes growing to the ground, in polluted water, with an abundance of organic matter, the root is miniature.

The stem is short, growing upward from the bunch of roots, almost invisible under the leaves that grow from it on short petioles

The leaves are 15 cm long and 8 cm wide. The lower the leaves - the larger they are, young leaves grow from the center and take the place of old ones that die off. Color - from light green to greenish-bluish. The plant stays on the surface due to the presence of oxygen chambers and depressed veins in the leaves.
Natural area

Many species are found in water bodies of Africa, on the east coast of the Indian Ocean, in the north and east of Asia, in central America. The first samples of the culture were taken in the quiet backwaters of the Nile.
For most types of pistia, a calm flow or its complete absence is a prerequisite. But it is not uncommon for plants to drift along rivers, spreading for many kilometers. In suitable conditions, it grows rapidly, in artificial reservoirs it is often a weed - it covers the water surface, blocking the access of sunlight and oxygen for other plants and animals.

 
Types of pistia

Despite the fact that in nature there are a huge number of Pistia varieties, only a few of them are grown under artificial conditions. The most beautiful and unpretentious varieties: corrugated, colored and blue. In general, these plants are very similar to each other - they have one or another degree of "corrugation" of the leaves and often uneven coloration. Their care and growth conditions are completely identical.
Ruffled or corrugated Pistia (Ruffles)

A small-sized variety (no more than 10 cm in diameter), a rather decorative lush bush with bright green leaves. The zest of this plant is pronounced "corrugation" - the veins are deeply pressed into the base of the leaves - this gives them the appearance of corrugated paper. It is corrugated, due to its small size, that is most often grown in an aquarium and small garden ponds - fountains or bowls.
Colored or Variegated Pistia (Angyo Splash)

An artificially bred hybrid that also looks pretty impressive in aquariums and artificial ponds. Its main distinguishing feature is the presence of blurry beige stripes and spots on the surface of a bright green leaf plate. The diameter of the low rosette is about 16 cm.

The degree of decorativeness of this plant directly depends on the quality of its care. When the conditions of detention deteriorate, the first signal will be a pale color, and then decay of the foliage. Pale leaves do not recover even if growing conditions are improved and are therefore gradually pruned.
Blue pistia

The most unusual variety with matte leaf plates that gleam in the sun and shimmer with blue tones. Due to the small diameter of the rosette, this variety is loved by accidents and owners of small garden ponds.
The main advantage of blue water salad is considered unpretentiousness, as evidenced by its successful cultivation in the temperate zone. But it should be noted that in such conditions the pistia grows like an annual plant.

 
Growing a pistia in an aquarium

The plant takes root easily, and decorates the aquarium only if certain conditions are provided. Only in this case will it decorate the aquarium for a long time and grow, otherwise the leaves will begin to collapse and dissolve in the water.
Useful properties of pistia in an aquarium and an artificial reservoir

1. The main benefit of a pistia is the purification of water from organics, as mentioned above, by the size of the roots of the pistia, one can judge the purity of the aquarium water: the larger and more luxuriant the root, the cleaner the water (it is more difficult to get nutrients in clean water of the pistia and you have to grow powerful, fluffy root).

2. Pistia uses and accumulates salts of heavy metals, which is a certain insurance for delicate fish species.

3. The leaves and roots of the pistia are excellent for spawning of many species of fish - the eggs will firmly anchor at the surface and will not suffer from a lack of oxygen.

4. Many fish, with a lack of vegetable food, begin to pluck the roots of the pistia, which serves as a signal to the aquarist about the need to add the vegetable component to the food.
Basic conditions for growing "water lettuce"
Adequate lighting for the pistia

Daylight hours should be 12-14 hours. If it is impossible to place a room reservoir in the southern or southeastern part of an apartment or house, the culture must be provided with artificial lighting lamps. It should be borne in mind here that the light source must be installed so that it is located at a distance of at least 30 cm from the bush, otherwise the plant may get burns.

It should also be taken into account that it is natural lighting that can provide the plant with full development. Under artificial lamps, the pistia will also grow, but much more slowly, and its appearance may not meet expectations in terms of size, color saturation, and the flowering period will be significantly reduced.
Increased humidity of the ambient air

For this purpose, the bush is placed in an aquarium, covered with a lid. With a lack of moisture, the leaves will begin to dry out, which will very soon lead to the complete death of the plant. Also, often aquarium lamps (fluorescent to a greater extent, LED to a lesser extent) greatly dry the air, because of this, the pistia dies.
Sufficient reservoir volume

The root and leaves of an adult plant occupy about 20 - 30 centimeters, so they can fit in an aquarium from 40 liters. This volume will also provide stable growth conditions and a supply of space for the aquarium inhabitants.
Temperature

When planting a plant in a new aquarium, it is necessary to use settled water, warmed up to room temperature. The optimum temperature for growing a plant in an aquarium is 19 - 25 ° C.
Top dressing

If the inhabitants live in the aquarium, then, as a rule, the pistia will have enough nutrients, it will absorb organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Without these elements, neither the rosette nor the root system of the plant will be able to develop normally. In an aquarium with fish, with a siphon of the soil and periodic replacement of 2/3 of the water, the pistia will have enough nutrients.

The most active development of the pistia occurs in the spring and summer. At this time, the plant may be deficient in trace elements. Nevertheless, it is worth feeding if there is a rapid growth of roots and a deterioration in the appearance of the above-water part. For this, fertilizer with micro- and microelements is used strictly according to the instructions (not a drop of extra, so that algae cannot start to grow!).
Hardness and pH

Water salad is not picky about these parameters. The optimum water hardness for successful pistia growth is 12 dGH, and the pH is in the range of 5 to 8.4 units, these are standard parameters of settled tap water.
Winter dormant period in the aquarium

With the onset of autumn, the growth of the pistia slows down significantly. In winter, the plant sheds roots and part of the leaves. At this stage, the culture needs peace. Water changes are reduced, the temperature is lowered to 13 - 17 ° C, lighting is reduced to 4 - 5 hours. It is clear that such conditions are not suitable for other inhabitants of the aquarium, so the pistia will most likely have to be planted.

However, it is possible not to change the conditions in winter, but in this case the culture begins to degenerate, the leaves and the size of the rosettes will decrease. Sometimes this is even done on purpose in order to obtain a compact plant.
Thinning, weeding

Since the plant grows rapidly under good conditions, maintaining the optimal rosette size will require periodic removal of side shoots and whiskers. Otherwise, the aquarium will quickly overgrow, which can destroy both the rest of the vegetation and living creatures, and the pistia itself.

Since the roots of the plant float freely under water, they attract suspension and dregs. For a beautiful look, you will have to rinse the roots periodically. It is enough to gently rinse with warm running water or aquarium water during the change. Naturally, this cannot be done if the pistia is in the spawning grounds and the fish probably swept away eggs on the roots or leaves.
Growing a pistia in a terrarium

Pistia can grow for a short time in ordinary soil, but a waterlogged substrate is ideal for it. The substrate is prepared like this:

1. sand and peat or black soil are mixed in equal parts,
2. a small amount of nitrogenous and phosphorus fertilizers is applied (according to the instructions).

In such a soil and in a wet terrarium, the pistia will grow into plants much more beautiful than in an aquarium and bloom.

Pistia is also a useful food for turtles (especially red-eared ones), therefore, fertilizers cannot be used in a terrarium with these animals - the plant will in any case be eaten (and to health).

 
Kale in the paludarium

In fact, a paludarium and a wet terrarium are one and the same, and the pistia will decorate it just as well. Unlike a terrarium, a paludarium is designed to grow exclusively plants, usually very demanding. Therefore, in the paludarium, it is rather necessary to contain the growth and thin out the pistia.
Pistia in the pond

A prerequisite for growing water lettuce in a pond is a suitable climate (warm, or better, hot summers). Pistia grows well as a free floating plant, but can also be planted in the ground. You can prepare a soil mixture as for a terrarium or paludarium (in equal parts sand and peat or black soil, with a small addition of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers). In this case, the plant will fully develop without requiring feeding, and delight with its beauty.

However, the floating pistia is much more useful for the pond in which the fish live, it creates shade and shelter, and also purifies the water, in extreme cases it can become a top dressing.
Wintering pond pistia

In regions with cold winters, the pistia grows as an annual; for the winter, you can save several plants, which in spring, and preferably in early summer, will actively grow into growth. You can also harvest seeds during flowering.

In no case should you leave the pistia in the pond for the winter. The plant will die, and rotting remains will spoil the water and destroy all the inhabitants!
Growing in a pot like a houseplant

There is information that the pistia can be grown as a houseplant. In this case, the shrub grows larger and more lush than in water. To do this, mix equal amounts of peat and sand, adding a little garden soil and humus. A pot with a planted plant is placed in a stand with water. The bottom of the pot should have several holes to absorb moisture. The quality of the potting mix and appropriate care will be evidenced by the appearance of the plant: the brightness of the color of the leaves and the even oval edges of the rosettes.

 
Reproduction of pistia

The described culture is propagated by the sowing and vegetative method (by planting the shoots). In the first case, nature does everything by itself, and the second implies following certain rules.
Vegetative propagation

The easiest way is in the aquarium. The plant constantly forms daughter shoots (whiskers) with young plants from 4 to 5 cm, they are easy to separate and transfer to a new place. It is better to transfer young, mature plants.
Seed propagation

This method is only possible in a pond or paludarium. The flowers are inconspicuous, located at the base of the plant. They resemble feces in shape, consist of one petal. The diameter of the bedspread petal is about 2 cm, at the base there is an ear, which is also covered with hairs. 1 - 3 buds appear on one plant. The flowers are self-pollinating. At the end of flowering, a fruit appears in place of the bud. It is a small green berry with small brown seeds that can be stored and planted in spring.
Diseases of pistia in the aquarium

Pistia is unpretentious and rarely gets sick.

More often than not, the leaves of the pistia burn, turn black and dissolve in water - this happens:
1. In a new place, after purchase (a sharp change in temperature, lighting, water parameters, air humidity). To avoid this, it is necessary to allow the plant to adapt to a new place: do not abuse the sharp increase in temperature and lighting, carefully and timely cut off weak and withering leaves (to prevent bacteria and fungi from developing). For the first time, it is better to create medium conditions, moderate light and temperature.
2. Dry air, for example, during heating.
3. The onset of a dormant period - decaying roots and withering leaves must be removed from the aquarium to avoid rotting and the development of bacteria.
Often fish or snails gnaw pistia - fish gnaw at roots, snails on leaves. Signal to the aquarist that the fish need to diversify the menu.
Pistia can be attacked by pests - whitefly and aphids.