The significant shortcoming of this plant in the wild - namely its fast, uncontrolled growth - is also its greatest advantage. On the one hand, water hyacinths are an excellent storage medium for nitrogen and other destructive substances, making them perfect for treating wastewater. At the same time, they are an ideal material for the compost heap, can be used directly as fertilizer for other plants, or are perfect for biomass or biogas production.

Ponds are cheaper, and the making is a bit easier if you can use clay, but it depends on the availability of a good one. The other solution is cement which holds water even better than clay. If you have red soil, which you can easily find in Costa Rica, mix some fine and dry soil with cement and add water to create your sealing material.

In general, ponds provide a home and both food and water for many animals, which control pests on your crops and plants. They improve productivity and reduce maintenance. By increasing the biodiversity not only attracting bees but also butterflies, moths, dragonflies, many birds, frogs, toads, lizards, and snakes, a pond becomes a great asset and an eye-catcher in your home with a lot of activities, especially in the morning. Some birds love to take baths, and on hot days or during the dry season, all animals can find water to drink there - so it is a big win-win for both nature and humans. Can you dig it?

If you need help in planning and implementing a pond on your yard or property or if you need some water hyacinth plants, let us know!