How to Grow Duckweed Indoors
1. Choose the Right Container
The right container for growing duckweed needs to be clear, wide, and long. Though it shouldn’t be very deep, it must hold a minimum of 5 inches of liquid.2. Use Dechlorinated Warm Water
Fill the container 3 inches with dechlorinated warm water. This can be well or rain water or even water that has been treated with fish conditioner. Of course, you can also use simple tap water and the duckweed will survive. However, it won’t grow as well as it does with the dechlorinated one.3. Apply Fertilizer
When deciding on how to grow duckweed indoors, it’s a good idea to use special fertilizer as well. Buy aquatic plant fertilizer and follow the instructions on it. Alternatively, you can also use some decayed plant material and place it in the water, but it won’t have the same effect.4. Stir and Shake
Just like a bartender, you need to stir or shake the container to aerate the water. For the oxygen to be able to come in, you need to break or agitate the surface of the water.5. Add Duckweed
You can take duckweed from ponds or buy some online. Add it to the container. In case you got the plant from a pond, make sure the water wasn’t contaminated. To clean it, rinse it in warm water.6. Spread the Duckweed
When spreading the duckweed on the surface of the water, make sure that the leaves are not stacked on top of each other. Leave some empty space on the surface as well. In this way, when the duckweed will grow, it will have plenty of space for new leaves. You can also check out this video that illustrates the steps above:Can Duckweed be Used to Decorate a Fairy House in the Garden?
Duckweed can add a touch of magic to fairy house making for garden enthusiasts. This floating plant with tiny leaves creates a whimsical effect and makes a perfect addition to miniature landscapes. By creatively using duckweed as natural decor, you can transform a regular fairy house into a enchanting abode that blends seamlessly with its garden surroundings.
How to Plant Duckweed Outdoors
1. Dig a Ditch
If you want to know how to grow duckweed outdoors, you should find out that you need to dig a ditch that is deep and wide. For this, you must have an adequate area: it shouldn’t be low, muddy soil, and it shouldn’t get a lot of rainwater. An important thing to keep in mind is not to make the sides of the ditch gently slope. This will lead to an increased risk of flooding. The slopes around the ditch should be steep, and the ditch needs to be minimum 3 ft. deep.2. Use Plastic Tarp
Take some waterproof plastic tarp and cover the bottom of the ditch. The tarp should be large enough to cover some extra feet around the ditch as well.3. Cover It with Soil
The next step in our guide on how to grow duckweed if you do it outdoors is to cover the tarp with some soil. Use stones or similar materials to create a raised edge around the tarp. If you plan to use manure as fertilizer, you should soak something like 1 to 5 pounds of the manure in buckets of water. Do this for a day and then spread the mixture on the bottom of the ditch. Obviously, you need to do it after you set up the tarp.4. Fill It with Water
There are some online stores that can offer you dechlorinating liquid, for example. Let a foot of the ditch height not covered by water. This helps you prevent any flooding.5. Let the Water Settle
The next day, let the water settle down. It’s a good idea to cover the ditch with some extra tarp if you want to prevent insects from getting in.6. Add the Duckweed
After the water settled for a day, you should take off any top cover. Add the duckweed. The proportions should be 1 pound for 5 – 10 gallons. Just like before, you need to make sure that there is enough empty surface area if you want the duckweed to grow.7. Finish Up
One last step you can take when learning how to grow duckweed is to add other aquatic plants. They need to be compatible with the duckweed, so make sure they can grow together. The point here is that your plant might block the sunlight from reaching other plants, which is why you need species that don’t need much direct sunlight. Unless you already have an established pond, you shouldn’t add fish because they need more than water. Moreover, fish are affected if you add manure, which is yet another reason you shouldn’t do it. Recently, more and more people started informing themselves on how to grow plants in water. If you’re a fan of that, here’s a clip showing you how to grow duckweed in aquaponics:Can Duckweed Help in Killing Crabgrass in My Backyard?
If you’re dealing with crabgrass in your backyard, consider using a homemade crabgrass killer tutorial. Some experts suggest using duckweed to help suffocate crabgrass and prevent it from growing. This natural solution may help in reducing the spread of crabgrass in your yard.
How to Grow Duckweed – Tips and Tricks
1. Offer the Right Nutrients
Just like any other vascular plant, duckweed requires the following:- Micro nutrients;
- Potassium;
- Phosphorus;
- Nitrogen.Â
- Aged manure;
- Vermiculture liquor;
- Some grey water;
- Chicken coop drainage;
- Fish wastewater, etc.