Duck weed, also known as water lentils, grows at an incredibly fast rate in nutrient-rich water and has been rife on the Regent’s Canal this summer. It looks like thousands of tiny cress plants.
It’s packed with protein so is a great source of food for wildlife when kept under control. It acts as a water purifier and stops nasty blue green algae from growing. In some countries it is an important part of the human diet too.
It becomes a nuisance when allowed to spread out of control. It becomes a thick cover over the water, can block out sunlight important to fish and can even block drains.
This morning the majority of duckweed was being carefully removed from the KX area of the canal by this rather lovely machine:
STOP PRESS!!!! http://duckweedgardening.com/
Hope they are going to use the duckweed for good purposes. Nicely written.
Apparently it’s excellent for compost!
Yes, compost, chicken feed, hog feed, tilapia production, green mulch, bioenergy, bioplastics… I’ve personally counted over 70 applications so far. A group of us have started the International Lemna Assocation for commercial production of it. If you have a source such as this near your home, you’ve got a great resource for urban or rural farmsteading. http://www.DuckweedGardening.com