Law on Free Stuff

Duckweed!

"Duckweed" or "bayroot" are aquatic plants which float on or just beneath the surface of still or slow-moving fresh water bodies. These plants are very simple, lacking an obvious stem or leaves. They consist of a small 'thalloid' or plate-like structure that floats on or just under the water surface, with or without simple rootlets. Often are classified as the subfamily Lemnoideae within the Araceae. Classifications created prior to the approximate end of the twentieth century tend to classify them as a separate family, Lemnaceae

How to grow duckweeds?

Growing duckweeds is like growing any other plant. Moderate conditions of temperature and light and a liquid medium with the necessary nutrients are essential for good growth. Fortunately, duckweeds adapt well to a wide range of conditions and are easy to grow.

Duckweeds can be grown in the pond water from which they were collected in open containers. It is important to replace the water frequently, since evaporation will result in concentration of salts. Using open containers prevents overheating if you place the containers outside or in a sunny window. See below for more about lighting duckweeds for the best growth.

In nature duckweeds grow in water from many sources and compositions. They can be grown in artificial pond water or in diluted aquaculture media, such as Hoagland's solution. It is important to provide a source of chelated iron (included in the recommended synthetic media) and to adjust the pH to the optimal range.

It is important to keep your duckweed cultures clean. If you collect fresh duckweed specimens from nature, the water will contain a variety of other organisms. These will include bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, and even small multicellular animals and insect larvae. You can clean up your duckweed cultures by transferring the plants individually to clean fresh water. Remove damaged and aged (yellow or white) fronds from your cultures as they appear....