Duckweed: The Tiny Plant with Big Benefits for the Environment and Beyond

Duckweed, also known as Lemnoideae, is a type of aquatic plant that is found in ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. It is a tiny floating plant that can grow to be just a few millimeters in size. Despite its small size, duckweed has a range of benefits, making it an important part of many ecosystems.

One of the most significant benefits of duckweed is its ability to remove excess nutrients from the water. As a floating plant, duckweed is able to absorb nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from the water, which can help to reduce the levels of these nutrients in the surrounding environment. This is particularly important in areas where there is excess nutrient runoff from agriculture or other human activities, as this can lead to harmful algal blooms and other negative environmental impacts.

Duckweed is also an excellent source of food for a variety of animals, including fish, turtles, and waterfowl. The high protein content of duckweed makes it a nutritious food source, and it is often used as a supplemental food for livestock and poultry. Think of skimming some off the top of a wastewater pond and feeding it to your chickens, rabbits, and ducks, as I do. They love the taste, and I love the extremely low cost of this nutrition source.

In addition to being a valuable food source for animals, duckweed can also be used as a source of biofuel. Researchers have found that duckweed is a promising source of renewable energy, as it can be converted into bioethanol and other fuels.

In addition to its environmental and economic benefits, duckweed has also been found to have a range of medicinal properties. Studies have shown that duckweed contains compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, making it a potential treatment for a range of health conditions. For example, duckweed has been found to be effective in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, which are linked to a range of chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Due to duckweed being grown in freshwater, it should be cooked to reduce the possibility of contamination from harmful pathogens that are endemic to our environment, such as E. coli.

One of the most exciting potential uses of duckweed is in wastewater treatment. Because duckweed is able to absorb nutrients from the water, it has the potential to be used in wastewater treatment systems to remove excess nutrients and pollutants from the water. In addition, because duckweed is able to grow rapidly and reproduce quickly, it can be used to treat large volumes of wastewater in a relatively short amount of time. This could be particularly beneficial in developing countries, where access to clean water is a major challenge. Here in Florida, I have found it extremely helpful in managing the duck slough, as it sucks up the manure and clears the water for other garden uses.

Despite its many benefits, duckweed is often considered a nuisance by pond owners and other water users. This is because duckweed can grow quickly and form dense mats on the surface of the water, which can limit the amount of light and oxygen that reaches the aquatic ecosystem below. In addition, dense duckweed mats can interfere with recreational activities such as fishing and boating.

However, there are a number of strategies that can be used to control the growth of duckweed and minimize its impact on the surrounding ecosystem. One approach is to use mechanical methods, such as raking or skimming, to remove excess duckweed from the water. Another approach is to introduce natural predators, such as ducks or fish, that will feed on the duckweed and help to keep its growth under control.

In conclusion, duckweed is a tiny plant with a range of benefits, from its ability to absorb excess nutrients from the water to its potential as a source of food, fuel, and medicine. While it can sometimes be considered a nuisance by water users, there are a number of strategies that can be used to control its growth and minimize its impact on the surrounding ecosystem. With its many potential uses and benefits, duckweed is a plant that deserves further study and exploration. With its low initial coat (buy some from me at my Etsy store) and ease of maintenance, it is a perennial that should be evaluated by any permaculturist or homesteader.

Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana

     Known for its edible small purple berries. I have eaten the berries raw, and they don't have much flavor. Popular for creating jams/jellies - sugar and pectin will have to be added.

    Usually you see the brightly colored magenta berries for months in the summer. I was finally able to get a picture of the flowers themselves.

The New Port Richey Garden Club

     Found this at one of the local libraries. New Port Richey is a lot of things, but I have never thought of it as overly friendly or inviting to gardening, not like Hernando or Polk. Pasco doesn't even sport a community garden or a botanical garden. But here I am, wrong again. 

     I bet they're all really nice people.

Shibataea kumasaca, Ruscus Bamboo

     I'm not even sure how I got this plant. . I don't think I bought it, or did I? No, I think I would remember if I had bought a dwarf clumping bamboo, because it's very cool -

now that I know it's not a weed trying to take over the lemon tree. 

     Indeed, bamboos are cool. I have another larger grass that I quite enjoy because it's beautiful and grows well. And more importantly, it's edible to the rabbits.  These grasses can be very helpful in their ability to displace weeds. They are also easy to harvest and bring to the rabbits.

Ilex verticellata, Winterberry

     This beauty was growing at the Aripeka entrance of the Weeki Wachee Preserve. It looks similar to Brazilian Pepper, so I wasn't about to touch it. Which is a good thing, because as I read about it sounds like there's not too much use for this plant medicinally. That being said, the berries supposedly contain caffeine and theobromine, a caffeine metabolite that has some unpleasant effects. It is also the reason why chocolate is poisonous to dogs. It sounds like it would be difficult to isolate that perfect amount of berry that would grant a caffeine boost without also granting theobromine poisoning to humans, which causes seizures and death.

     That being said, hollies are beautiful in the winter.

Why I Switched Credit Cards Like Leaving a Bad Job Behind, and Haven't Looked Back

     Not long ago I did something I never do, specifically, I got a new credit card. Previously for most of my adult life I had been using credit cards that gave reward points, which I had used to buy Christmas presents with. 

     Fueled by a head spinning with ideas about travel reward hacking, I decided that it was silly to get reward points. I don't travel much, but the idea of shopping around for cards is a good one. 

     So I applied for a credit card that gives 1.5% cash back. I know that's pretty common, but the credit limit on this card is about 10 times higher than on my previous cards. More importantly, this 1.5% is deposited into an investment account, which I could transfer to my checking account to pay for Christmas presents with. Or could invest the money.

     If you are interested in this card, email me, and I will send you a link to it. Tentance  at gmail.

Duck Potato, Sagittaria platyphylla, Delta Arrowhead

     I once stole this plant from a ditch at the community College. No really,  I really did do that. I wasn't arrested either. It almost tops the time I took cattail from the ditch at the hospital. I wasn't arrested then either. 

     Actually I didn't know what this was until it made a pretty white flower, and now I love it. I had wanted to buy duck potato because I had read that it's edible to, well, ducks. Possibly rabbits? Not sure. But now that I have this plant, all I have to do is propagate it, and I will have unlimited duck food! Mwa haha.

     Supposedly the underground tubers are eaten by ducks and snapping turtles. It sounds like a great plant to grow. Supposedly it can be propagated by transplanting the tubers. Also supposedly, it was a major food source for the Native Americans that lived in the Okeechobee area. 

Schwab and SCHD, Amongst Other Things

     So you probably already know that ETFs, or Exchange Traded Funds, are groups of investments that are sold on the stock market like individual stocks. But they are managed funds, usually with low costs, and are particularly helpful for adding diversity to investments. 

     SCHD is one of my two favorite ETFs. It has holdings in a large number of diverse companies that are reasonably well protected from recession. It has extremely low expenses at 0.060%. And if you were to invest $100k you would get back over $3k a year in dividends. That's not bad. 

     Did I mention that having a gamut of stocks that pay dividends is my personal investment strategy?

How to Deal with Bare Gray Sand

Also, why people say they can't grow anything in Florida.

Florida is known for its beautiful beaches and sunny weather, but its soil is sandy and often nutrient-poor. This can make it difficult to grow certain plants in Florida, but there are a few things that you can do to improve the soil quality of your garden.

One of the best things that you can do is to add organic matter to the soil. Organic matter helps to improve the drainage of the soil and makes it more fertile. You can add organic matter to the soil by adding compost, manure, or leaf litter. If you want to really nerd this up, try growing some duckweed or water hyacinth in small ponds and turning it out onto the sand as a mulch. You can get some from my Etsy shop here.

Another way to improve the soil quality of your garden is to add mulch. Mulch holds moisture at the soil level where plants use it and it keeps the soil cool, preventing evaporation. Also, mulch prevents soil hardening. Some counties offer free mulch created from yard waste, this is a superior source of mulch because it comes from shredded tree branches which rarely have chemicals on them.

The lasagna method of gardening, which is layering organic and inorganic materials, also advocates the use of mulch for these reasons. I find the lasagna method particularly helpful for container gardening.

If you have a sandy soil, it is important to water your plants regularly, especially in the dry springtime. Sandy soil dries out quickly, so you will need to water your plants more often than you would if you had a clay soil. You can also use a drip irrigation system to help water your plants more efficiently.

Doing these things will help you grow a wide variety of plants in your garden.

In addition to the tips above, here are some other things you can do to improve the soil quality of your Florida garden:

Test your soil. Before you start making any changes to your soil, it's important to test it to see what nutrients it needs. You can do this by sending a soil sample to a lab or by using a home soil test kit. But before you spend good money on a soil test, I ca already tell you that almost all Florida soil is deficient in calcium and magnesium in addition to all the major nutrients such as NPK.

Add mulch. Mulch helps to improve the soil quality by adding organic matter, suppressing weeds, and retaining moisture. You can use any type of mulch, but wood chips, straw, and leaves are all good options.

Plant native plants. Native plants are adapted to Florida's climate and soil conditions, so they will be less likely to suffer from nutrient deficiencies or other problems.

Avoid overwatering. Overwatering can leach nutrients from the soil and make it difficult for plants to grow. Water your plants deeply and infrequently, and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Fertilize regularly. Fertilizing your plants will help to replenish the nutrients that they need to grow healthy and strong. Use a balanced fertilizer that is specifically designed for Florida plants. Or use rabbit or duck manure.

By following these tips, you can improve the soil quality of your Florida garden and make it a more productive and beautiful place.

The Case Against ETFs, or Why ETFs Are Stupid

     Perhaps you may or may not have ever thought about investing in Exchange Traded Funds, which are groups of investments managed by professional investors who earn money on the investments. These funds are rarely part of the offerings of 401ks, perhaps because of their inherent expenses. But they are certainly interesting groups of investments and can help a person diversify or target what they have invested in, for example, zeroing in on a section of the economy like real estate or energy, or choosing a specific goal for the investments, such as dividend investing.

     With the internet becoming what it is, and with apps available readily for pickup investing on the fly, and investing/economic news being readily available, it may seem silly to pay professional investors to manage investments for you. For example, Schwab and JP Morgan both have free brokerage accounts that link to your bank account that will execute trades for you for no fees. 

     The case for ETF buying is that, well, it's easy. If you find an ETF that meets your needs, it's pretty easy to buy a number of shares and then forget about it. Say you want to buy some stocks in renewable energy, but don't feel like doing the research on your own? Just buy some shares in a renewable energy ETF and call yourself diversified. They can also do some interesting trading things, like using options to grow the investments.  

     The case against buying ETFs is a big one. It's fees. All the ETFs that I have been learning about have fees, the best ones are less than 0.40 percent, but it still could end up being a lot of money every year. The more you have invested the more you pay in fees.

     How can you avoid fees and still make great diversified investments? That's a good question. The best way that I can see is to see what the ETFs are holding, do research, and buy the individual stocks in the ETFs that you prefer.