The verdict on growing kangkong in water

Water spinach plant growing just above the outdoor fish tank

I recently decided to experiment with growing kangkong in our outdoor fish tank. It was an interesting idea, but apparently not a good one.

The stem that I tossed directly into the tank didn’t grow at all. It’s just floating around on the water’s surface.

The other plants growing atop the netting are growing on good, strong stems, but the leaves are very pale green. Since there’s quite a bit of sunlight, I’m ruling out light deprivation. That probably means that the plants don’t get enough nutrients to photosynthesize. Since they’re growing in a fish tank, I can’t add fertilizers to the water. What a pity. I think the fish were enjoying the new distraction of the growing roots. I may just leave the plants there for the amusement of the fish as I have several other, healthier plants growing in soil. This was just a little sidetrack to satisfy my curiosity.

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