Aldrovanda in Indonesia

[kim]

Originally Posted by arvin555

Kim, about your water lettuce, don't you have problems with them getting out of hand and covering the whole pond? I have another pond that is over run by them, because it is a bit hard to get to that pond and clean it off excess plants. I gave a bit to a friend of mine, and his pond got over run with it that you can't see any water under them.

TTFN
Arvin

Yes have a lot of problem with those plant due to its quick grow, I have to get rid some of the water lettuce every weeks or two.
if not they will cover the whole pond.

[arvin555]

Yeah they are fast growing, they covered one of our ponds like crazy and my friend who I gave a few to was complaining about them after a few months!

I am wondering that because Rich (if I read it correctly) mentioned that they really don't contribute much to Aldro maybe we should consider not putting them with Aldros? Then again why fix something that is working in your pond at least!

My brother will not like it when I do take off all those javamoss in the pond too!

TTFN
Arvin

[bactrus]

Used to have them. When they are overgrown, I'll just harvest them to be use as mulch.

[poweramps]

Originally Posted by rsivertsen

Hey Arvin, water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is actually in the fern allies group, along with Azola and Salvinea which reproduce so rapidly that they are illegal in several states here in the USA, considered as aggressive invasive exotics.

Just to correct a common misconception - Pistia is a member of the aroid (Araceae) family. This group of plants have very diverse forms which include caladiums, Zamioculcas (the feng shui plant frm Zanzibar, lol), the devil's ivy, and arum lilies. Pistia produce rather small flowers that has a spathe and spadix (the di*ck in a sheath flower type). It is a monocot. Duckweed (lemmna) and watermeal (wolffia) are other examples of aquatic aroids.

[arvin555]

Hey you are right Poweramps, I found this website that confirms that they are in fact monocots!

http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/node/328

I wonder rsivertsen if this means that water Lettuces can be a good companion for Aldros?

TTFN
Arvin

[rsivertsen]

They, and water Hyacinths, also monocots, both compete for surface area with Aldrovanda, and prevent them from getting sunlight, also their roots don't always get directly under the Aldrovanda.

The best companion plants are those that are rooted in the shallow detritus layer, and have their roots spread out just a few inches under the Aldrovanda strands, or even better yet, commingled with them, and have long leaves and stems that rise well above the surface to allow full direct sunlight to get to the strands. - Rich

[arvin555]

Thanks Rich, so I guess grass type water plants then.

TTFN
Arvin