How To Grow Water Lettuce?

Well, if you are not aware of what water lettuce is, you will come to know just right here. And most of you surely have seen it but just that you don't know about it and thus don't recognise it.
Water lettuce plants are mostly found in ponds, lakes and canals in water anywhere from 0 to 30 feet (0-9 m).

What is water lettuce?

Water lettuce is spongy foliage that forms large floating colonies that can be invasive if left unchecked. Scientifically known as Pistia Stratotes, water lettuce belongs to the family of Araceae.

Water Lettuce - Colour & Length

It can grow 1 to 6 inches or 2.5 to 15 cm above the water. The root structure of water lettuce that floats in the water can grow upto 20 inches in length. A healthy plant of water lettuce can cover around 1 to 4 metres of area. It can be light green to grey-green in colour. The leaves form velvety rosettes which look like small heads of lettuce.

Growing Water Lettuce

Growing water lettuce is not a daunting task but a cakewalk. One can reproduce water lettuce with the use of stolons and can be propagated through the division of fully water lettuce. It can be grown from scratch using quality seeds covered with sand which are kept partially submerged in water.

How To Care For Water Lettuce

- The first thing you need to care about is water for obvious reasons. It can tolerate soft to hard water. 6.5 - 7.5 is the preferred pH range.

- Water lettuce thrives best in medium to bright sunlight.

- Growing water lettuce in a dry environment can dry out the leaves. This problem can be tackled by adding aquarium covers (if you are growing water lettuce in aquariums).