Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
koijoyii

my two watercress monsters

koijoyii
13 years ago

The first is my skippy filter. Wait. Did I say skippy filter (100 gallon stock tank)? Can you find it under all the watercress? It has overflowed the skippy and is now rooting itself into the ground around the filter. Every night I have to pull fistfulls of roots away from my overflow and outlet. I have little heart shaped baskets I put over both drains, but some little masked marauder likes to take the baskets and place them very neatly on the side of the top pond. Must need baskets for their nightime harvests. Good thing the baskets can't hold water. lol

{{gwi:225541}}

If you look closely in this pic you can see a little white to the lower left of the picture. This is one of the baskets protecting the outflow from the watercress roots. Those raccoons are able to pick the baskets out from the tangled mess without disturbing a leaf. The only proof that they were there is the baskets are placed very nicely, right-side up, next to each other on the rocks.

{{gwi:225542}}

{{gwi:225543}}

{{gwi:225544}}

This is my Nessie monster watercress floating planter. Now my koi are able to snack whenever they want. I think this is the only reason I am able to have lillies in the pond now.

{{gwi:225545}}

Jenny

Comments (8)

  • duddlydoright
    13 years ago

    geeze jenny, stop feeding it steroids

  • jennyb5149
    13 years ago

    Thanks for sharing the photos Jenny!! Very cool to see all the lush greenery around and in your pond!

    Now for my newbie ponder show of ignorance for the week. What exactly is water cress, where do you find it and I want some! I'm sure my koi would love to have some in the floating planter. I see them nibbling on the creeping jenny I have in there but don't think they like it much because it just keeps getting bigger and bigger!

  • koijoyii
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Here is a good definiton from Wickipedia. I buy it in the produce area in any grocery store. All you need is one bunch or a bag. I cut off the tips of the stems before putting it in water and it grows like crazy.

    Watercresses (Nasturtium officinale, N. microphyllum; formerly Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, R. microphylla) are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings. It is an invasive species in the Great Lakes region where it was first sighted in 1847.[1] These plants are members of the Family Brassicaceae or cabbage family, botanically related to garden cress and mustard  all noteworthy for a peppery, tangy flavour.

    The hollow stems of watercress are floating and the leaves are pinnately compound. Watercresses produce small white and green flowers in clusters.

    Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum (nomenclaturally invalid) and Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum L. are synonyms of N. officinale. Nasturtium officinale var microphyllum (Boenn. ex Reich.) Thellung is a synonym of N. microphyllum (ITIS, 2004). These species are also listed in some sources as belonging to the genus Rorippa, although molecular evidence shows that the aquatic species with hollow stems are more closely related to Cardamine than Rorippa.[2] Watercresses are not closely related to the flowers in the genus Tropaeolum (Family Tropaeolaceae), popularly known as "nasturtiums".

    Jenny

  • loriques
    13 years ago

    how cool. do you have to put it in a planter or will it just float by its self. i would love to pick some up and put in my pond.

    i love your little monster.. hehehe too cute

  • koijoyii
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi Laurie:

    It will float by itself, but if you have koi they may make a meal out of it. I have had better luck by putting it in a planter.

    Jenny

  • copanolady
    13 years ago

    I put a big head of watercress in my small pond and one opossum took it out in one night....roots and all.

  • goodkarma_
    13 years ago

    Holy smokes Jenny!!!!!!! Seems like it is not only the fish that love your home made fish food. The pics are awesome and the Lochwatercress monster is adorable.

  • sheepco
    13 years ago

    Geeez! Not that I wish THAT (Though lovely, I don't have the ROOM), but I put 3 bunches in my stream...they did great 'til mid summer when even in part shade and running water they died. What am I doing wrong?

    I had to have our local grocery order it, but nice bunches with great roots, plopped them in the stream and they took off. Continued to thrive, but developed flowers and got leggy so I sparingly cut it back. Hung in there for another 2 weeks, and all 3 are toast now :(

    S