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Water Chestnuts
After attempting to find fresh water chestnuts for some time to try growing, I finally found someone who sells a few runners at a time.
They are doing great!!! I've got them growing in one of the cheap plastic kiddie pools. I put about 3" of compost and top soil in the pool, then filled it up to about 5" of water over the top of the soil level.
I started out with 5 runners at the end of May. They have multiplied to the point of the kiddie pool being half full already!!! Yummy! I'm going to have plenty of fresh water chestnuts. :)
To save on space, I put the kiddie pool on the cement slab that our a/c handler is on. Out of sight from the front of the house, and it's starting to hide the ac unit from my sight when I sit on our patio.
They are doing great!!! I've got them growing in one of the cheap plastic kiddie pools. I put about 3" of compost and top soil in the pool, then filled it up to about 5" of water over the top of the soil level.
I started out with 5 runners at the end of May. They have multiplied to the point of the kiddie pool being half full already!!! Yummy! I'm going to have plenty of fresh water chestnuts. :)
To save on space, I put the kiddie pool on the cement slab that our a/c handler is on. Out of sight from the front of the house, and it's starting to hide the ac unit from my sight when I sit on our patio.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Carla Tucker on -
Wow...I'm jealous! :) What is your climate like?
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Permalink Reply by Mel G on
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Hi Carla ~ We live along the Gulf Coast of Florida 9b here. Hot and humid year round. While I've heard of people growing them far into the North, I believe most have to start them indoors to get them full grown before the cold comes. Mine exploded in growth due to starting from runners and not corms. If you start from corms, you have to factor in an additional almost 2 months of growing time to get them to the stage that I started from.
Hopefully, when my "baby" graduates high school in 3 years, we'll be off to either Montana, the Dakota's or Alaska. While most think we're crazy for wanting to leave "paradise", 95*+ year round temperatures with 90% humidity, makes you feel like you fell into a sauna when you step outside the air conditioning. Plus, my lungs are bad and my asthma attacks keep getting worse. I can't wait to leave.
It will be a learning curve but I'm looking forward to the adventurer.
Carla Tucker said:Wow...I'm jealous! :) What is your climate like? -
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Permalink Reply by Carla Tucker on
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We're in Arizona...wonder if they'd grow here as long as I gave them some shade...We tried Orlando for about 6 months, and I LOVED it! But then we were there from October to March! :)
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Permalink Reply by Margaret Beers Oliver on -
For those of us who live elsewhere.... the poor man's water chestnut...Jicama! (hickama)! It is a tuber that is from a pea vine.
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Permalink Reply by Aliza Ess on -
Cool!
I'd love to grow lotus root so I could make candied lotus root (http://www.chow.com/recipes/11396-candied-lotus-root-yeongeun-jeonggwa)
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