Planting Hydroponic Watercress and Land Kangkung

How to Grow Hydroponic Kangkung & Kangkung Land - For Indonesian people who are not familiar with water spinach. Kangkung has become a daily meal for Indonesians or Asians such as China and Malaysia. Kangkung is a type of semi-aquatic tropical plant. This kale plant is known to have a taste like spinach. Kangkung is known as a plant that has minimal maintenance costs. You only need a large amount of water and good fertilizer to grow this one plant. If you want to grow kale at home, of course you can. Check out the article below to find out more about kale and how to grow kale at home.

What is Kangkung?

Kangkung or Ipomoea aquatica is a plant that grows in water or in moist soil. Kangkung usually has a stem with a size of about 2-3 meters or more. This plant has fibrous roots and can float. Kale leaves are usually shaped like arrow heads, but there are also other shapes. Kale leaves can be 5-15 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. The kale plant has flowers that are shaped like trumpets with a diameter of 3-5 cm and are white with a light purple color in the middle.

The origin of this aquatic plant is actually not very clear, but many scientists agree that water spinach comes from Southeast Asia. Some mention that China is the location for the domestication of this kale plant. However, there are also those who argue that India is the location of the origin of this aquatic plant. In addition there are also studies that show that this aquatic plant is native to Africa. This research raises the debate whether water spinach is a native flora of Africa or this plant was introduced by a Chinese sailor named Zheng He.

Kale plants are most commonly found in East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Kale grows naturally in waterways and requires little maintenance. Not only Indonesia, kale is also a daily snack in areas such as Malaysia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II, kale grew very fertile in various areas and became a popular crop during the war.

Not only in Asia, this aquatic plant is also cultivated in Australia and the United States. Areas of the United States that cultivate kale are California, Hawaii, Texas, and Florida. Kangkung has good potential to be cultivated in areas that have a temperate climate. If in non-tropical areas, these aquatic plants can be planted in containers that are given enough water in a location that gets enough sunlight.

Kangkung is a plant that is very sensitive to cold air. A good temperature for growing kale is between 23-29 degrees Celsius. If the temperature reaches 10 degrees Celsius, then the kale plant cannot grow and will be damaged. The thing that needs to be underlined in planting kale is, kale requires moist soil. Usually, farmers will soak the kale seeds until they germinate to determine whether the seeds are good or not.

Usually, kale is ready to be harvested about 45-50 days after seeding. To harvest kale select the top shoot, leaving about 2 inches from the rootstock to encourage new kale growth that can be harvested later. Harvest kale before it blooms again so you can get good quality kale.

When sold in the market, generally kale is found in bundles of various sizes. To choose a good kale in the market, choose the big leaf and dark green because this kale has a more fragrant aroma than the small leaf kale. Do not choose leaves that are yellow or wilted. Also avoid choosing kale that is damaged or not fresh. To maintain the freshness of kale, store in a cool room. You can store them in the fridge with other leafy greens.

Before consuming this vegetable, it would be nice to wash the kale with clean running water, then soak it in salt water for about 20-30 minutes to get rid of parasitic eggs or water worms. This is important because these aquatic plants thrive in water. After that, you can dry it with a soft cloth or kitchen tissue. Cut the hard stems, soft stems of course can also be cooked.

Kangkung has a sweet and soft taste. Because this plant thrives in water areas, the water spinach texture becomes a little slimy. You can cook this vegetable by steaming so that it can bring a contrasting taste between the crispy stems and the soft and fresh kale leaves. Besides being steamed, kale can also be cooked by sautéing along with other spices such as garlic and shallots. Keep in mind, it's better to buy kale in a clean place or maybe you can grow it yourself in the backyard to maintain the quality of the kale.

The author, under the name Hydroponics for All, who has focused on hydroponic cultivation and regularly conducts hydroponic training (for beginners to industrial-scale hydroponics training) in various regions, tries to share his experiences through this book.

The author hopes that more people will understand the basic techniques of hydroponics correctly, so that it can be practiced well as a hobby, add to the beauty around the house and the environment, and can produce healthy vegetables for family consumption.

Kangkung Benefits

Kale plants have many benefits for both humans and animals. Kangkung can also be given to livestock such as cows, pigs, fish, chickens and ducks. This is because kale, especially the leaves have a high carotene content. However, the study also stated that this aquatic plant has a laxative effect if consumed in certain amounts.

Almost all dark green leafy vegetables have good nutrition, including kale.

Kale leaves have many vitamins and minerals. In addition, kale is a very good source of fiber, protein, calcium, and vitamins A & C for health. Here are the health benefits of consuming kale.

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