How & why I grow kang kong from seed in my tropical organic garden

As my kang kong seed germination experiment showed, there are different ways in which kang kong seeds could be germinated.

However, an abriged version of best germination practices for my tropical organic garden is below.




Kang kong seeds

NAMES

Kang kong; Water spinach; Chinese spinach; Water morning glory; Swamp cabbage; Bamboo leaf; Ipomoea aquatica; River spinach; Pak bong; Phak bung; Water concolvulus

WHY KANG KONG?

kangkong is ideal for raw food diets; Kang kong is great for treating diabetes since it lowers glucose levels and inhibits the absorption rate of glucose; Kang kong is great for encouraging probiotic growth (in the ease out period of a cleanse program); Nutritionally similar to spinach; Kang kong may reduce hypertension; Kang kong may even remove heavy metals from polluted water ways (This suggests to me that kang kong may have a similar healthful effect on heavy metals in my body.) Useful for pregnant women needing an iron boost.

To sow and germinate kang kong seeds:

1. Put a kang kong seed in luke warm water and allow to soak overnight
2. Fully dampen potting mix in a small plant pot
3. Sow a single kang kong seed into a hole that is 1 inch deep. Back fill the hole.
4. Always keep the potting mix moist (because kang kong plants thrive in very wet conditions).
5. Place the germination pot in a sunny location. My kang kong seedling pots were in full bright and hot tropical sun. However, I made sure that the potting mix never got dry. (I sowed my first and second batches of kang kong seeds in mid to late February. The wet season may be a better sowing time).
6. Wait for the seeds to germinate! My kang kong seedlings started out by resembling 2-pronged forks. (This is the nerve wracking part! My thoughts were: "I'm only seeing dirt!" ... then ... "Is that kang kong ... or a weed?" "Hooray! My kang kong seeds have all germinated!" ... "They all germinated but how will I handle all these fast growing kang kong plants!")

See me sow the kang kong seeds. I will be giving updates on how the plants grow. (One month old kang kong seedling update).

Please share your kang kong growing experiences. Subscribe to keep updated with not only my progress but also to see about other (tropical) organic gardeners' experiences with kang kong.

LINKS ABOUT GROWING KANG KONG IN TROPICAL ORGANIC GARDENS

• • My kang kong seed germination experiment - Part 1 (Sowing seeds)
  • My kang kong seed germination experiment - Part 2 (Results)
  • Grow grow seed with a high germination rate. See examples of growing favorites like moringa, mango, citrus fruits and more.
  • How I grow kang kong from seed
  • My kang kong one month old seedling update
  • Kang kong pests & organic pest control
  • Garden update: Difference between kang kong plants in partial tropical sun and kang kong plants in full tropical sun (Pending)
  • Blog introduction to my tropical organic garden