I weighed up the dehydrated hyacinth I grew in my pond.
Water hyacinth placed in a tared pan straight from pond, water shaken off. Plant start weight 266 grams
After drying out in the greenhouse I placed it in my Big Green Egg at 250º for 2 hours and the resultant dehydrated plant material weighed 11 grams
End result the plant was 95.87% water.
I sectioned off my plant ring (6' diameter) and counted the plants (one stem per plant) to figure out the total number of plants in 1/4 of the ring. Plant count was 87 plants. Figuring each plant (very similar in size) has a dry weight of 11 grams that's 348 plants times 11 grams = 3,828 grams, or 8.4 pounds of dehydrated biomass that won't settle into the bottom of the pond this winter.
Is it worth doing this, I think so, other more scientific opinions?
I'm seriously considering hyacinth. My pond isn't very big and being theyll be contained, even if they escape, they'll drift to the windward side of the pond where they ca be raked out.
They awfully pretty, and i can can get them easily at no cost
.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
