Why You Should Be Growing Duckweed on Your Homestead

Duckweed is one of the most efficient and underappreciated crops you can grow on your homestead. If you're looking for a fast-growing, high-protein crop to supplement your homestead animal feed, duckweed is an unbeatable choice. Duckweed multiplies rapidly, often doubling in mass every 24 hours, and is packed with approximately 40% digestible protein, making it ideal for feeding chickens, ducks, fish, and even pigs. With minimal space and effort, duckweed can provide a continuous, nutrient-rich food source that cuts feed costs and supports healthier livestock.

What is Duckweed?

Duckweed is a fast-growing, nutrient-packed aquatic plant made up of tiny green fronds that float on the surface of still or slow-moving water. It thrives in warm conditions and is remarkably easy to cultivate in containers, tanks, or troughs. With minimal input, duckweed can produce a continuous supply of valuable biomass for a variety of uses.

The Benefits of Growing Duckweed

1. High-Protein Animal Feed

Duckweed is naturally high in protein, making it an excellent supplemental feed for chickens, ducks, fish, and even pigs. When harvested regularly, it provides a steady, renewable source of fresh or dried feed that can cut down on grain costs and boost animal health.

2. Efficient Water Cleaner

As it grows, duckweed absorbs nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the water, which helps clean and balance small water systems. It reduces algae growth and improves water quality, particularly useful in systems like aquaponics or livestock water troughs. At Live Aquaponics, we run our backwash water into holding tanks

3. Fast Biomass Production

Few plants grow as quickly as duckweed. Under ideal conditions, it can double its biomass every 24 hours, providing a reliable harvest without waiting months for growth. This rapid reproduction means you get more yield in less time, with very little space required.

4. Ideal for Closed-Loop Systems

Duckweed fits perfectly into a self-sustaining homestead model. You can use it to filter water, feed animals, and compost the leftovers—returning nutrients back into your soil or garden. It helps close the loop between waste and productivity, reducing the need for outside inputs.

5. Simple Harvesting and Handling

Unlike many crops that require extensive care, duckweed is easy to harvest using a simple net or screen. It doesn’t need tilling, weeding, or fertilizers. Once collected, it can be used immediately or dried for future use.

6. Improves Water Surface Conditions

When grown in containers or tanks, duckweed creates a living mulch on the water's surface. This helps regulate water temperature, minimize evaporation, and limit algae growth by blocking sunlight.

7. Low Maintenance and Resilient

Duckweed thrives in warm, nutrient-rich water and doesn’t require constant care. As long as you provide enough light and a basic nutrient source—such as fish waste or compost tea—it will grow rapidly with very little effort. A simple and sustainable method for growing duckweed is to direct the nutrient-rich backwash from your aquaponics or aquaculture system into separate tanks specifically set up for duckweed cultivation.

8. Potential for Human Use

While its main role on the homestead is for animals and system health, duckweed is also highly nutritious and edible for humans when grown in clean, controlled environments. It contains essential amino acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. Some homesteaders experiment with incorporating it into smoothies or drying it as a protein supplement.

Growing Duckweed at Home

You don’t need a pond to grow duckweed. It can be cultivated in tanks, tubs, barrels, water troughs, or even shallow trays—any container that holds water and gets moderate sunlight.

Here are some tips for success:

• Choose a shallow container: Duckweed does best in containers that are wide rather than deep.
• Provide nutrients: Natural water sources with fish waste or added compost tea offer the nutrients duckweed needs to thrive.
• Maintain moderate sunlight: Duckweed loves sunlight but can also tolerate partial shade. Just avoid full darkness or deep shade.
• Harvest regularly: Scoop out portions every few days to prevent overcrowding and to keep your supply healthy and growing.
• Store excess: You can dry duckweed on screens or cloth and store it for use in winter or when fresh growth slows down.

Final Thoughts

Duckweed is one of the most efficient and underappreciated crops you can grow on your homestead. It’s nutrient-rich, space-efficient, and supports both animals and plants in a regenerative way. Whether you're running a backyard aquaponics setup, feeding livestock, or looking to reduce your dependency on commercial feeds, duckweed can help you move toward a more self-reliant, sustainable lifestyle.

With minimal effort and big returns, it’s no wonder more homesteaders are turning to this little green powerhouse. If you're not growing duckweed yet, now's the time to start.