Water Celery

[Romewhip]

Can you actually keep it without it overrunning absolutely everything? I took out about 60% of what I had at the beginning of the season this year, when it was still small and hadn't come out of dormancy yet. Now it's taking over the pond. I did do some replanting of my iris and waterlilies, and fertilized, but this is ridiculous. It's packed in so solid I'll need a machete to hack it apart. Any tips to keep some but keep it under control?

[CraigP]

It is edible...use it in your soups and salads. Adds a peppery, watercress flavor. < g >

[icu2]

It is edible...use it in your soups and salads. Adds a peppery, watercress flavor. < g >

Thanks! I wondered what the heck I was going to do with it all.

[koi4u2c]

My koi love to eat it. They will keep it trimmed if in their pond or hanging over the edge if growing in the ground near the pond. Some times I break off leaves and throw it in the pond for them.

Years ago I came home from work and several pots were dumped out and only a few stems remained. They had eaten the roots and the leaves, I put some in large pots with just an inch of water over the pot thinking it was safe from the koi. While looking out the window, I saw one koi jump up and grab a leaf and hold it down while another koi stripped off the leaves.

It started to take over in a stream bed but this year I noticed it looked like something was keeping it trimmed. Then I discovered the rabbits and free range chickens were eating it.

[icu2]

It is edible...use it in your soups and salads. Adds a peppery, watercress flavor. < g >

Can you use the leaves and the stalk part both? Or is it like regular celery and normally just eat the stalks?
Mine are kind of skinny.

[CraigP]

I cut it scissors and then chopped the entire haul. Leaves and stems are equally edible.

[BarbJ]

I stuck a sprig of Water Celery into a space between some edging rocks and it took off. I didn't eat it myself, but the koi loved to graze on it. And as it was just growing in the spaces between the mortared in edge rocks, they was nothing for them to knock over or mess up. It would get kind of crispy and unsightly at the end of summer, so I'd just trim it way back and in a few days new fresh leaves would start growing.
It was there for about 3 years, then this spring it just started to thin out and pretty soon it just faded away. There isn't even any dead twigs or root left. I don't know what happened, but I'm not going to replace it. Even though the koi liked it, the clump did tend to collect debris and mulm, so it's just a nice memory now.

[icu2]

I cut it scissors and then chopped the entire haul. Leaves and stems are equally edible.

I went out and cut a half dozen stalks/leaves and chopped them up and stir fried them with my grilled zucchini, chicken, and onions last night...
not bad! Kind of a herb like taste from the leaves but you can certainly taste the peppery side. I might leave out the leaves next time but
I liked the flavor!

Thanks!

[BWG]

Let it grow but keep it trimmed on a regular basis. You are very fortunate. It is filtering your pond and physical removal by trimming prevents going back into the pond as dead plant waste.

[cindy]

Interesting. I have it now