The photo above is that of a Koi (Japanese carp). This one is a Goromo - one of the many different varieties of Koi . One of my first and certainly not my last.


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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Plants for Koi Pond - Pandan

Plants for Koi Pond - Pandan

The fragrant pandan plant (pandanus amaryllifolius) is commonly found in South East Asia and is a good plant to grow in your Koi pond. It can be grown in soil or in water (hydroponics), hence making it suitable for a Koi pond. The leaves give off a nice fragrance and is used widely in South East Asian cooking and baking as a flavouring. Examples are the pandan cakes and other sweet deserts, Hainanese chicken rice and Thai pandan chicken (leaves are used to wrap the chicken meat and fry together).

The pandan plant grows easily in my Koi pond, absorbing the nitrates from the water. The leaves are regularly harvested and given away to friends and relatives. They have told me that the leaves from my pond are much more fragrant than those they bought from the local markets or supermarkets, which I believe are grown in soil.

Another use of its leaves would be as a…. cockroach repellent! Some taxicab drivers in Singapore like to place a bundle of pandan leaves in their taxicab to get rid of roaches and also to provide a nice aroma in the cab. Next time you bought a taxi in Singapore, look out for the bundle of pandan leaves at the back of the cab and ask the driver about it.

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