Kombucha benefits for poultry

You should make kombucha (чайный гриб or chayniy grib) at home to drink and for your children to drink.  It is good for you, it is very cheap to make, and it is simple to maintain.  You may not know this, but you should also give some kombucha to your chickens.  Kombucha is good for chickens in many ways.  

Strangely, other than feeding chickens the old pellicles, I do not hear many reports of people giving kombucha to their hens.  Given all the health claims surrounding kombucha, and the abundance of studies on animals demonstrating kombucha's positive effects, along with all the other weird and wonderful things people feed to chickens that have any alleged health claims, I am surprised I don't hear of more people who fed kombucha to chickens.  

I tried to learn more about this, I looked at anecdotal evidence, I read studies not directly relating to kombucha that should correspond to the effects of feeding kombucha, and I read peer reviewed papers on feeding kombucha to hens.  After much reading, I also gave my hens some kombucha to see if this would be beneficial for them and save me some money.  

The results weren't overly surprising, all the evidence indicates chickens benefit from consuming kombucha. 

Kombucha fermenting in a jar

Anecdotal evidence 

While anecdotal evidence should not replace peer reviewed studies, it can be useful to hear what works, or does not work, for other people in a back yard situation where things are not necessarily ideal.  I found surprisingly few references to anyone attempting to feed kombucha to hens, but the few references I found were positive.  

I found one web page providing anecdotal evidence claiming that giving kombucha to chickens resulted in cleaner eggs and firmer poo.  They think this may be because the kombucha was helping the birds' digestive systems.  

The claims made on that web page are probably true.  This web page has nothing to gain by promoting kombucha, the claims all seem logical, and it existed prior to AI being a big thing (there are far too many pages of computer generated nonsense written by AI, and far too many people blindly thinking that this is worth reading).  

Some other people give fermented feed to chickens and claim it improves their overall health.  While I am unsure if fermented feed has ever been studied, or if there are any benefits from feeding fermented feed, it is often claimed to be beneficial by backyard chicken owners.  Kombucha, being fermented tea, contains a lot of species of bacteria and yeast, many of which are used in fermenting other things.  Anecdotally we should be able to draw some comparisons between kombucha and fermented feed.  

Some people feed apple cider vinegar to chickens to 'acidify their crop', boost immunity, and build their general health.  Again I am unsure of the results of any studies into these benefits, but there is plenty anecdotal evidence suggesting that this is possibly beneficial.  Kombucha is similar to apple cider vinegar in many ways, and can be used to produce a kind of vinegar.  As apple cider vinegar and kombucha are similar in many ways, any benefits from feeding apple cider vinegar would likely also be seen through feeding kombucha.  

I found a few permaculture sites claiming kombucha to naturally de-worm their hens.  I have serious doubts over this claim, and fear it may be rhetoric by people who are simply wishing really hard.  While I don't believe that feeding kombucha to hens can be used to deworm them, kombucha will enhance their immune system (I explain this below), so it may provide some slight resistance to parasitic worms. 

To add to the anecdotal evidence, I fed some kombucha to my hens.  I added the liquid to their drinking water.  They appeared to have firmer poo for some time.  I also fed them some of the old biofilm, again it appeared to stop them doing sloppy poo for some time.  I have done this multiple times, and each time it goes well. 

Anecdotally, feeding kombucha to laying hens should prove beneficial.

Kombucha liquid and biofilm - both great for laying hens

Studies on poultry not directly on kombucha

While these studies did not address kombucha directly, the results should be applicable to feeding kombucha as it shares similarities to the things that were being studied.  

Many studies state that certain probiotics improve layer hen performance - number of eggs laid, egg quality, and the immune function of laying hens.  The probiotics in the below studies include some of the many species that are present in kombucha, so while they are not directly studying kombucha, there is a high chance the results will be applicable to feeding kombucha to chickens.  

One study demonstrates that feeding probiotics, prebiotics, and organic acids results in increased egg production, increased egg quality, and better feed conversion ratio.  Kombucha contains all of these probiotics, prebiotics, and a range of organic acids.  Some of the organic acids in kombucha are produced early, while others are not produced until around day 21 onwards.  Making kombucha using continuous brew is the simplest method, plus it ensures that a wide array of organic acids will be present in every batch.  

One study demonstrated that feeding probiotics such as Lactobacillus salivarius and Bacillus subtilis increased egg numbers, decreased damaged egg ratio, and improved feed conversion.  This study should correlate to kombucha as the probiotic species in the study are among those present in kombucha.  The study tested blood samples and indicated that these probiotics enhances the immune function of hens.  It was also noted that feeding multiple probiotic strains had a greater effect than feeding single strains.  Kombucha has been demonstrated to contain a wide variety of probiotics, with around 320 different species of bacteria and yeast being present in some samples.  Given that multiple strains provided more benefit than single strains, it is safe to assume that kombucha would perform as well as, if not better than, the few strains that were used in this study. 

There are various probiotics commercially available for poultry, many do not contain living probiotics and would be better referred to as 'parabiotics'.  There are also various organic acid supplements commercially available for poultry.  There have been multiple studies backing up claims that these improve layer efficiency.  Not surprisingly, few home growers use any of these as they are too expensive.  Making kombucha at home is far far cheaper than buying commercially available probiotics or supplements, plus it has real potential to reduce your costs.  

Based on the studies into probiotics and organic acids above, feeding kombucha to hens should prove to be beneficial. 

Papers that do directly study kombucha - this is where it gets interesting

There are a lot of animal studies regarding the health benefits of kombucha.  Strangely I could not find any papers testing egg laying performance in hens.  That being said, there are plenty of studies on feed conversion and growth rates etc in broiler hens and Japanese quail.  All of the studies I read indicate feeding kombucha to hens is beneficial in a variety of ways. 

One study concluded that adding kombucha to chicken's drinking water increased protein digestibility, and exhibits growth promoting effects similar to antibiotics.  I find this study fascinating as similar claims are often made about apple cider vinegar, yet I have not heard of any home grower making these claims about kombucha even though it has been demonstrated in published papers.  

Another study noted giving kombucha to hens resulted in improved feed conversion ratio in broilers, and increased protein digestibility.  They concluded the best growth promoting effect in broilers was with the addition of 6 ml fermented kombucha per 100ml water.  If I fill up the water each day, this would only cost me a few cents, yet it has the ability to reduce feed costs through improving the feed conversion ratio.  Again, I find it odd that a published paper makes this conclusion, yet I rarely hear of anyone feeding kombucha to their backyard hens.  

There do not appear to be any studies on kombucha and its impacts or lack there of on egg laying in hens.  This is odd as there are many studies demonstrating that feeding organic acids and probiotics (both of which are present in kombucha) improve laying performance and egg quality, plus there are studies on the effects of feeding kombucha and the feed conversion rates in broilers.  

Most of the studies I found were about fed conversion ratio and growth rate of broilers, and I found a few studies on growth rate of Japanese quail.  All came to the same conclusions that kombucha resulted in improved growth rates, increased live weight, and increased carcass weight.  All of this is very good, I want my hens to have good weight and good feed conversion as this lowers my feed bill.

I also find it odd that there are proven benefits associated with feeding kombucha to poultry, yet I don't hear of any permaculture institutes encouraging the feeding of kombucha to poultry.  Kombucha is so cheap and simple to make, and these benefits are well worth the effort.

All of the studies into feeding kombucha to hens indicate that it is beneficial to them.  

This ferments in my garage, and is fed to hens

How to feed kombucha to backyard hens

Now you know that feeding kombucha to hens is beneficial, the natural question to ask is how do you feed it to them.  There are a few easy and cheap ways you could give kombucha to your hens.  

First, don't buy kombucha, make your own at home.  Buying kombucha would be expensive and pointless, making it at home is simple and only costs a few cents per litre.  

One of the important parts of kombucha is the SCOBY, this is the live Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts.  Kombucha pellicle/biofilm contains a lot of live scoby, kombucha liquid also contains a lot of live scoby.  Feeding either works well and both are readily accepted by hens.  

I brew kombucha in my kitchen for people to drink.  I have a few jars brewing at any point in time so I normally have spare culture.  I don't have extra space in the house to brew kombucha for my chickens, so I also keep a few jars of it in the garage that I use for the chickens.  These are the same as the ones inside the house, but the ones in the garage are in large jars without taps and get refilled far less often.  

As kombucha brews, it produces a biofilm or 'pellicle' - this is the jelly fish looking thing that floats on the liquid.  When you continuous brew, each time you refill the kombucha jar it produces another layer of biofilm.  You can remove and cut up the old biofilms, and feed them to hens.  This will provide the hens with live probiotics, various organic acids, small amounts of vitamins, various antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients.  The hens will gladly eat this if it is cut up, and some hens happily eat it if left as a disk.  

Another way to give kombucha to hens is to include the liquid in their drinking water.  60ml kombucha per liter of water has been concluded as having the greatest benefits, plus it is simple to administer.  Tipping around 180ml of kombucha into a 3L waterer and topping up with water isn't difficult.  Given that this does not need to be very accurate, I measured it the first few times to get an idea of how much they need, and tend to just eyeball the amount now.  Importantly, 180ml of home made kombucha will cost you less than 5 cents.  Even if this results in one more egg being laid each week by your flock, you will have saved money.  

Another, possible simpler, way to give kombucha to hens is to add some liquid to their feed.  If feeding pellets or grains, you can add a slosh of kombucha liquid and mix it in.  This is not uniform, some days you would add more, others less, the greedier hens would eat most while the more timid would get less (or none), but it would still be beneficial to the flock as a whole, and it will end up saving you money.  

I top this up every few weeks and it is thriving long term

Where to get kombucha to feed to hens

Don't buy kombucha from the supermarket, that would be expensive and counter productive when the aim is to reduce your costs.  Get a kombucha starter culture, then you make it at home very cheap.  

Getting a kombucha starter culture is easy.  Some people make their own starter using store bought, while this kind of works the diversity of living cultures tends to be low in store bought and people who do this regularly encounter issues.  You are better off sourcing one that has been grown at home for some time.  Ask around, someone may have some to share with you.  Alternatively, if you can't find any locally, I sell kombucha starter culture through my for sale blog page.  Don't spend much on a kombucha starter culture, they are extremely valuable, but should not be expensive.  

Once you have a starter culture, making kombucha is very simple, it takes next to no time, it never goes wrong if you use the traditional continuous brewing method, and it costs less than 15 cents to brew each litre.  You won't need to spend much to get continuous brew kombucha set up.  The starter culture should not be expensive, a large jar is generally free, and you can ladle out the liquid and remove the old biofilm as wanted.  

Once you have a large jar and a kombucha culture you make continuous brew kombucha, this is the traditional way and is the simplest way.  I wrote a blog post with simple continuous brew kombucha instructions that really can't go wrong.  After that, your feed costs are reduced, and your hens are a little healthier.  

The strainer keeps out bugs and lets in air

Basil mint - Mentha x piperita

Basil mint (Mentha x piperita f.citrata) is a variety of true mint, that smells and tastes a lot like sweet basil.  So far I have only used it raw, and it can be substituted for sweet basil.  I am told when cooked it can lose some of its taste if cooked for too long, so should only be added towards the end of cooking. 

I love sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), but it is not hardy enough in my garden, and I don't get to have any basil over winter.  For a few years I grew a bunch of different basil varieties, some were better than others.  I started wondering if I could grow something that could be substitute for basil, but is hardier and more reliable, for use out of the basil growing season. Basil mint may be the solution I am looking for. 

Basil mint is a remarkable plant.  Like most varieties of mint it is vigorous, productive, and hardy.  Basil mint is currently reasonably difficult to find.  I dare say that will change with time, and this herb will become more common. 

'Basil mint' is a type of mint, it is perennial and edible.  Basil mint is not a cross between mint and basil, nor would this even be possible.  More importantly, basil and mint are not the same thing. 

Basil mint - a type of mint that tastes like sweet basil

My little rant about basil vs mint

There is a lot of nonsense on the internet (looking at you Reddit) making weird claims that mint and basil are the same, or that basil is a type of mint.  Before I go on I want to clear up these claims. 

Mint is any species or hybrid in the Genus Mentha.  Basil is any species or hybrid in the Genus Ocimum.  Mint and basil come from different genus, and are obviously different species.  Both Genera sit in the same Family - Lamiaceae, this seems to be the cause of confusion between them.  

When looking at the Lamiaceae phylogenetic tree, Mentha sits under the Subfamily Mentheae, while Ocimum sits under the Subfamily Ocimeae.  All of this means that basil and mint are quite distantly related.  While they are in the same Family, they are not even in the same subfamily.  They are not the same thing, and one is not a variety of the other. 

While it is true that Lamiaceae is sometimes referred to as 'mint', they are also commonly referred to as 'sage' or even 'deadnettles', meaning it is nonsensical to refer to all the plants in Lamiaceae as being a type of mint.  To put this in perspective, roses and strawberries are in the same Family, they are more closely related than mint and basil, as rose and strawberry are even in the same subfamily.  Yet no one claims a strawberry is a type of rose.  

Basil mint is also not a cross between basil and mint.  I am all for attempting wide hybrids, and if I thought it were possible to cross basil and mint I would encourage people to try.  Sadly, you cannot cross basil and mint.  

Basil mint plant

Now that's out of the way, I want to talk more about "basil mint" plants as they are pretty incredible. 

I like sweet basil very much, yet find it time consuming to grow from seed each year.  Frustratingly, I need to plant the seeds early, but they don't grow much until the heat is here.  I started breeding basil once, and had a very interesting line, but lost my new variety because I couldn't grow it for a few years and the seeds don't remain viable for very long.  

Sweet basil grows rather easily from cuttings.  It is possible to take basil cuttings and overwinter them.  Unfortunately it gets too cold in my house, and basil tends to rot and die over winter.  In warmer climates, or even if I heated my house more over winter, overwintering basil would be pretty simple.  My house gets cold over winter, especially over night after the fire has gone out, so overwintering basil in my house tends not to go well.

Various varieties of mint in pots in part shade on paving

I used to have a great variety of sweet basil that I grew from seed each year.  I didn't collect seed one year, and the following year none of my seeds germinated as presumably they were all too old.  I have never been able to find that variety again.  While this is sad, it is the reality of basil in my climate.

Supermarkets here often sell hydroponically grown fresh basil.  Growing basil from fresh herbs available in the supermarket is simple, and taking a few cuttings means I can grow a lot of plants pretty quickly.  The last few years we have seen rolling shortages of basically everything in supermarkets, which means I can't guarantee the shops will have fresh basil that I can buy and grow. 

I will always probably grow a little basil from seed.  Growing sweet basil from seed is simple enough, but I run the risk of losing my line if something goes wrong.  Growing basil from supermarket fresh herbs is simple enough, but tends to be seasonable and I can't guarantee they will have any. 

I will probably always grow some from cuttings I take from fresh supermarket basil, but I would also like something that will reliably be there that tastes like sweet basil, even in winter.  If possible, I would also like to find something that tastes like basil that can be productive in my winters. 

Basil mint growing in a pot

This is where I think 'basil mint' may come in useful. 

Growing mint is usually very simple.  Most types of mint are hardy and vigorous.  Mint needs water to do well, sometimes a little shade, other than that it is pretty care free.  

Some varieties of mint survive my winters by going dormant and resprouting in the spring.  Some varieties of mint are hardier and tend to stay above the soil all winter.  I don't know which category basil mint fall in, but I hope it is above ground all winter. 

Mint survives extreme heat if given enough water, and does even better with a little shade.  I have my basil mint in a pot of soil, at this stage it gets some shade, and it is growing fast.  

I grow mint in pots that are sitting on pavers.  When (when, not if) the mint sends out rhizomes and tries to escape I am able to prevent that as the paving gives me a little extra time.  I can remove the runner and stop it spreading to unwanted places.  If these pots were even sitting on soil, this would be impossible, and my garden would forever be over run by mint.

Mint should never be grown directly in the garden as it spreads vigorously.  Mint should never be planted in a pot that is sunk into the soil.  I don't care what gardening magazines tell you, digging a hole and planting a pot full of mint will not keep it contained to that pot.  Most mint varieties are so vigorous that even growing mint in a pot can be trouble as it will try to escape through the drainage holes as well as sending rhizomes over the top of the pot.  Planting this pot of mint in the soil would just be asking for trouble. 

When mint grows from seed the results are very diverse.  This means there are a few inferior clones around that smell like mint with barely a hint of basil.  That is not what I want.  To maintain the basil taste, this plant should only be propagated by divisions or cuttings, and never by seed.  

Basil mint in part shade

At this point I am still new to growing basil mint.  This one smells and tastes a lot like sweet basil.  I have read that it smells like a cross between mint and basil, and some of the versions I had come across in the past only smelled of mint, but I am happy to say that my plant does not smell of mint at all unless it is suffering heat stress.  This seems to be a great little clone. 

Sometimes mint changes it's scent when stressed, and changes back once the conditions are better.  Other varieties of mint do not change, and they smell and taste the same all the time.  This one seems to change with stress.  When heat stressed, it smells a little like spearmint mixed with basil.  When grown properly it smells strongly of basil and I can't discern any mint fragrance.  This works well because when the heat is here we normally have true basil growing, and this herb will be grown as a basil substitute outside of the basil growing season. 

Basil mint is a vigorous and productive plant that smells like sweet basil.  While it is not quite as strong as home grown basil, it certainly tastes stronger than store bought hydroponically grown basil.  I haven't grown it over winter yet, but have been told that it can be grown for use as a basil substitute over winter, and I have high hopes that this is true. 

I like 'basil mint' and think this is one herb that I will see become more popular and hopefully be more widely available soon.   

Once I have a few spare basil mint plants I will list them on my for sale page so other people have a chance to grow this delightful edible herb.

Perennial vegetables for sale February 2026

For sale in Australia perennial vegetables, heirloom vegetable seeds, edible herb plants, organic berry plants, and a few non-edible plants and things.  Everything has been grown organically by me. 

Maintaining my old for sale page wasn't working for me, so each month I now write a new blog post with an updated list of what I have for sale that month and include a link on my old for sale page.  

Lemongrass plants are perennial and high yielding

For Sale: February 2026 

Small Bare Rooted Plants $5 each (unless otherwise stated): 

Everlasting onions 
Tree onions (small bulbils)
Babington leek (dormant bulbs)
Pineberry strawberry 
Virginian strawberry
Atilla alpine strawberry 
Jekkas thyme 
Peppermint 
Lavender mint 
Banana mint
Pineapple sage
Willow herb
Lime balm 
Vietnamese fish mint
Vietnamese coriander
Variegated water parsley 
Green water parsley (more vigorous stronger tasting version of the variegated form) 
Asparagus (Variety: Purple) 
Sweet Violet 
Lemongrass 
Water cress 
Brahmi/water hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) 
Water pepper 
Azolla $3 per scoop 
Duckweed $3 per scoop 

Dormant bulbs or corms:

Saffron corms (small - this size may or may not flower this year) $3 each 
Daffodil - Hoop Petticoat   $3 each
Muscari grape hyacinth bulb  $2 each
Muscari grape hyacinth - Packet of seeds  $4

Ancient Cultures: 

Milk kefir grains  $5 
Kombucha SCOBY  $5 

Heirloom Vegetable Seeds:  $4 packet (unless otherwise stated) 

Immali corn
Purple hot mustard
Wasabi salad herb (not true wasabi) 
Purple asparagus
Tomato Zolotoe Serdtse
Tomato Tommy Toe
Tomato Reisetoimate 
Tomato Woolly Kate 
Senposai
Hon Tsai Tai / Choy Sum (purple stem) 
Huacatay
Black raspberry SEED (note: needs minimum of 3 months cold wet stratification to germinate)

Non edible things:

Aloe vera $5 
String of pearls succulent - plant $5, cuttings $2
String of beans succulent (from Coober Pedy) - plant $5, cuttings  $2
Red jelly bean succulent  $5 
African violet leaf cutting (Variety: New Hampshire) $3 each
African violet leaf cutting (Variety: unnamed double light blue) $3 each

Candle mold 'skep' $10 each 
Candle mold 'owl' $10 each 

Postage Prices: 

$12 for plants etc 
Or $3.50 if only buying seeds.  

I post the Monday after payment has cleared.  

Mint plant

To order anything from the above list: 

Please send me an email saying what plants/seeds you would like and I will reply with prices/payment methods.  My email address will need to remove the the spaces, put @ instead of the word 'at' and . in place of the word 'dot': 

damien_beaumont at yahoo dot com dot au 

Photographs, binomial names, descriptions of plants, and notes on how I grow them, can be found on my old for sale page.  Please note my old page has a lot of things not currently in season/not currently for sale.  The only things I have for sale this month are listed in this blog post above. 

Yacon triple leaf

I have grown yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) for well over a decade, in a few different climates.  It is a great perennial vegetable. 

Yacon generally grows opposite leaves, this plant has three leaves.  It has done it for the past few years, and it returns the following year. 

Yacon leaves in sets of three

Normally, yacon leaves are arranged opposite and decussate; they are found in pairs on opposite sides of the stem and the each pair is offset 90 degrees from previous set.  On this plant, the leaves are whorled, and offset at 60 degrees from the previous set of leaves.

Extra sets of leaves like this can be a temporary thing influenced by environmental factors, or can be caused by a genetic mutation.  Given this has happened in the same plant for several years in a row, I think in this instance it is caused by a genetic mutation. 

Yacon leaves in sets of three

I assumed more leaf area would mean more photosynthesis resulting in more vigorous and productive plants.  This plant is shorter, I'm not sure if tuber production is noticeably different.  

Yacon normally has opposite leaves in sets of two

Regular yacon

This triple leaf yacon doesn't tend to flower more, or less, or earlier, or later, than regular yacon.  It doesn't seem to cope better or worse in the heat.  Other than being a little shorter, nothing really seems different at all.

I have been growing the same yacon for so many years that I feel attached to it.  Having a mutation show up is fun, and I didn't want to lose it.  

Yacon leaves in threes

Triple yacon

This year my yacon has broken dormancy and grown well.  I planned to separate my three leaf yacon and put it in a new garden bed, but none grew triple leaves this year. 

Over winter I gave away dormant yacon crowns to a few people.  I have a feeling I may have inadvertently given away my triple yacon.  

I gave yacon to a few different people, mostly to strangers who came here to buy other plants, so I have likely lost this mutation forever.  While I am a little upset over this, there are worse things I could have lost.  Hopefully it does well for its new owners, and hopefully they share it around a bit.  

Yacon drooping a little in the heat

Sometimes I sell dormant yacon crowns over winter.  When I do they will be listed on my for sale page.  I don't seem to have any triple yacon left, but I may have some regular yacon crowns for sale.  

Replanting African violet mother leaf multiple times

African violets are often reasonably simple to propagate.  Most people have great success rooting an African violet leaf in water, it is meant to be very simple, yet for some reason I have zero success when using this method.  

Other people cut off a leaf, wrap the petiole in damp paper towel, and propagate new plants that way.  That sounds easy, but I haven't tried it myself.  

I take a leaf cutting, plant it in soil, and usually end up with 3 or 4 leaf babies after about 3 months.  For me this method has been largely successful, and the majority of leaves I try tend to work.

Often when planting a leaf cutting, the mother leaf will produce some baby plants, then I normally leave them until the mother leaf dies and then separate off the baby plants.  Often the mother leaf looks alive and healthy for a very long time. 

I started to wonder if I could replant the mother leaf.  If I cut it off just above where it attaches to the baby plants, could I replant it and get a second set of leaf babies?  I thought I could, so I gave it a try.  

Light Blue African Violet getting old

I have an African violet with sentimental value that I have had for a few years.  Rather than risk losing this plant to some mishap, I decided to propagate a leaf.  

I planted a leaf on 03/12/2023, in March 2024 it produced three plantlets.  Taking about 3 months to produce leaf babies is pretty common, sometimes a bit faster, sometimes much slower.  

I left the leaf babies to grow out for far too long, they had competition, no fertiliser, and were in a small pot so did not reach their potential.  I divided them 12/01/2025.  This variety is a slow grower, so the timeframe to being large enough to divide are rather long, other varieties seem to grow a lot faster.

Three plants divided and mother leaf replanted 12 January

When I divided the baby plants the mother leaf looked old and shabby, one part of the leaf blade was dead, but the leaf was clearly still alive.  I replanted the mother leaf on 12/01/2025 (about a year after first planting the leaf) to see if it would give me any more leaf babies.  

The mother leaf, and all three of the leaf babies, were planted in the same pot.  You can see a photo of them above.  

The mother leaf produced its second set of leaf babies 18/04/2025, which was about about 3 months from cutting off and re-planting the mother leaf.  It seems to have produced only one or maybe two baby plants, if you squint you may be able to see them in the photo below.   

I left the leaf babies to grow a little larger before trying to remove and replant the mother leaf another time.  

The leaf was already about a year and a half old by this time, and the weather was getting cooler, so I didn't get a third set of leaf babies out of this leaf.  Had the leaf been younger (rather than leaving it attached to the babies for so long before trying this) I think I would have probably got a third set of leaf babies from it.  

Mother leaf sprouting second set of leaf babies 

The same baby plants from above 

This has shown me it is possible to get a second set of leaf babies from an African violet mother leaf.  

I thought it may be possible to get a third set of leaf babies, or even more if the mother leaf is healthy.  I also wondered if you get less leaf babies each planting as the leaf gets older.  

No one seems to talk about this, so I need to give it a try and find out for myself.  People don't need a lot of plants of the same variety, so probably don't try this/record it/bother to tell anyone.  

I tend to grow rarer things, and like to share them around, so for me it would be good to know how many sets of babies I can get from one leaf cutting.  

All of these were divided from the same pot - far too crowded

Again I used the light blue flowered African violet.  I planted a new leaf on 27/01/2025 (along with a few leaves of another variety).  

This mother leaf produced its first set baby plantlets on 19/03/2025 - which is day 72 (about two months).  Normally it takes me about 3 months to produce leaf babies, but it varies a bit, I think the weather has a lot to do with it.   

I allowed the leaf babies to grow, but not get very large.  I then cut off and replanted the mother leaf 06/04/2025.  The leaf babies survived the mother leaf being removed so were clearly large enough.  

The leaf babies possibly grew slower after the mother leaf is removed as they were not drawing any energy from the larger leaf, or maybe it makes no noticeable difference, I don't know yet.  

The second set of baby leaves was noticed 06/07/2025.  This was about three months after the mother leaf had been cut and replanted.  It was winter here in July, so the second set of baby leaves grew very slow.

The babies grew slow at the start, and I somewhat forgot about them.  This leaf was cut off again and replanted 23/11/2025.

The mother leaf was looking great, until I went away in December.  I think I bumped it out of the pot while moving things around, when I got back home the leaf was out of the soil and had dried off badly.  I replanted it but it was too late, and the leaf died.  I think it would have produced a third set of leaf babies had it not bee knocked out of the soil. 

African Violet leaf babies sprouting - too early to remove the mother leaf

Same pot. Mother leaf (on right) cut off and replanted further back

The leaf babies survived the mother leaf being removed

The other two leaves in that pot were from another African violet variety, as you can see in the photo above they also produced leaf babies.  This variety is called New Hampshire, and for me it is simple to propagate and goes from leaf cutting to flower much faster than the light blue one.  

I figured I would like to learn more about re-using an African violet mother leaf so cut off and replanted both of those mother leaves.

The New Hampshire mother leaf was first planted 27/01/2025, produced its first leaf babies and was cut off and replanted 03/05/2025.  

All mother leaves produced leaf babies, were replanted, and produced more

These leaves sat over winter and didn't do a lot as it is too cold in my house for them.  Spring came and I had largely forgot about them.  They had produced a second set of leaf babies in this time.  They were relatively large before I even noticed them.  

Early November 2025 I cut off the New Hampshire mother leaf and replanted it.  Late December it produced its third set of leaf babies.  This variety is very vigorous, and tends to propagate faster and more easily than many other African violet varieties. 

Once the leaf babies get larger I will cut the mother leaf off again, and see if I can replant it to get another set or two out of it.  

More flowers than leaves - this variety is incredible

All of this has shown me that African violets are simple to grow from leaf cuttings, and a single leaf can produce leaf babies reasonably easily several times before it grows too old.  I am not sure how many times a mother leaf can be reused, but three times has worked for me pretty easily.

I don't use rooting hormone, or humidity domes, or bottom heat, or supplemental lighting.  I just plant the African violet leaf, keep it in bright indirect light, and water it from time to time.  If I used hormones and humidity and all the other things this would probably work a lot better, but I don't have the time or money do do that, and my simple way of doing things is working fine.

Various African violets

I tend to get 3 or 4 leaf babies from the mother leaf each time, and from what I have seen the mother leaf produces slightly fewer leaf babies after being reused.  Given the low number of times I have tried reusing a mother leaf, this could just be coincidence.  Even if it is not a coincidence and I am getting lower numbers with repeated replanting of the same leaf, getting a single extra plant would be worth it if the variety is rare or holds sentimental value.  

I sell African violet leaves through my for sale page, and sometimes I sell flowering size African violet plants.  I only have a few varieties at the moment, but am looking to expand my collection a little and expect to have a few more varieties to add to that page soon.  

Azolla the little fern that could

I've been growing this azolla (Azolla pinnata) since at least 2016.  It has been growing with us through drought, flood, snow, frosts, dust storms, and utter neglect.  

Remember that children's story of 'the little engine that could'?  It was a little train that kept going and going and going and when the hill got too steep it just kept going.  Azolla is like the plant version of this.  Very few plants have as many uses as azolla, and very few things are as simple to grow without posing a weed threat.

Azolla is simple to grow, incredibly productive (hence its ability to survive neglect), and I use it for a surprising number of things.  Very few plants have as many uses as azolla, very few plants are as simple to grow as azolla, an added bonus is this species is native to my area. 

While a few containers of azolla tucked under things around the yard can be surprisingly productive, each year I wish I had more azolla.  I consider increasing the amount I grow, but the reality of space and water constraints hits me and I only find space for a few more small containers of azolla. 

Azolla covering the water surface and forming a mat

Even though it doesn't look like a typical fern, azolla is a fern.  This little fern tends to float on the water surface with short thin roots dangling freely in the water, and does not ever need to touch soil.  Unlike many water plants, azolla can thrive in low nutrient water.  It is surprisingly resilient.  This species of azolla is native to Australia (and parts of Africa, and parts of Asia), and is the most common species of Azolla that can be found in my area.  

Azolla has a myriad of uses including animal feed, human food, mosquito control, fertiliser, mulch and compost, clearing water, providing honey bees somewhere to safely collect water, and plenty of other things.  I have eaten azolla, it isn't my favourite but in a pinch I guess I could eat it, that being said I would prefer to feed it to my chickens and then eat their eggs.  

If you ever have time to kill, look up the 'Azolla event'.  This is a time in the Eocene era were it is hypothesized that azolla growing in the arctic grew so much that it took so much carbon from the atmosphere that it changed the climate and caused an ice age.  Given that azolla can easily drawdown over 1.5 kg/m2/yr of carbon (some sources state it draws down 6.2 to 7.8kg per square meter), and the basin it was growing in covered around 4 million square kilometers, this hypothesis is plausible.  Sadly azolla will never be able to do this again, as the conditions that lead to this were rather unique, but it is fascinating nonetheless. 

Azolla and a rice plant

Azolla has a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with a blue green algae (cyanobacteria) called Anabaena azollae.  This is one of the few instances of symbiosis in nature being beneficial to both species.  To simplify what happens, the Azolla grows special little pockets to house the cyanobacterium and feeds it carbon, in return the blue green algae collects nitrogen from the air and turns it into a form that is usable by the fern.  Collecting nitrogen from the atmosphere like this is what makes azolla so useful. 

Not only is it rather rare to see mutually beneficial symbiosis, but this symbiosis is passed on from generation to generation and does not require re-inoculation.  To quote the Azolla foundation "we know of no other symbiotic relationship in which a cyanobacterium and plant pass down together during reproduction from generation to generation".  

Azolla also has a few other species of symbionts.  At this stage we don't really understand the purpose of those other species, or how they each interact, or if each is passed on or needs to be re-inoculated each generation.  It doesn't really matter too much, what matters is the azolla has various symbionts, and together they do a great job.  

Azolla and Chinese water chestnuts

I tend to grow azolla with aquatic vegetables such as Chinese water chestnuts.  I add some azolla when I plant them, and ignore it while it does its own thing.  Within a short amount of time the azolla covers the surface of the water.  From there it doesn't take too long to make a dense mat, which prevents mosquito larvae from being able to emerge and turn into adults.  

The azolla on top of the water surface also helps shade and cool the water, and somehow prevents the water from becoming too acidic.  Small containers can overheat in summer due to their small size, shading the water and shading the submerged soil helps keep the roots cooler which helps things grow better in the heat of summer.  

Azolla with watercress and brahmi

The mat of azolla also effectively blocks light.  This prevents algae from being a problem, and tends to prevent weed seeds from germinating.  

After the azolla turns into a thick mat, it starts to self compost.  New azolla grows on top, while the ferns underneath get smothered, and die.  This releases nitrogen and other nutrients that can be used by the water vegetables.  This works well as a natural organic biofertiliser.  This beneficial relationship between azolla and water plants was noticed hundreds of years ago, and azolla was introduced into rice paddies to increase rice yields and feed countless people long before the invent of chemical fertilisers.

The below container was partly filled with leaf litter, planted with a duck potato, topped up with water, and azolla added.  The soil level is too high, so there was not much space for water, but the azolla didn't mind, it grew well and covered the surface.  You can see the duck potatoes grew into large plants even though they were growing in small containers.  

Azolla and duck potatoes

The roots of azolla hang down in the water, and a myriad of life swims among them.  I don't know how these tiny things find their way into my containers, but I know if I look closely (or use a microscope) the roots are absolutely teeming with life.  

Tremendous amounts of research have been conducted into azolla.  All of this research points to azolla's productivity and ability to reduce the need for both chemical fertilisers and herbicides.  

While azolla is widely used as a biofertiliser in China and various other countries, it has not gained popularity in the Western countries where it is preferred to apply chemical fertilisers.  For backyard growers, azolla creates free organic fertiliser and free chicken feed.

Chinese water chestnuts growing in buckets with azolla

I start small aquatic vegetables in small pots of soil, then I transplant them into larger pots.  The ones in the photo below are in 10cm pots of soil submerged in a 4 liter ice cream container.  The azolla shades the water, which helps with temperature regulation and prevents algae from growing. 

Sometimes I place cuttings between these submerged pots.  The pots help hold the cuttings upright, keeping the base of the cutting under water, while the leaves remain in the air.  The azolla shades the water, prevents algae growth, and keeps the water cooler.  

Azolla with aquatic vegetables and cuttings

Recently I started to grow black forbidden rice (Oryza sativa).  I have some of the rice plants growing in pots of soil and being watered like any other vegetable plant, and some plants are in pots of soil submerged in shallow water.  I am curious to see which will perform better for me. 

In many countries azolla is intentionally added to flooded rice paddies.  Adding azolla is said to increase rice yields anywhere from 6.2% to 112% depending on which paper you read and what they are comparing.  All the research indicates that azolla helps rice plants grow larger, tiller more, and produce more grain (both in terms of weight as well as number of grains) per plant.  

I added azolla to most of the submerged rice I am growing.  It doesn't take long before the entire surface is covered.  Once the surface is covered it doesn't take long until the azolla forms a dense mat and starts to break down.  This should fertilise my plants, and provide food for numerous tiny water critters.  If nothing else, azolla will prevent mosquitoes from successfully breeding in these containers of still water.  

Newly planted Black forbidden rice with azolla

Azolla and rice - a few days later

The growth rate of azolla is pretty extraordinary.  

I took the photo below not long after adding azolla to the surface of the water.  You can see, the azolla is dividing and growing well. 

Black forbidden rice growing with azolla

I took the next photo of the same plants just six days later.  At this point the azolla had almost covered the surface of the water.  

This was towards the end of spring, over summer when the temperature is a little warmer the growth rate of azolla can be even faster.  

The rice plants seem to be doing well with azolla on the surface.  I am also growing a few rice plants in shallow water with no azolla to see if there is any noticeable difference.  I am taking photos and plan to write another blog post on this towards the end of the season.  While it is too early to make a call, at this stage the rice with azolla appears to be larger and more lush.

Six days of azolla growth

Azolla grows best floating on the surface of water, where it can double its biomass every few days.  Strangely enough, azolla can also grow long term on soil.  

Once I watered a pot using water that had a small piece of azolla in it.  The azolla sat on the surface of the soil and didn't die, and I decided to leave it and see what happened.  It stayed green and looked healthy enough.  

Over time the azolla grew, and slowly covered much of the soil surface.  This has not grown anywhere near as fast as when it is in water, but it has survived spring, summer, autumn, winter, another spring and is heading into its second summer.  This is long term survival.  

The azolla on top is growing, while the lower levels are mulching down.  The photos below are of the same pot of azolla, taken several months apart.  The first photo was taken after the azolla had been growing on soil for several months, the second photo was taken a few months after that. 

Azolla growing on soil long term

The same azolla still growing on just soil

From what I have seen, if growing on soil long term the azolla is a little tricky to get started, but once it gets established it is relatively hardy.  

The azolla needs damp soil and some shade to get started.  If I start by using free floating azolla and place it on soil it struggles.  If I get azolla that has started to form a dense mat, this seems hardier and tends to adapt to soil faster.  Once the azolla has been on soil for a while it changes slightly, it gets thicker and the roots change, and it seems to survive drier conditions and more sun.  

Interestingly, if I float some soil grown azolla on water, it seems to take some time to revert back to aquatic life.  For some time it just floats, it gets thinner, and does not divide.  Once it gets used to living on water, it then grows and divides like normal. 

Azolla growing on soil underneath dryland rice

As well as being excellent fertiliser, and great animal feed, azolla has a few other uses.  Honey bees and other small things need water in summer, but they can't always access water without drowning.  The bees can safely walk on azolla, and reach the water between the plants.  

Every summer I see a lot of bees on the azolla collecting water.  I also see butterflies standing on the azolla collecting water in the heat of summer.  

Dragonflies and other beneficial insects are also commonly seen around my azolla.  I am not sure if they are breeding in the water under the azolla, or if they are attracted due to the other insects, or if they are there for some other reason.  

Dragonflies are pretty, plus they are useful to have in my yard as they eat a lot of mosquitoes.  Whatever the correlation is between dragonflies and azolla, I am glad they are here.

Honey bee collecting water from azolla

Honey bee collecting water from azolla

For me, azolla performs best in part shade.  It certainly survives in full sun, but I find it grows faster when it has some shade.  Not surprisingly, being a plant means having too much shade will stop azolla from growing well. 

Azolla turns red when it is stressed.  This stress can be from too much sun, or from extreme temperatures.  When azolla is red, it grows slower, and is meant to be less nutritious.  While a pond covered in bright red azolla is a pretty amazing thing to see, I prefer to keep mine green and growing fast so I can use more of it for various things.  This normally means giving it a little shade.

Azolla starting to turn red from stress

Azolla and duckweed

Azolla spreads and divides fast.  It can double every day or so under good conditions.  

While azolla also reproduces sexually and produces spores like other ferns, the main way it reproduces is asexually.  Any part of azolla that breaks off has the potential to produce more azolla.  

While azolla prefers not to be frozen over winter, my azolla survives heavy frost, and has survived being frozen for days on end.  If it ever died from the cold, I have little doubt that either a tiny part was still alive, or sporocarps could be present in the water, and it could recolonise pretty quickly once the weather warmed.  

Azolla makes great chicken feed

I use azolla to supplement chicken feed, this helps the chickens stay healthy, and it lowers the feed bill.  

Azolla is surprisingly nutritious, and it is readily eaten by my hens.  As mentioned earlier the roots of azolla are teeming with tiny life, when my chickens eat azolla they also eat these tiny invertebrates.  

Studies indicate that azolla can replace up to 20% of bought food for layer hens without seeing a decline in eggs, but I can't grow that much azolla here.  I give them as much as I can as it replaces some bought food, and lowers the cost of eggs a little bit.  

Azolla is appreciated by hens over summer when there isn't much grass or other greenery available.  I can either float azolla on water, or I can scoop it into a dish, either way my hens eat it pretty quickly.  

Azolla and rice plants

While I am a little disappointed that azolla will never again be responsible for creating an ice age, I still like azolla.  I tend to find a lot of uses for azolla, and could use it a whole lot more if I had more of it.  I have to be content only growing a little bit as I don't have a lot of extra space.  

If you grow any animal feed, or have a garden, or grow water plants, or want to provide somewhere safe for honey bees to collect water, then azolla is for you.  Once you get azolla, you never need to buy it again as you can keep it going forever.  You may be able to find some azolla locally, or you may need to buy it.  You only need a little to get started as it divides fast.  Very few places other than dedicated water garden nurseries seem to sell azolla.  If you can't find any locally, I sell azolla through my for sale page.  

Azolla and Chinese water chestnuts growing in a bucket