Ipomoea Aquatica / Kang Kong / Water Spinach

I've been geeking out over this plant for the past few months and I finally got some seeds from Amazon.com a few weeks back. Most of them sprouted and I have them potted in mini containers of sand/perlite/peat sitting in a tray with water up to about an inch. If you don't know about this plant, it's semi-aquatic, grows really fast, edible, and loves water and heat. Apparently they taste pretty good too. I don't really have a pond but I am planning on planting them in a pond-in-pot which is basically a large container. I have a friend who is going to try them in his aquaponic system as well. Has anyone had any experience growing this plant?

Yes, however I just planted it in a raised bed and watered frequently. I got my seeds from an Asian grocery store. I learned that it is best when you stir fry the leaves and the tender first couple of inches of the stems with garlic, soy sauce and your choice of protein over rice or rice noodles.

Great thank you. Just a few questions. Did you find that making cuttings was easy? Did it grow continuously throughout the growing season?

I cut what I needed and it kept growing all summer long. I regret now not collecting seeds.

Kangkong is a major vegetable throughout SE Asia. I became very familiar with it while living and working in Bangladesh in the '80's. There are several varieties. The wild type grows on ponds and rice paddies and makes long runners out over the water, narrow leaves and white morning-glory type flowers with a purple center. More selected garden varieties are denser, with broader leaves and pure white flowers. Often whole shoots are cut off and cooked. Any leafy stem will root in water or damp soil.
The plant needs warmth, like sweet potatoes or peppers. Seeds germinate best with average moisture, but plants can tolerate saturated soil once they grow true leaves. Flowers appear under short day length, so seed may be hard to save in much of North America and other temperate climates. I have kept it going several years by bringing cuttings indoors as a house plant over winter, then propagating more in the spring.
BTW, it's considered invasive, and therefore illegal, in Florida and perhaps other places….though there is some to be had if you know where and who…..