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I have no idea where this idea of chinampas as floating gardens came from but it’s an enduring myth. Floating gardens using soil are practically impossible - th
by throwup238 3y ago
I have no idea where this idea of chinampas as floating gardens came from but it’s an enduring myth. Floating gardens using soil are practically impossible - the displacement required to keep enough earth floating for a root system is massive.
The chinampas worked very well because the Aztecs had a large labor force cleaning their latrines into the lake where it would decompose into night soil and later be dredged up to refill the chinampas between growing seasons.
Once they were built up within the underwater stakes, they planted Ahuejote and Ācātzin trees along the edges and corners whose root systems kept the islands from eroding away.
- bliteben 3y ago> Floating gardens using soil are practically impossible but very cool when they do exist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_island
- g8oz 3y agoIn Lake Titicaca, (Peru/Bolivia) floating islands are made using beds of reeds https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220814-the-floating-homes-of-lake-titicaca https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220814-the-floating-hom...
- aetherson 3y agoBut note the difference: they aren't floating gardens, they don't carry enough soil for the root systems of plants. They're large rafts that have houses/people on them.
- hrisng 3y agoChinampas is not truly floating. But you can absolutely have a true floating garden, as long as the water is fertile and has enough oxygen in it. Plant roots can survive in water or in water-logged conditions, dissolved oxygen is often the limiting factor. You can have a layer of soil in your floating garden too. You can mix in amendments that will make your soil very light and fluffy. A bunch of empty bottles/jars make a pretty good floating raft that can handle some weight. May not be the best if you have concerns about microplastics in your food, but that is what they've been using here in the Mekong Delta.
- hrisng 3y agoThis article has some photos of the mentioned setup in it: https://tienphong.vn/doc-dao-trang-trai-rau-sach-tren-be-lam-tu-rac-thai-nhua-post1552286.tpo https://tienphong.vn/doc-dao-trang-trai-rau-sach-tren-be-lam...