AQUAPONICS UPDATE MARCH 17

GOTTA LOVE AQUAPONICS

Now this is the type of gardening I like.   After the initial setup of the system we let the pump cycle for a few weeks.  This really wasn't needed but we wanted to make sure all was well before we spent billions (ok ok maybe 10 bux) on fish and plants.  We bought a couple of the Jiffy Greenhouses.

These units come with little 'pellets'.  We call em coccoons.  Simply add water, they swell up, put your seeds in them and wait.   Everything worked well except the cukes.  We had one sprout and it has been going crazy ever since. 

 

Starting the transfer of plants to the grow beds

The Kale, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Peppers and a few of the herbs were growing as much as 1/2 inch (.5 cm) a day.  We only used water from the tanks to feed the plants.  When they were big enough, (we guessed at what was deemed 'big enough') we started planting them in the garden.  In retrospect, I should have planned it a bit better.  We put tomatoes and cukes together with onions and kale.  Next time around we will put the shorter plants in one grow bed and the taller growing ones in the other.  That way the cages won't block out the light to the little guys.

The tear drop on the paper is what we call a Kanban. My past is catching up with me.  This is a signal to let me know if Denise watered the plants that day. 

About the fish.   We used feeder fish (the cheapest you could buy in bulk).  I set up a glass fish tank and had them all in there until they became acclimatized.  Then put 15 in the aquaponics tank.  We had a few (3-4) die but the rest are going great.   I keep track of the Ph, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates etc etc and all are within the so called correct parameters.  At first we had jump started the system (before the fish were introduced) by adding some ammonia to get things going.  Must have put too much in so we diluted it.  Now everything seems to be balancing out.  Need more nitrites / nitrates?  Toss in some more fish.  10 seems to be about right for now. 

 

After 6 weeks

 



This photo was taken 6 weeks after we had initially planted the seeds.  I had to replant some of the cukes, as only one grew.  Hopefully we will have more success with the new batch.  They should be ready just in time for outside planting. 

Denise's Porta - Greehouse with Jiffy pellets soaking up water.

 



 

Now the Plants have more space to grow

 

Denise assembled her portable green house to expand on the seedlings.   Now that the cukes are coiling around everything we put the wire cages in the growbeds for the tomatoes and cukes to grab.  Note the peppers in the far grow bed.  I built a makeshift shelf above the cukes to hold the smaller Jiffy greenhouse.  This one has just been seeded with Beans, Peas and Lettuce. 

I have noticed that some Aquaponamians (what ever ya call people who aquaponicize) do is plant the seeds directly into the grow media. Might try that in the future, but we wanted to control and document the growth rates of the plants.  YES DOCUMENT.  I have a book I have been keeping track of the chemical make up, how much water we need to add weekly, and what seeds, and where we have planted them.  I want to seed the most hearty of the plants for next year's crop.