The plants - what can we grow
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What can I grow in my aquaponics system?
Growing food is amazing in and of itself. If you are reading my blog (and I hope you like it) you are here for this reason: growing fresh and quality produce. What can you grow in your system? Basically everything but... An AP system comes in different specs: a media bed, a deep water culture also called DWC, a nutrient film techniques aka NFT, a Bato bucket and vertical towers (I like those a lot). So, basically, this will define what you are growing. Not one system fits all crops and not one crop for all systems. It will also depend on your location, climate and exposure to sunlight. Ideal conditions can be created in a controlled environment which is where aquaponics takes all its meaning.
Let's discuss what crop fits the best in what method. Here, in the images below, I have going some Okra, Cucumber, Mint, Swiss Chard and Spinach. You can't see but in my media grow bed I also have basil (two varieties), some radishes and a fast growing papaya tree. Really, in aquaponics, you can grow anything you want. And it doesn't have to be only edibles. You could choose to have ornamental flowers as well. Water loving plants will thrive in aquaponics.
Let's discuss what crop fits the best in what method. Here, in the images below, I have going some Okra, Cucumber, Mint, Swiss Chard and Spinach. You can't see but in my media grow bed I also have basil (two varieties), some radishes and a fast growing papaya tree. Really, in aquaponics, you can grow anything you want. And it doesn't have to be only edibles. You could choose to have ornamental flowers as well. Water loving plants will thrive in aquaponics.
Media bed aka grow bed with neutral substrate
Media beds, also, have their own specs. The ideal media in AP systems must offer favorable support to our bacteria friends. The most popular is the expanded clay pebble aka Hydroton©. It holds water due to its multiple pores and by that, offers an ideal nesting ground for nitrification. Although ideal, this media is expensive and not always easy to find. It doesn't have to be absolutely the brand Hydroton©. Many use pea gravel aka river gravel, and also expanded shale. Availability depends from country to country.
Here in Dubai Aquaponics we have a sub-brand with smaller pebbles than the Dutch original ones. They do work and offer the same characteristics. Seven bags (7*40lt) is the minimum of what is needed to fill the IBC grow bed part, if you are using the IBC container method.
Media beds are the one using the famous bell siphon; the automatic draining system invented by Affnan from www.affnanaquaponics.com. It was certainly a revolution when his latest development came out and brought domestic aquaponics to the great public.
Using a bell siphon is not an obligation. You may opt for flood and drain method and using a pump and a timer to flood the grow bed during some time and let it drain automatically. The cycle repeats itself for ever, same principle than bell siphon but root zone stay submerged for much longer. Once bell siphon activated, it only take 2 to 3 minutes to drain completely and maybe, depending of your water flow, 15 to 20 minutes to flood. It adds the sounding effects of a waterfall in your backyard.
Here in Dubai Aquaponics we have a sub-brand with smaller pebbles than the Dutch original ones. They do work and offer the same characteristics. Seven bags (7*40lt) is the minimum of what is needed to fill the IBC grow bed part, if you are using the IBC container method.
Media beds are the one using the famous bell siphon; the automatic draining system invented by Affnan from www.affnanaquaponics.com. It was certainly a revolution when his latest development came out and brought domestic aquaponics to the great public.
Using a bell siphon is not an obligation. You may opt for flood and drain method and using a pump and a timer to flood the grow bed during some time and let it drain automatically. The cycle repeats itself for ever, same principle than bell siphon but root zone stay submerged for much longer. Once bell siphon activated, it only take 2 to 3 minutes to drain completely and maybe, depending of your water flow, 15 to 20 minutes to flood. It adds the sounding effects of a waterfall in your backyard.
Deep Water Culture aka DWC
Depp Water Culture aka DWC has been going on since the 70s hydroponics revolution shook up the agricultural industry. The plants are in net-pots placed according to farmer's preferences on a floating raft while the roots are completely submerged in nutrient solution. What we call the troughs in which the magic occurs can be as long and wide as the facility operation requires it to be. The water must be constantly aerated as roots do require also a minimum of dissolved oxygen. With this method you can achieve the full potential of aquaponics farming hence why all commercial aquaponics farms use it. It offers better yield per m2 than traditional agriculture as you can plant more densely because plants are not fighting for water and/or nutrients. Once transplanted from seedling stage, the plants will remain on the same raft until harvest time.
The bottom part of the rafts that is constantly in contact with the nutrient rich water offers an enormous surface area for the nitrifying bacteria to colonise and help keeping the system balanced. Rafts are positioned in the troughs with younger seedlings at one end and as the growing process takes the plants closer to harvest, the rafts are removed at the other end of the troughs, like a conveyor belt.
The bottom part of the rafts that is constantly in contact with the nutrient rich water offers an enormous surface area for the nitrifying bacteria to colonise and help keeping the system balanced. Rafts are positioned in the troughs with younger seedlings at one end and as the growing process takes the plants closer to harvest, the rafts are removed at the other end of the troughs, like a conveyor belt.
