Matilda
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Post by Matilda on Jan 10, 2015 12:22:03 GMT 10
I have been looking into aquaponics. Sounds fancy but the setup can be very small, inexpensive and portable. I like the idea because you can put it in the corner of a garage, courtyard etc and although I am just starting to research, its seems that you could be pretty self sufficient growing veges (or just spuds) and fish without your neighbours even knowing you have it. We have never been ones to grow veges, but this summer we bought a cherry tomato plant and I picked up a strawberry plant at a garage sale. I've always had a flower garden so the first thing I did was fertilise and before long both were producing fruit. But then I notice some leaves were being eaten on the tomatoes and pulled off 3 green grubs - enough to do damage - but now it has yellow leaves which I was told was a mould. The top is still producing fruit and maybe I was too late in getting a mould killer to it. I planted some parsley and noticed some leaves chomped this morning - another green grub. So yes, leaving it until after SHTF is way too late to learn. I've kept the tomato name, but this time I'm aiming for bigger tomatoes. Any suggestions for tomatoes to grow in a pot? Also, EDEN seeds www.edenseeds.com.au/ will send you out a free catalogue. All their seeds are non-hybrid and are organic. If they were sealed in mylar bags I think (?) it should extend their life. |
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Post by graynomad on Jan 10, 2015 13:00:29 GMT 10
I also like the idea of aquaponics. Is it possible to do it indoors, say with UV lights? I ask because I really don't want any growing to be obvious form the outside.
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VegHead
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Post by VegHead on Jan 10, 2015 14:13:02 GMT 10
I love taters. Here's a pick of the first Wilwash variety for the season grubbed yesterday or the day before. Bloody heat (okay maybe one day was hot) has buggered most of my crop leaves but the tubers are all fine.  |
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Matilda
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Post by Matilda on Jan 10, 2015 14:49:10 GMT 10
I'm pretty sure you can Rob and they don't need lights as the nutrients are in the fish tank water (fish droppings) which in turn provides nutrients to the plants. It's a symbiotic relationship. I believe it's different to hydroponics where you need lights. Israel has perfected the system where they have aquaponics in deserts undercover. The main reason it attracted me was it could be grown indoors without detection. Lots of Youtube clips and there is a guy in Australia - Hallam I think his name is that you can get info off. a link to website by Murray Hallam www.aquaponics.net.au/index.htmlMore reading tells me you need lights Rob! Plants need light - silly me! |
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Matilda
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Post by Matilda on Jan 10, 2015 14:54:32 GMT 10
Love taters too! That's a fine looking one Veg! Better be careful as Maccas might come banging on your door. We are having a baked chicken tonight and I cut the tats in half, then cut about a third way thru, rub oil on them and a tad of rock salt., then bake with chicken.
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Matilda
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Post by Matilda on Jan 10, 2015 14:57:33 GMT 10
BTW Rob, the fish they use in Australia are perch and trout ! Yum!
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Post by SA Hunter on Jan 10, 2015 15:40:31 GMT 10
Did someone say Beer & Potato chips?  Wow, my current intake IS ok!!! |
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Post by Fractus on Jan 10, 2015 15:51:20 GMT 10
Mathilda, did the green grubs have a pair of lighter lines length wise? That was what the grubs on my taters had. Tomato an potato are closely related, so may be same. There is a lot of info on tomatoes and yellow leaves. I think it has to do with air flow and if you trim leaves from the bottom as they grow you get a longer productive cycle. Saw that on vasilli's garden show.
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Post by Peter on Jan 10, 2015 16:15:31 GMT 10
I used to run an aquaponics system under the back patio (in winter, with trout in the tank). The mistake I made was not having enough plants to keep the water clear. The mate who first taught me about aquaponics said "it's all about the plants. The fish are secondary." That was a big lesson for me.
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Matilda
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Post by Matilda on Jan 10, 2015 16:38:36 GMT 10
I didn't get a chance to checkout their markings as I thru them over the fence (council land - not neighbours)!! There should be plenty of air flow as they are outdoors - taken and put in sun of a day, then back under eaves overnight. Maybe I've protected them too much!! The top of the plant is really healthy and has blossoms and there are little leaves at the base, but they are turning yellow too. I'm glad I've just experimented first rather than staking out a bigger area, but I might take a pic or a leaf and ask the nursery people tomorrow. I have a geranium nearby and it can get to the size of a basketball, but then it seems overnight, the leaves end up being almost transparent.
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Post by graynomad on Jan 11, 2015 7:56:20 GMT 10
...The main reason it attracted me was it could be grown indoors without detection... Yeah me too. |
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Post by graynomad on Jan 11, 2015 8:00:34 GMT 10
I just realised he is in Brisbane. I will follow this up, thanks for the link. I want to grow inside a container, hense the lights thing, but I just had a thought, you could use an open-top container and put a transparent roof on it, that way the garden would get light and still not be obvious from the outside. |
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stubbs
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Post by stubbs on Jan 11, 2015 16:07:07 GMT 10
One main reason why so many people died during the Irish Potato famine is because of the plagues of starving Rat's that decimated peoples food plots. Once the Rat's natural food source ran out, which was usually food scraps, they had no other food source except what was being grown , it was the Rat's main and only food source. Some of the lucky families would have had good working Terrier Dogs to protect their food crops, but those who didn't wouldn't of stood a chance of growing anything and surviving . During the famine a good ratting dog on the farm to control rodent populations in many cases was paramount to survival, It was said a good Ratting dog could kill up to 100 Rat's in 10 minutes. Once you owned good working dogs they where Inbred to keep their gameness, they where highly prized and protected, the best of these dogs where know by the Irish as the "old Family " strain. Here is a Paragraph from a Book Called - The Great Book of Bulldogs, Bull Terrier and Molosser , By Marlene Zwettler .  ....and another paragraph about the old family strain out of a book written by - Richard F. Stratton, Called - History Of The American Pit Bull Terrier "The most famous importations were from Ireland, and were generally made by the Irish themselves after they emigrated to this country. (The bulk of the Irish pit dog importations coincides or closely follows the great Irish migration that resulted from the famous potato famine.) Most of the Irish dogs were small and very closely inbred, but their gameness was proverbial, especially that of the group of strains that was known as the Old Family". -------------------------------------------- I have a mate that lives in the burbs of Adelaide who has some magnificent old Fig Tree's in his yard, each year when the fruit is ripe, at night you can shine a torch on the branches and they are alive with Rats feasting on the ripe fruit! So i guess if SHTF and you do have a food plot that eventually history will repeat itself and people should have a good stock of Vermin Trap's and Bait's to protect their plot's,..better still ...have some good game little Terriers!! |
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Post by graynomad on Jan 11, 2015 20:13:49 GMT 10
Hmmm, might have to get a dog.
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shinester
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Post by shinester on Jan 11, 2015 20:39:30 GMT 10
Rats and traps = protein  Aquaponics = need fish food to maintain. Hydroponics needs fertilizer [cheap and easy to keep heaps, can also use on garden] and pee. [sustainable] |
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Post by thereth on Jan 11, 2015 21:18:17 GMT 10
Rats and traps = protein Aquaponics = need fish food to maintain. Hydroponics needs fertilizer [cheap and easy to keep heaps, can also use on garden] and pee. [sustainable] my main project for this year is to create a 100% sustainable aquaponics system. I am looking at mealworms as the basis for my fish food as these little buggers can be fed to the chooks as well. I am looking more into it but i firmly believe that aquaponics can be sustainable |
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Post by Peter on Jan 11, 2015 21:53:31 GMT 10
If your aquaponics system uses marron/yabbie the rats will be good tucker for them..
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Post by Peter on Jan 11, 2015 21:54:04 GMT 10
Breeding the fish may be the issue...
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Post by thereth on Jan 11, 2015 22:00:23 GMT 10
from my research you should keep seperate tanks for the spawning and fingerlings
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krull68
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Post by krull68 on Jan 11, 2015 22:13:07 GMT 10
Aquaponics can be as simple or complex as you want. Here is a good site about aquaponics ibcofaquaponics.com/Aquaponics is classified as a closed system, about the only outside input is food (you can grow your own, worms, chickweed), topup water, aquaponics use 90% less water than normal garden beds, and electricity, for the pump. you can run a single pump system or a double pump system. The things to keep in check is the ammonia levels, ph and alkalinity. You can grow most above ground plants, vegies, including fruit trees with a gravel base. Root veggies, potato's, sweet potato's, etc, on the other hand are far more difficult, but can be grown in a sand based mix, think sand filter. The most simple system is having the fish tanks at a higher level than the top of the growing beds. using sump tanks, with lots of reserve water, will then be pumped up to the fish tanks, the fish tanks then drain to the grow beds. Using flood beds, is for most the best system, which then drains back to the reserve tanks, and thus the cycle repeats. The next thing you have to worry about is keeping everything at the right temperature, including the fish and grow beds. Then comes lighting, low wattage fluro's should do nicely. The last thing to think about, which most people forget for some reason, insects. Mainly bees, and parasite hunters. Anyhow, hope that helps. Oh and yes you can survive on Potato's, but your health will not be high. you need to have as much diversity as possible in your food intake. |
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