Adding a trough (pipe) for growing strawberries. - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T11:44:01Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/adding-a-trough-pipe-for-growing-strawberries?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A306447&feed=yes&xn_auth=noapology accepted. :)tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-16:4778851:Comment:3069282012-03-16T02:20:41.020ZAveranhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AveranGale
<p>apology accepted. :)</p>
<p>apology accepted. :)</p> +1 there Vladtag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3066582012-03-15T17:37:47.384ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>+1 there Vlad<a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></a></p>
<p>+1 there Vlad<a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></a></p> Averan, I FULL ON agree, that…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3067112012-03-15T14:38:38.247ZVlad Jovanovichttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/VladJovanovic
<p>Averan, I FULL ON agree, that people should in more cases than they do...just go for it!</p>
<p>Any kind of experimenting is a success, as long as people <em>learn</em> something from it. That's what this whole trip is about (not just AP, but Life...learning)...learning, trying something out (even when it flies in the face of 'conventional' wisdom. I'm often suprised at how many 'things' work...when it's said that they "shouldn't"...</p>
<p>Although his cascading grow beds may not be best…</p>
<p>Averan, I FULL ON agree, that people should in more cases than they do...just go for it!</p>
<p>Any kind of experimenting is a success, as long as people <em>learn</em> something from it. That's what this whole trip is about (not just AP, but Life...learning)...learning, trying something out (even when it flies in the face of 'conventional' wisdom. I'm often suprised at how many 'things' work...when it's said that they "shouldn't"...</p>
<p>Although his cascading grow beds may not be best for the grow beds themselves, IMO it's probably GREAT set-up for attaching an NFT 'at the end of the line'...for conventional and obvious reasons...and he should go for it as you say...using your 4" pipe suggestion would be 'smart'.</p>
<p>My primary point for the OP (not having any clue as to what he knows or doesn't about NFT growing) is just to make him aware of some of the 'conventional' wisdom...backed by many a practical experience would, so that he may better (or not) choose a strategy in doing what he wants to accomplish...and to be aware of certain 'realities' of NFT growing.</p>
<p>Recently I was contacted by a gentleman (great guy btw), who set up a rather LARGE and COMMERCIAL AP- NFT only, operation who had NO IDEA that he needed a bio-filter, or even <em>what a bio-filter was</em>...let alone any additional filtration. The point isn't to berate people, but rather to explain and/or make them see the importance of understanding certain basic principles so that they do not suffer later...once this gentleman was made aware of the importance of bio-filtartion (and that NFT offers almost none), he promptly installed some needed bio filters...We all come at this from different 'places'.</p>
<p>I <em>do</em> apologize if my tone seemed 'off', because that is NOT how I meant it.</p>
<p></p> Vlad, just because I experime…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3066362012-03-15T13:22:18.309ZAveranhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AveranGale
<p>Vlad, just because I experimented with growing kale in the middle of winter with no greenhouse in a 4" NFT pipe does not mean that the experiment was successful or that I would recommend anyone else do it. I am not a moron and I recommend people only grow short-term crops in NFT.</p>
<p>My photo is to show others what happens when you try to grow slower long-term crops so that they won't repeat my mistake. Got it? ;)</p>
<p>My primary point to the OP is that he should just go for it.…</p>
<p>Vlad, just because I experimented with growing kale in the middle of winter with no greenhouse in a 4" NFT pipe does not mean that the experiment was successful or that I would recommend anyone else do it. I am not a moron and I recommend people only grow short-term crops in NFT.</p>
<p>My photo is to show others what happens when you try to grow slower long-term crops so that they won't repeat my mistake. Got it? ;)</p>
<p>My primary point to the OP is that he should just go for it. Making mistakes is part of the learning process and he doesn't have much to lose by trying.</p> Those roots really don't look…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3066312012-03-15T10:27:06.910ZVlad Jovanovichttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/VladJovanovic
<p>Those roots really don't look <em>that</em> bad, though I dare say that a good percentage of that mass is no longer able to function the way nature intended it to.</p>
<p>I guess once again, like so many things, it comes down to what the operator wants/desires. If you want to stick a few short term crops (or even longer term cultivars) and don't really care a whole lot how they do or how quickly they do it, ( or if they're even able to stick it out til the end of their natural life cycle)…</p>
<p>Those roots really don't look <em>that</em> bad, though I dare say that a good percentage of that mass is no longer able to function the way nature intended it to.</p>
<p>I guess once again, like so many things, it comes down to what the operator wants/desires. If you want to stick a few short term crops (or even longer term cultivars) and don't really care a whole lot how they do or how quickly they do it, ( or if they're even able to stick it out til the end of their natural life cycle) that's fine. But if you want/need a longer term cultivar to come <em>even close</em> to fulfilling it's true nature-given genetic potential as a species...then I'm sorry, you're just going to <em>have to</em> provide that plant with better environmental conditions.</p>
<p>Don't take that as a swipe, because it's not. I understand and respect your approach Averan. I have systems, or spaces where I just set something up and then just let nature do Her thing. And I'm often real happy and amazed with that. But then I have others (usually driven by the need to sell, trade or barter, or sometimes just curiosity) where I try as best as I know how, to utilize all that we humans have come to know (about how and why a certain thing grows) in order to provide as near(er) to optimum conditions as I am able to, or can afford.</p>
<p>And neither one is either 'right' or 'wrong'...</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> chop2:
fish tank overflows to…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3066172012-03-15T05:38:51.939ZAveranhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AveranGale
<p>chop2:</p>
<p>fish tank overflows to sump/settling.</p>
<p>sump pumped to nft and media which drain to the fish tanks.</p>
<p>no swirl filter.</p>
<p>my snails are awesome little workers! they eat up any excess food, keep the algae in check and seem to love eating whatever bio-gunk they can find in the nft and media.</p>
<p>they used to clog up my pump filter, but now i found a better one that they can't plug up.</p>
<p>chop2:</p>
<p>fish tank overflows to sump/settling.</p>
<p>sump pumped to nft and media which drain to the fish tanks.</p>
<p>no swirl filter.</p>
<p>my snails are awesome little workers! they eat up any excess food, keep the algae in check and seem to love eating whatever bio-gunk they can find in the nft and media.</p>
<p>they used to clog up my pump filter, but now i found a better one that they can't plug up.</p> Averan, are those pics from f…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3062892012-03-15T03:49:10.390ZJon Parrhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonParr
<p>Averan, are those pics from fishwater flowing through nft with no media or swirl? Just curious. I have some snails in my tanks too, and I love having them in the FT, don't know if they've migrating to the media. The new Friendly newsletter has an article on snails. I love how they never confess to any wrongdoing, it's always some wayward student who does the evil without their knowledge. I know, sorry, way off topic.</p>
<p>Averan, are those pics from fishwater flowing through nft with no media or swirl? Just curious. I have some snails in my tanks too, and I love having them in the FT, don't know if they've migrating to the media. The new Friendly newsletter has an article on snails. I love how they never confess to any wrongdoing, it's always some wayward student who does the evil without their knowledge. I know, sorry, way off topic.</p> thanks i love this site you g…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3064472012-03-15T02:59:17.949ZWil Mileshttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/WilMiles
<p>thanks i love this site you guys have sooo much info i learn something everytime i come here thats good for me thanks</p>
<p>thanks i love this site you guys have sooo much info i learn something everytime i come here thats good for me thanks</p> Here's some kale that grew to…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-14:4778851:Comment:3062642012-03-14T21:32:57.534ZAveranhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AveranGale
<p>Here's some kale that grew too big for my 4" nft. This was in January so there's not a lot of leaf growth. Notice how much fishpoo-soil is caught up in the roots.....and that I have aquatic snails in my system from some aquarium plants in the fish tanks. I know they're supposedly not safe, but they are to the tanks and tubes what the worms are to the beds. =)…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2772203964?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2772204138?profile=original" width="720"></img></a></p>
<p>Here's some kale that grew too big for my 4" nft. This was in January so there's not a lot of leaf growth. Notice how much fishpoo-soil is caught up in the roots.....and that I have aquatic snails in my system from some aquarium plants in the fish tanks. I know they're supposedly not safe, but they are to the tanks and tubes what the worms are to the beds. =)</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2772203964?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2772204138?profile=original" width="720" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2772203964?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2772203964?profile=original" width="720" class="align-full"/></a></p> Will in many instances the pl…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-14:4778851:Comment:3064242012-03-14T20:37:32.344ZVlad Jovanovichttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/VladJovanovic
<p>Will in many instances the plant beds <em>are</em> the bio-filter. </p>
<p>The nutes are in the water yes, but they are also locked up in the solids as well. With the addition of oxygen and microbial activity these are mineralised into plant usable nutes. Worms in the beds really help to further break down solids and aid in both further mineralization of those solids (releasing their nutrient potential) as well as mechanically keeping the beds from clogging up with solids and creating…</p>
<p>Will in many instances the plant beds <em>are</em> the bio-filter. </p>
<p>The nutes are in the water yes, but they are also locked up in the solids as well. With the addition of oxygen and microbial activity these are mineralised into plant usable nutes. Worms in the beds really help to further break down solids and aid in both further mineralization of those solids (releasing their nutrient potential) as well as mechanically keeping the beds from clogging up with solids and creating anoxic/anaerobic zones.</p>
<p>Yes, you can filter out nitrates if you should need/want to.</p>