Coastview Aquaponics seeding technique - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-28T18:25:45Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/coastview-aquaponics-seeding?groupUrl=raftdeepwaterculturegrowers&groupId=4778851%3AGroup%3A28261&id=4778851%3ATopic%3A56519&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI now use a mixture of small…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-01:4778851:Comment:3781402012-08-01T02:43:28.973ZChris Smithhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisSmith
<p>I now use a mixture of small and medium cinder for seeding instead of just small stuff. My cinder comes 5/8 and smaller. I screen with a piece of lath that removes the 5/8 rocks. Then I screen and wash through a 3/16 screen to remove all the fines. The remaining cinder I use for seeding. The bigger cinder combined with smaller will remain in the net pot better. A little of the smallest cinder will fall out but most of it stays in. I still get good wicking with the mixed sizes.</p>
<p>I use…</p>
<p>I now use a mixture of small and medium cinder for seeding instead of just small stuff. My cinder comes 5/8 and smaller. I screen with a piece of lath that removes the 5/8 rocks. Then I screen and wash through a 3/16 screen to remove all the fines. The remaining cinder I use for seeding. The bigger cinder combined with smaller will remain in the net pot better. A little of the smallest cinder will fall out but most of it stays in. I still get good wicking with the mixed sizes.</p>
<p>I use pelleted seed from Johnnies. I seed about 480 net pots a week. The pelleted seed saves me more than an hour each week. Raw seed is difficult for my large fingers to handle and drop one seed in one pot. With raw seed I usually drop in 3-6 in each pot and my fingers cramp up quickly.</p> On seeds...I use only open po…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-01:4778851:Comment:3779992012-08-01T02:06:20.051ZDave Lindstedthttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DaveLindstedt
<p>On seeds...I use only open polinated seeds. If I don' eat it, and I don't sell it, I can always save the seeds. I like and use Annie's Heirloom seeds: <a href="http://www.anniesheirloomseeds.com/categories/Garlic/">http://www.anniesheirloomseeds.com/categories/Garlic/</a><br></br><br></br><cite>Christian James said:…</cite></p>
<p>On seeds...I use only open polinated seeds. If I don' eat it, and I don't sell it, I can always save the seeds. I like and use Annie's Heirloom seeds: <a href="http://www.anniesheirloomseeds.com/categories/Garlic/">http://www.anniesheirloomseeds.com/categories/Garlic/</a><br/><br/><cite>Christian James said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/coastview-aquaponics-seeding?groupUrl=raftdeepwaterculturegrowers&groupId=4778851%3AGroup%3A28261&id=4778851%3ATopic%3A56519&page=3#4778851Comment127371"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>back to the use of Perlite - I've heard not to use it around fish - breaks down and the fish will eat it</p>
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<p>Also, it adds a lot of work, but fluffing the Coco Coir helps after seeding it. I've tried so many different ways w coir and up until last week was ready to give up on it, but I ordered some new seeds and switched to pelleted seeds, and OMG! so much better germination rates. 3 of the 4 types I purchased had 100% within a couple of days, and hopefully the fourth variety will catch up. I highly recommend buying from an online seed company like Johnny's Select Seeds rather than from Home Depot or the like! you don't know what you're missing!</p>
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</blockquote> I found a garden nursery supp…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-01:4778851:Comment:3779962012-08-01T01:52:46.952ZJoe Bifanohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JoeBifano
<p>I found a garden nursery supply place that had 1/4" red and black lava rock called Scoria. I paid 69.00 for a yard. I use it in germination 32 cell trays with either coco fiber or peat moss to do the same thing as you do to stop the smaller rocks from falling out of the net pots. I am also cutting square screen and putting that into the bottom of the net pots that will eventually replace the media because I am finding that the media eventually falls out after it gets real wet. The…</p>
<p>I found a garden nursery supply place that had 1/4" red and black lava rock called Scoria. I paid 69.00 for a yard. I use it in germination 32 cell trays with either coco fiber or peat moss to do the same thing as you do to stop the smaller rocks from falling out of the net pots. I am also cutting square screen and putting that into the bottom of the net pots that will eventually replace the media because I am finding that the media eventually falls out after it gets real wet. The germination rate went way up. I then put the 32 cell trays in closed flat trays with water in them so the net pots can wick up to keep the seeds just right. After 2 or 3 days like Steve is doing they are ready for the sun and I take the 32 cell trays out of the flat trays and put them into a shelf trough system I made that also just has enough water in it to keep the net pots or Scoria just moist enough. I have been leaving them in the 32 cell trays until they get to big for them and then take out 16 and still use the 32 cell trays for one more week and then they go into the rafts for completion. I have also made the holes in the bottom of the 32 cell tray about 1" so the roots go into the water and really grow good.</p> After reading your post, and…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-01:4778851:Comment:3782112012-08-01T01:33:47.613ZDave Lindstedthttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DaveLindstedt
<p>After reading your post, and no black lava cinders available in my area, I purchased 3 bags of Red Lava rocks (cinders) at Home Depot. Price was $3.85 a bag. Bag says it will cover 3 sq.ft. 2 inches thick. I spent an hour making little cinders out of big cinders with a large ball pean hammer and a cinder block. About an hour later I had a 2 gallon bucket full.</p>
<p>My idea is to put a small amount of the coco nut fiber in the 2 inch net pots to keep the cinders and crumbs from falling…</p>
<p>After reading your post, and no black lava cinders available in my area, I purchased 3 bags of Red Lava rocks (cinders) at Home Depot. Price was $3.85 a bag. Bag says it will cover 3 sq.ft. 2 inches thick. I spent an hour making little cinders out of big cinders with a large ball pean hammer and a cinder block. About an hour later I had a 2 gallon bucket full.</p>
<p>My idea is to put a small amount of the coco nut fiber in the 2 inch net pots to keep the cinders and crumbs from falling out the bottom. I have some wide (about 3 to 4 inch) 2" Dow blue board strips. I purchaded a couple "under the bed" storage bins. I will cut the blue board strips to fit in the storage bins and drill 2 inch holes in them. I will then pump water from my fish tank using a 70GPH fountan pump into the storage bin which will drain into my grow trough. Hopefully this new media will increase my germination rate.</p> Interesting... I am also havi…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-07-26:4778851:Comment:3748492012-07-26T02:58:32.217ZDave Lindstedthttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DaveLindstedt
<p>Interesting... I am also having germination problems and I have been using coconut fiber. Where are you buying your volcanic cinder from? Also what kind of price are you paying?</p>
<p>Interesting... I am also having germination problems and I have been using coconut fiber. Where are you buying your volcanic cinder from? Also what kind of price are you paying?</p> Chris I wanted to ask you a q…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-06-23:4778851:Comment:3543882012-06-23T17:35:56.580ZJoe Bifanohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JoeBifano
<p>Chris I wanted to ask you a question that I think was asked before in this thread but I can't find the answer. I see the photos where you fill the rafts with seeds and then you said that you cover them for 3 days with plastic. I also see some rafts on the floor under the table you fill the rafts on, covered with plastic.</p>
<p>Are you just watering the trays lightly, or are you misting the trays with an atomizer just to start them with water? Is there a small amount of water kept in a…</p>
<p>Chris I wanted to ask you a question that I think was asked before in this thread but I can't find the answer. I see the photos where you fill the rafts with seeds and then you said that you cover them for 3 days with plastic. I also see some rafts on the floor under the table you fill the rafts on, covered with plastic.</p>
<p>Are you just watering the trays lightly, or are you misting the trays with an atomizer just to start them with water? Is there a small amount of water kept in a shallow tray that we can't see so it wicks up? Could you expand a little more on this.</p>
<p>My system is just getting going and I am getting things to grow really good(finally). I did a few lettuce tests for a buyer and he loved them and wants me to go into production to show him that I can do it the same in the production mode giving him the same quality and the same consistency.</p>
<p>I think my weakest link is my seed starting, germination, to nursery set up. It is taking to long and I need to improve this.</p>
<p>I have tried a peat mixture with perlite and it is okay but we have a source now for scoria in the 1/8" to 1/4" that is real close by so I want to try it.</p>
<p>I purchased a case of 32 round cell trays and have used the 2" net pots in them. I think the peatmoss is too wet and I am not getting the germination rate I should.</p>
<p>Here is what I am thinking that I should do..</p>
<p>1. Start with the scoria rock in the 2" net pots in the 32 cell trays moistening them under plastic in the Utility room for 3 days.</p>
<p>2. Take the 32 cell trays from the Utility room to my vertical shelf's that are constant flow at 1/4" in water depth. These shelf's are 4 high and have about 16" above them so they do not get full sun except the top shelf. Then hopefully the 1/4" nutrient depth will work and wick up what the seedlings need and that depth will not drown them. They grow for 2 weeks in this.</p>
<p>3. Take the 32 cell trays to a nursery table where the water depth would be 4" to 8" and let them grow for 2 weeks. I would build in a shelf or structure that would allow the trays to be at the correct level and have that 4" to 8" of water depth.</p>
<p>4. Transplant to the main rafts and grow out hopefully in 2 weeks and harvest.</p>
<p>The 32 hole trays have a small hole about the same size as the round plastic bottom piece in the 2" net pots that probably is a problem and blocks the hole. I was thinking about melting the 32 cell trays small holes to be larger so I would get more available water and allow more roots to pass through to the deeper nursery troughs. I know that this will be some work to enlarge the holes in the trays. But because I have them I thought I would use them rather than get a lot more foam and the cost of that foam for the smaller rafts plus all the drilling to make them.</p>
<p>Your thoughts would be great.</p>
<p></p> I hand seed using conventiona…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-12-26:4778851:Comment:2694072011-12-26T19:16:41.361ZChris Smithhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisSmith
<p>I hand seed using conventional seed. Vacuum seeders do not work well with conventional lettuce seed because of their odd shape. They do work well with pelleted seed though. I don't use pelleted seed anymore because I am growing my own seed and pelleted seed has a very short shelf life. If I was growing one type of lettuce I would probably go back to pelleted since i would be able to use up the seed before it expires. Pelleted comes in such large quantities it is hard to use up in a small…</p>
<p>I hand seed using conventional seed. Vacuum seeders do not work well with conventional lettuce seed because of their odd shape. They do work well with pelleted seed though. I don't use pelleted seed anymore because I am growing my own seed and pelleted seed has a very short shelf life. If I was growing one type of lettuce I would probably go back to pelleted since i would be able to use up the seed before it expires. Pelleted comes in such large quantities it is hard to use up in a small operation before going bad when using multiple varieties.</p>
<p>Each lettuce plant I let go to seed saves me $5-$10 depending on variety.</p> Chris are you hand seeding th…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-12-26:4778851:Comment:2692852011-12-26T18:27:31.806ZJoe Bifanohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JoeBifano
<p>Chris are you hand seeding the net pots or do you use a vacuum?</p>
<p>Chris are you hand seeding the net pots or do you use a vacuum?</p> The cinder I use is 5/8-. It…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-12-26:4778851:Comment:2693212011-12-26T18:04:00.192ZChris Smithhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisSmith
<p>The cinder I use is 5/8-. It comes very dirty with dust, sand, and small rock. I wash the cinder with water and a 1/4 inch screen allowing the fines to separate from the larger cinder. I use the large cinder in media beds. I screen the fines one more time to remove the sand and dust which ends up in my soil mixes. The twice screened small cinder is between 1/16 and 1/4 in size and that is what I prefer for seeding because the smaller cinder wicks water better and seeds don't fall too deep in…</p>
<p>The cinder I use is 5/8-. It comes very dirty with dust, sand, and small rock. I wash the cinder with water and a 1/4 inch screen allowing the fines to separate from the larger cinder. I use the large cinder in media beds. I screen the fines one more time to remove the sand and dust which ends up in my soil mixes. The twice screened small cinder is between 1/16 and 1/4 in size and that is what I prefer for seeding because the smaller cinder wicks water better and seeds don't fall too deep in the media. The large cinder can easily be crushed into smaller pieces. I do not do this since I am cleaning lots of media for systems that I sell and get plenty of small cinder in the process. Other types of small media should have similar wicking properties to cinder but will require some experimentation. I do not have a volume of media needed for one 2x2 seeding raft. I seed 8 rafts each week which uses a little less than 3 five gallon buckets of media. Each net pot uses between 2&3 floz of media(I dumped a full net pot into a 4 oz yogurt container to determine volume).</p> Joe Bifano said:
Hey Chris…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-12-25:4778851:Comment:2692262011-12-25T17:00:35.801ZMichael Warnerhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/MichaelWarner
<p><br></br> <br></br> <cite>Joe Bifano said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/coastview-aquaponics-seeding?groupUrl=raftdeepwaterculturegrowers&xg_source=activity&groupId=4778851%3AGroup%3A28261&id=4778851%3ATopic%3A56519&page=5#4778851Comment227510"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Hey Chris</p>
<p>Are you hand seeding the net pots or using a seeder of some sort?</p>
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<p>Also Living in Colorado I can get lava rock but it is 300…</p>
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<p><br/> <br/> <cite>Joe Bifano said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/coastview-aquaponics-seeding?groupUrl=raftdeepwaterculturegrowers&xg_source=activity&groupId=4778851%3AGroup%3A28261&id=4778851%3ATopic%3A56519&page=5#4778851Comment227510"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Hey Chris</p>
<p>Are you hand seeding the net pots or using a seeder of some sort?</p>
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<p>Also Living in Colorado I can get lava rock but it is 300 miles away in a query but I am not sure if it is worth it to drive that far. We can get a 1/4" to 1/2" Scoria at a garden supply in Denver and was wondering if this would work if I screened out the smaller pieces and used the larger pieces for my Bio-filters. What sizes are the cinders? Because you work with the cinders all the time I was wondering if I could crush or change the size of my 1/2" sizes pieces to a manageable size or not.</p>
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<p>If this can't be crushed or changed then I was wondering about this. We can purchase smaller pieces of lava rock through a site that sells it for Bonsai plants and this looks really small. In your opinion how many quarts of smaller lava rocks can fill the 2x2 foam 62 cells? I do not have a 2" net pot here to be able to figure that out becasue I am just now ordering these and starting my new system soon. If we can get an idea on this then I can see if it would be worth it to purchase just the smaller cinders from the Bonsai company for planting and the larger stuff for my bio-filters.</p>
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