Las Vegas Newbie Question

[Patricia Aiken]

My timing seems off. Should I wait til Spring to set up or is there a way to heat the water, grow during the colder winter months. Very seldom below freezing.

Thanks for you input.

[David Waite]

Patricia if your system is outdoors you will have to consider a hardy fish like koi or bluegill due to your water will get  to 45 degrees outside in LV in the winter. I say go for it but get your cold weather crops going pronto as seedling. Lettuce, root crops, broccoli ect... start with real low stocking densities as well. I am north of you in Fallon Nv. Hey there are three of us in NV now. I know of more but they arent into this site much.

[Patricia Aiken]

Thanks so much, David. We've got the koi pond already. I'm back in the saddle!

David Waite said:

Patricia if your system is outdoors you will have to consider a hardy fish like koi or bluegill due to your water will get  to 45 degrees outside in LV in the winter. I say go for it but get your cold weather crops going pronto as seedling. Lettuce, root crops, broccoli ect... start with real low stocking densities as well. I am north of you in Fallon Nv. Hey there are three of us in NV now. I know of more but they arent into this site much.

[TCLynx]

Yea, I'd say get it going.  Winter is a great time for gardening in my mind.

[Patricia Aiken]

Thanks for the encouragement, TCLynx. Maybe a little heat wrap on the pvc would be in order.

[TCLynx]

I know my Florida winters are a little more mild than the Desert but as long as you are growing a cool tolerant fish, I wouldn't worry too much about it.  If you do flood and drain media beds, insulating the pipes isn't going to make much difference.

And Koi can take the cold.

And there are many great cool weather crops that seem to really like the cold.  Broccoli and kale seem to love freezing and frosts.

[Patricia Aiken]

Cool.  Pun intended.

[David Waite]

Patricia keep your design flexible in that if you are not under glass you might consider buying some row covers to keep the frost off. Almost all cool weather crops can take the freeze but the frost will kill most of them depending on what stage of growing they are at.

[the mad german]

I had an uncle who had a strawberry farm in michigan where spring frost are extremely common, everyone else or other strawberry farmers would lose their blossoms to frost.....not Uncle Ernie............He always woke at 5am, if it was going to frost ..................irrigate..kept the frost from settling and warmed the ground and plants enough to prevent the frost. i guess it kind of worked along the same theory as smudge pots....just a thought.

David Waite said:

Patricia keep your design flexible in that if you are not under glass you might consider buying some row covers to keep the frost off. Almost all cool weather crops can take the freeze but the frost will kill most of them depending on what stage of growing they are at.

[Patricia Aiken]

You folks are all awesome. Thanks.

[Sharonne Jaeger]

Hi Patricia, I also live in Vegas and just saw your post.  I was wondering how you were doing in your aquaponics since 2011 and if you have any pictures.