Problems with getting plants growing

[Devoid]

I am in central Texas and built a raft system based on Friendly Aquaponics instructions.

Water temperature is up to 92

ph 7.7

ammonia 0.5

nitrate 10

nitrite barely above 0

Seed starting bed

Plant Problems

Tomatoes originally looked like Iron deficiency and I added iron, then it just started getting light green all over

Pumpkins that are now completely dead

Cucumber with same type issues and it's roots

Okra - left 3 are a week or two older then the ones on right

So any thoughts or ideas on what to do to get this going? I'm looking for a good low cost d.o. meter. I'm also wondering if putting them out in full sun in just frying them.

[Alex Veidel]

Was there chlorine in the tap water?

[Devoid]

Yup. Fortunately chlorine gas rather than chloromine but still not good. Need to buy innoculant to put in after I get ammonia levels back up.

This was after a four inch rain overflowed the system once. Then got another inch rain while it was on. Thought the overflow was from the second rain originally.

[Devoid]

Here's a list of lettuce seeds I've been through so far. Not sure which I have left for summer though

L001    -    Salad Bowl Lettuce    50

L002    -    Rouge d’Hiver        70

L003    -    Bibb - Limestone    57

L004    -    Valerie            45

L005    -    Buttercrunch        65

L006    -    Great Lake #118    82

L007    -    Jericho Romaine    60

L008    -    Flame Lettuce        60

L009    -    Key Lime        63

L010     -    Paris White Cos    70

L011    -    Crisp Mint       

L012    -    Baby Oak Leaf

L013    -    Amish Deer Tongue

L014    -    Grand Rapids

L015    -    Black Seeded Simpson

L016    -    Ceasar’s Favorite

L017    -    Little Gem

L018    -    Kalura Romaine

L019    -    Sweet Valentine

L020    -    Slo Bolt

L021    -    Loma Batavian / Crisphead

L022    -    Cimmaron Romaine

L023     -    Summer Bibb

[Devoid]

I'm also pretty sure 18 tomato plants per 2x4 is too much. I originally thought I could chill out but then realized I'd be leaving entangled dead roots to rot and decay the remaining plants.

[Alex Veidel]

Lol, probably. But you can always pull them out if you need to. Or plant 'em in the ground outside....

I just planted Teide, Adriana, and some extra arugula I got from Johnny's in my beds. You know, I never have much luck with tomatoes unfortunately. Powdery mildew gets 'em all :/ Downside of gardening in my garage I guess....

Devoid said:

I'm also pretty sure 18 tomato plants per 2x4 is too much. I originally thought I could chill out but then realized I'd be leaving entangled dead roots to rot and decay the remaining plants.

[Devoid]

Unfortunately I haven't been able to spend the time on the system this week. Need to get out there and cut those suckers. Got a good batch of peppers I need to harvest. Serrano's have turned purple, cayannes are red as are the bell peppers.

I did notice that some (or a good number possibly) of the lower branches have died off, not looking so good.

The squash completely died off some reason. Not sure if it is lack of nutrient or something else. I know smokers can pass  tobacco mosaic virus to tomato/pepper/eggplant, but is there anything that can get passed to squash? The seemed to go down hill immediately after a guy ruffled through them getting the grasshoppers.

Checked the ammonia and it came back as 1 (ppm?) and no nitrate or nitrite showing.

[Alex Veidel]

If you've got time for pictures, I'd love to see them. Maybe we can figure out what's happening to your pepper or squash.

Devoid said:

Unfortunately I haven't been able to spend the time on the system this week. Need to get out there and cut those suckers. Got a good batch of peppers I need to harvest. Serrano's have turned purple, cayannes are red as are the bell peppers.

I did notice that some (or a good number possibly) of the lower branches have died off, not looking so good.

The squash completely died off some reason. Not sure if it is lack of nutrient or something else. I know smokers can pass  tobacco mosaic virus to tomato/pepper/eggplant, but is there anything that can get passed to squash? The seemed to go down hill immediately after a guy ruffled through them getting the grasshoppers.

Checked the ammonia and it came back as 1 (ppm?) and no nitrate or nitrite showing.

[Devoid]

The only current pepper problems are one plant grew too tall and tipped over. It continued to grow, and now the raft it is in is tipped up in the air. Looks funny. The other is bell peppers grew too big for the plants and bend them over, such tiny plants they are.

I'll take photos of the squash plants or what's left of them, and the tomatoes tomorrow.

Going to pick up new bottle of bacteria Saturday. Some more mosquito fish. And if I can net out the tilapia in my make up tank tomorrow I'll likely get some butterfly koi just because I love them.

[Devoid]

Dead squash

Lower branches of tomatoes going black

Cayenne

Bell Peppers

Haven't come to a conclusion on whether these are serrano or jalopeno

Definite iron deficiency but looks like something else going on too

First Brandywine to set fruit

[Devoid]

Wish I could add photos from my phone.

Got my system covered with a 40% white shade cloth on Sunday. Got heat stroke and a bad sunburn putting it on, better be worth it.

[Alex Veidel]

How are those nitrate levels? Also, I might be wrong about this, but the lower branches of tomatoes looks like they're dying because of lack of light. Pretty sure it's considered okay to trim some of the lower branches when growing tomatoes. Anyway, my guess is that your dense tomato leaf canopy is causing the lower branches to die off.

[Devoid]

Nitrate and Nitrite aren't really showing up on the strips, but Ammonia has come down to 0.5 so the bacteria is definitely working. Can see how yellow the tomato plants have turned. Going to cut them out, too hot to set fruit anyway. Will start more for fall.