A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

A variety of plants vs multiple systems

I started a fishless system about 6 weeks ago. I only have greens in it at this stage.

http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/my-new-pizzapo...

It is my intention to grow tomatoes (for now, other fruiting veges including peppers later) in a fishless system too.

My question is this: Am I better off to build another system that I can adjust nutrient levels to suit the flowering and fruiting plants, or can I adjust those levels with my greens in the system without affecting them adversely?

I have built my current system so that additional beds in DWC or flood and drain are easy to add. But I also have a single beginner style IBC system that I drained that could be put back into service quite easily.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Vlad Jovanovic on April 27, 2014 at 8:45pm

Hi Mike...Yes it is entirely possible to 'adjust those levels to suit your flowering/fruiting plants while not affecting the DWC's system water for your lettuce and greens'...

Here is how I've been doing it... http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/group/fish-less-systems/for...

It worked on the small scale experiment (beginning of thread), so I applied it to my 2100 sq.foot system where it works as well (the later parts of the thread)...

You can also easily create a 3 part nutrient; one for veg, one for flowering, and one for fruiting, out of that same humonia (aged urine)...

http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/group/fish-less-systems/for...

Permalink Reply by Mike E on April 27, 2014 at 10:15pm

Hi Vlad. I had read the second thread. I have now quickly read the dual-root-zone thread and it looks like you have done some great work. Thank you for your reply. I have a lot to carry on with now, starting with an in-depth re-read. Mike

Permalink Reply by Mike E on April 27, 2014 at 11:00pm

Okay Vlad. In my mind I have my AP (actually PP) water circulating through everything, including the lower root zone of my peppers and tomatoes (and now it looks like cucumbers will be on the list). I grow lettuces and other greens at the moment, and my nitrate levels stay around the 40ppm level. Can I grow the dual-root-zone plants with the lower roots in water with these levels of nitrates and get the results that I want? I note that your trials used straight water. Thanks. Mike

Permalink Reply by Vlad Jovanovic on April 27, 2014 at 11:15pm

Yes you can Mike. In the greenhouse, the lower roots are dangling in nitrate laden water, while the upper root zone gets whatever that cultivar needs for whatever particular phase of growth it is in. (Mg, P and K being the main amendeded essential elements...much of which are biologically reclaimed from humonia, stored, then applied as and when needed from). The trial used straight water just as a control just to see whether nutrients were trickling down and "contaminating" said water.

You don't have use biologically reclaimed phosphates or potassium by any means, but it made sense to (in terms of sustainability issues) as opposed to hydroponic reagent salts.