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]

Devoid, cutworms just might be a possibility (although it may be a little cold). Cutworms are really small until they start fattening up on your seedlings. I would make sure you're looking at your plants and media very carefully to check for pests. (I've actually got pictures on my profile of a cutworm infestation that I had. Just make sure you're not eating anything if you check it out). Also, if you've got a microscope, I'd put a leaf or two under there to check for smaller pests.

Devoid said:

It's cut off at media level and gone, it's not just laying on top :/

[FriendlyAquaponics]

Hey Jarred, great!  I didn't know who "Devoid" was. Is that like in: "To understand the essence of Zen, contemplate de void"?.

Anyway, I stayed the next week at Sand Creek after the training, learned how to run a 2-horse team plowing with a KV Bottom plow, and tuned up Ben and Alysha's system for them. It got down to 24 in the day a couple of times, then it snowed at the farm; I walked home to the bunkhouse that night through three or four inches of snow, and it got down to 10 degrees that night.

Tennessee was cold too; we had a 2 degree night, and there was a 6-inch thick block of ice on the lawn in the sun the entire week long; it only started melting on Saturday when it warmed up to 50 degrees.

Something that can disappear an entire raft of seedlings like you described is Japanese beetles; described in the "How To Win The War On Bugs" I just uploaded. You can't see them in the daytime because they burrow into the potting mix, only coming out an hour or so after dark to feed on your babies. Mice are a possibility too. Never heard of fungus gnats.??

Idea: try sticking the melons out the side of the greenhouse, with a poly tarp to pull over them at night to keep them warm. You should be able to pull the "tail" of the greenhouse poly sides right down on top of the vines, then put some shovelsful of sand or dirt on top of the poly to "seal" it to the ground (if your poly is long enough), and then you won't lose any heat.

Good luck! Aloha, Tim.......

[Devoid]

Oh wow. Forgot it got cold the next week. Though down here we didn't get snow, just some icing. I used to live in Tennessee, don't miss that cold.

Devoid as in empty or lack of.

Japanese beetles is what you hung the lights up for, right? I'll go look for that article.

Fungus gnats : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus_gnat

Sounds like a plan for the melons.

Thanks

[Devoid]

Found a number of fingerling tilapia in one of my grow beds again. Fortunately there didn't seem to be any damage to the plants. I think the eggs must be able to get through my screen filter.

Started filling up my last grow bed, it's been half full with no plants. Forgot I had the water on and ran out for an errand. Came back it was overflowing the last two troughs. Had to pump out a bit of water. Sigh. I'm hoping it's ok as I was putting the chlorine water into an empty trough.

[Gena]

Devoid, are you starting your own seeds or buying plants? We have forgotten to turn our airpumps back on a couple of times after feeding. We usually turn them off so we can see if the fish are okay , do counts and it doesn't move the food around so much while they eat. Now we follow set rules. Nobody leaves the aquaponics greenhouse while the fish eat. LOL  All I have to say is tilapia are hardy fish. Sorry to hear of your flood. 

[Devoid]

I need to write up a routine to be followed before leaving the greenhouse consulting of checking all air stones for air, circulation pump, and making sure the water is turned off.

I'm starting seeds, or trying to anyway. Some of the brassicas are coming up but no lettuce yet. It's been 2 weeks but we had that really cold night so not sure if it killed or delayed them, or just bad seeds.

[Gena]

For whatever reason I have a hard time starting lettuce. I'm trying right now. Planted some in rockwool and barely covered them and put on a heat mat, not too hot but just warm. We'll see what happens. All of my peppers, chilis, and tomatoes have germinated. They must be on an heat mat with the starting media between 80 -85 degrees for me to get good results. This year I pre soaked just to see if that would help. Looks like it did. 

[Alex Veidel]

Devoid, you probably know this, but careful with the chlorine in an aquaponics system, especially a functioning one. Chlorine will really do a number on your bacteria population.

I really recommend setting a timer whenever you do anything like topping of your system water. A good timer (whether physical timer, or a smartphone app) is on my list of essential tools and toys for aquaponic growers :) Human memory rarely serves to be trustworthy unfortunately...

Devoid said:

Found a number of fingerling tilapia in one of my grow beds again. Fortunately there didn't seem to be any damage to the plants. I think the eggs must be able to get through my screen filter.

Started filling up my last grow bed, it's been half full with no plants. Forgot I had the water on and ran out for an errand. Came back it was overflowing the last two troughs. Had to pump out a bit of water. Sigh. I'm hoping it's ok as I was putting the chlorine water into an empty trough.

[Alex Veidel]

What's going on with your seeds? Why are you having a hard time? (I can't remember, are you doing raft or media based?)

Gena said:

For whatever reason I have a hard time starting lettuce. I'm trying right now. Planted some in rockwool and barely covered them and put on a heat mat, not too hot but just warm. We'll see what happens. All of my peppers, chilis, and tomatoes have germinated. They must be on an heat mat with the starting media between 80 -85 degrees for me to get good results. This year I pre soaked just to see if that would help. Looks like it did. 

[Devoid]

Yeah, was the reason I was putting it into an empty bed that's 47ft long 4ft wide. I only intended to add a small bit, but forgot.

After that while pumping water out so it'd quit overflowing into the greenhouse and washing out sand into Russ, I downloaded a time app and set it to beep at me every 10 minutes

[Gena]

Alex, we are doing floating raft. I've been starting my seeds in the house and transferring to the raft. Right now I'm 50/50 on my lettuce germination. Maybe it's the seed or my media is too cold or they got too wet, but I'm trying several different types of lettuce. Which ever ones germinate, those are the ones I'm sticking with. Do you have tips on lettuce? I bought butterheads from a local nursery last year and they did well in the rafts. But I really want to start my own. 

[Devoid]

Having issues with the tomatoes, I'm thinking early blight. Trying to figure out how to fight it, currently pinching off infected branches.

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So how is everyone else doing this summer?