My Tiny Apartment System- NYC

[Jimmy C]

I started reading about aquaponic gardening around December and I thought it was really cool so I decided to try to build something using my fishtank as a source of nutrients. My first grow was kind of a bust. I planted tomatoes and cucumbers and although the plants grew really tall I bearly got any fruit : / I am assuming that the plants just weren't getting the nutrients necessary for a veg phase.

So I cleaned it out and started fresh a few weeks ago with a more realistic goal of grow some leafy greens, mainly lettuce and arrugula, and some herbs, cilantro, parsley and basil. So far so good, The arugula came in super fast and I've already had a few salads. My basil is beginng to get pretty big. However, I've only seen a few shoots here and there of cilantro and parsley. Any ideas what my issue might be with those herbs in particular? 

Anyway here are some pics! 

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

Hi Jimmy and Welcome... We should meet up sometime. I'm in the East Village, where are you located?

[Jimmy C]

Hey Jonathan, sure, that'd be cool. I am in Harlem on W 128th Street. 

[Dana Choate]

Hey Jimmy,

For future referance .... As far as your problem growing your tomatoes and cucumbers, if they are indoors you will need to hand pollinate them. The tomatoes are easy.....use an electric tooth brush, turn it on and place it right behind your tomato flowers. This will simulate the vibrations from a bee or other insect that would do your pollinating for you if your garden were outside. Cucumbers have a male and female flower. You would pluck a male flower, remove the pedals and expose the middle of the flower, then rub that on the middle of the female flower. There are youtube videos you can watch if you need a visual.

I'm not sure about your other veggies that are giving you trouble.

Good luck with your system.