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How to Grow Seeds for Aquaponics
How to Grow Seeds for Aquaponics. Aquaponics blends aquarium and garden environments, combining aquacultural and hydroponic systems. In simple terms, these closed-loop mini ecosystems incorporate fish in the growing environment and produce plants without soil, creating a system in which plants feed off the nutrient-rich water produced by the fish....
Aquaponics blends aquarium and garden environments, combining aquacultural and hydroponic systems. In simple terms, these closed-loop mini ecosystems incorporate fish in the growing environment and produce plants without soil, creating a system in which plants feed off the nutrient-rich water produced by the fish. The soil-free nature of aquaponics makes growing seeds quite a bit different than the traditional gardening process -- generally, aquaponic gardeners start from seedlings rather than seeds. The process varies depending on the type of seed and your aquaponic setup.
Things You'll Need
Functioning aquaponic system
Seeds of your choice
Seed media
Fish
Fish food
Select your seeds. To grow directly from seed rather than seedling, use small seeds such as carrots, herbs, radishes, lettuce or other salad greens.
"Broadcast" the seeds over your aquaponic system by gently tossing them on the growing surface -- in this case, the water of the growing beds. Allow the seeds to settle into the gravel at the bottom of the bed. Distribute the seeds as evenly as possible.
Insert seeds into seed-starting media if you're attempting to grow larger plants such as beans, cucumbers, melons or peas. With your index finger, push seeds into the center of starting media such as rockwool or peat sponges. Distribute the media evenly throughout the growing beds.
Clean young seedlings thoroughly under a water faucet, removing all dirt before attempting to plant them in your aquaponic system. Arrange seedlings evenly, gently securing their roots with the gravel of the growing beds.
Add fish to your aquaponic system after you've sowed about 20 percent of the total seeds you plan to sow. Keep the fish-to-tank volume ratio at about 2:1 as you grow your seeds. Feed the fish daily -- fish consume about 1.5 percent of their body weight each day. Maintain consistent water quality and pH levels, and clean your filtration system and tubing once a month. When plants appear, trim or harvest them as needed for each individual plant type.
