Aquaponics!

chunt87

I love vegetables, and gardening, my husband made me a lovely aquaponics system where the tote is also the reservoir to conserve water and my cauliflower and spinach are beautiful!.

BUT, for the next crop I want to change the barrier I use from roots to reservoir because I have a problem. I used a mesh net this time and it is NOT good enough to do what I wanted it to do (block the roots from reaching the reservoir) and I have cauliflower roots attacking my water pump.

IS there anyone here that can suggest a better barrier I can try that the water can still drain down to where I want and not let the roots go all psycho crazy on me?

VBnotbitter

Try the back yard aquaponics forum,

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/

and Im jealous of your system :flowerforyou:

chunt87

Oh Jeez, I looked at your post, and then I read some of that forum and I was sorely wrong. I meant Aeroponics, and feel kind embarassed now :blushing:

Aquaponics does look pretty cool, but its probably waaay more expensive than what I am doing

The thing is aeroponic. It was super easy for him to make too. He took a fountain pump, some pvc pipe and made a ring towards the top of a bin where the little root cups are. the water goes into the loop of pvc and sprays out these little sprayers where my roots are at.

The barrier issue is that I put a mesh bag under the sprayers, thinking it would make a barrier and they went right through and around it into the water below and are attcking the pump, so every week I take the whole thing apart and clear the pump and reassemble. The next time I do this I would like to find a different barrier material so the water can still flow freely but my roots will not.

chunt87

Bump

happymomma454

Is it possible to post a pic of your system so that we can offer suggestions? It may be as simple as rearranging something...

chunt87

Ok now that I figured out how to put a picture on here. the water pump and net and pvc watering loop is inside the bin, the roots have since become so big that they are attacking the sprinklers and pump on the inside which I can only open enough now to refill

happymomma454

Have you thought of / tried landscape fabric? The roots can still go through, but it takes longer. Another alternative would be to add a separate loop for the water, where it is pumped out of one end of the basin (have the pump outside the basin to do this- maybe even in the loop line) and flows into the other end or sprays the plants from above (especially if you use a mist-type nozzle). Nice looking plants though.

Here are some images of aeroponic systems that may be helpful.

https://www.google.com/search?q=aeroponics&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&imgil=SaVvxO7fqf5gQM%3A%3Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fencrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcSjnXbZmQF3EjBRoY3bJx5q9-i7N7LLcCx0TOdeUdukGtsE8vRtFw%3B664%3B342%3BsrNyxzsuQDq6YM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgrowersguidetocannabis.com%252Faeroponics-what-is-an-aeroponic-system-and-how-does-it-work%252F&source=iu&usg=__Ab8Aoi1EKrArhyF-r-ydMjjmy1s=&sa=X&ei=G9CRU8j_D9GzsATv04GQCA&ved=0CFAQ9QEwAQ&biw=1366&bih=667#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=SaVvxO7fqf5gQM%3A;srNyxzsuQDq6YM;http%3A%2F%2Fwww.growersguidetocannabis.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F01%2Faeroponics2.jpg;http%3A%2F%2Fgrowersguidetocannabis.com%2Faeroponics-what-is-an-aeroponic-system-and-how-does-it-work%2F;664;342

If the link doesn't work, just google it.

chunt87

Thanks I might try the landscaping fabric idea. This picture was before cabbage worms figured out my cauliflower was so tasty. I have since found a pesticide to use (crossing fingers)

your search you posted led to a search for what I was thinking about which was something like a root barrier fabric. Unfortunately the way its configured I think I need to maybe make the whole thing taller and put a reservoir independently on the bottom with a hole in it for what I want it to do. Roots in water plus being sprayed has led to an attacked water pump and difficulty in being able to refill it. Also the plants are using more water than they actually need this way so the root structured far larger than I would like it to be considering the water pump problem.


I also just thought of something. Can you trim roots, and have you tried? If so please let me know how it worked out

happymomma454

I have not tried to trim roots, but I have heard that it can be done. Just cut the tips and not the taps. If I was going to make an enclosed system I think I would have a sprayer that mists the plants from above, directly onto the plant base, with possibly a shallow tray below to catch enough water to keep the roots moist, but with holes at the "overflow" level to allow excess moisture to run into a catch basin below that then pumps the water back into the sprayer system. If I wanted to get fancier, I might build something into the line that could be used for adding nutrients as needed (probably between the reservoir and sprayers). I prefer to use natural / organic growing methods, so would have to figure out how to achieve pest control without the use of pesticides. I wish you the best on your project.

csman49

Weed block material.

chunt87

well I trimmed the roots, to get them up out of the water so that the sprayers would be able to do their thing. the spinach looks ok but I really hope the cauliflower pulls through, I would say the whole thing in one container was a beautiful idea but without an effective barrier it simply does not work as hoped.

Thy look very stressed today but hopefully they pull through. I had 4 mini heads of cauliflower going at once, 4. I hope I don't lose them I have put in so much work Once the crop is done I will post pictures of the system.