Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey all, I am trying to do research and am looking for a good source that might have typical time lines for plants grown hydro/aqua/aeroponically. Looking for a resource that would help me plan my crop rotations, etc. Not having much luck on finding anything via search atm...

Thank you in advance, I will keep searching to see if I get better results.

I don't think you'll find them anywhere - there are just too many variables.
Light intensity, light hours, light spectrum, shading, air temperature, water temperature, humidity, root conditions, nitrate concentration, availability of other nutrients etc.

In short, there is no way to know for sure how long it will take for a plant to grow out. You can make an educated guess from experience, but you just can't predict the weather!

Maybe you'll find some experimental data on the net. But I'm afraid you won't find many unbiased studies comparing aquaponic/hydroponic/aeroponic techniques; most of the time you'll find people trying to promote their product.


Also, if you focus on the plants, aquaponics is actually just hydroponics with a different nutrient source. I believe that aquaponics has a slight advantage, though, because it creates a more natural environment, supporting for instance beneficial bacteria and earthworms that keep everything clean.

Yeah, I agree on that, makes sense. I was hoping there might be something that showed general cultivation periods. I think I can come up with a basic process, that doesn't so much relate to days, instead I could use a period,thanks for the advice, I should be able to do some testing and figure out what works best =D

I've compared tomatoes and peppers in AP, a raised growbed with loads of manure and compost, and regular soil. First blossom and first ripe fruit all occurred nearly simultaneously, but AP grew far larger plants and more fruit.

Lettuce also grew at about the same rate, but larger and far cleaner in AP. Cauliflower is about the same as well: same speed, larger plants and heads.