Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thank you EB

If you want to make it a serious food component for your SPs Santalum you should do some research into the protein levels of different plants - if you can maximise that, it'll help your overall growth rate, for free.

Any updates on the salad bar?

bumpety bump!!

I have 50 silvers 300 to 550 mm i can throw a standard bucket of leb cress in the ft in the arvo and its gone by the morning. Leb cress rocks, we eat in salads and have a whole bath dedicated to it. Do you have an update on the slad bar?

Sorry no pics but definately an update. Silvers have kept the roots pruned and ducks have kept the tops pruned on the leb cress float. The watercress died as the summer heat kicked in so it is a no go. I think the key to a successful float is a protective zone with either heshon or shadecloth under the plants for adequate root mass to survive without grazing and similarly up top protection from grazing animals. Use 50% shadecloth so roots can grow through and be grazed. Leb cress is a very palatable plant and so every pest under the sun will target it especially out here (Wheatbelt) where pests get very desparate for greens in summer.

I found that aphids and other sap sucking insects loved the cress and really hammered it with the onset of spring until ladybird numbers caught up to the explosion in prey numbers. So whatever nursery you create you need to culture ladybirds in it also to maintain an ability to adapt when pest pressure ramps up.

Hey Santa, just found this thread now, any chance you're still around and have progressed on the floating islands? Would be great to see an update.

Regards, Martin.

It is a failure because of ... ducks. They sit on the crate and graze the lovely tender cress and eventually it weakens and dies. If I was to run the trial again I would build a duck proof canopy over the crate. Also find a lot of sap sucking insects hit the cress in summer so shadecloth may be the best protecting cover and also provide shade. Cress gets fried above about 42C.

Given that they are already made, it's probably still worth planting something in them to take out some nutrient.

lemon-grass maybe