Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am setting up my first system and would like to be up and running as soon as possible but I need plants that will winter well and use up the nitrates. I was thinking broccoli and greens but then what? What can I grow during the cold January/February? Will wrapping the cages in plastic be enough?

Please throw in any ideas you have.

I would recommend checking out DecalsbyJT's and TCLynx's various threads. You sit happily between these very seasoned members.

Check out this website and sign up for monthly emails that give suggestions on what to plant and the estimated harvest times for each month. Very specific zoning and it's quite a nice list of plants.

Great site Mr. Bill!

Great resource Bill thanks!

I'm planning on putting collards, kale, and swiss chard into mine.

I know that here in the NC Sandhills collards in the ground grow all winter -- with maybe a short break for cold-induced stasis in Janurary.

I'm gonna wrap the cages in 6mil plastic and go with collards, mustard greens, rosmary in some 5 gallon buckets, I sell herbs at the market, and buckets are easy to transport. I just popped broccoli and strawberry spinach.

Thanks for the link, Mr Bill. Very handy.

That's a good link, no junk mail or anything in six months or more of being subscribed. I know because I'm paranoid and create new email accounts for things like this

Thanks mr Bill

I have a tribute from way back to people named bill on my blog :)

I am planning on Cabbage and turnips.

Great website for people like me just starting out.Thanks.

Yep, broccoli, cabbage, collards, kohlrabi, Kale and pretty much anything closely related to all those are great winter time plants. You are likely to have more trouble keeping enough nutrient up for them through the really cold time since most fish other than trout are not going to be eating when the water gets down to 50F and below.
Lettuce and several cool weather herbs will also grow during the cooler seasons and with some season extension and protection in NC you can probably manage to grow quite a lot of stuff through most of the winter if you are in a coastal area. If you are in the mountains, you may be more limited for the winter.

Here in FL, winter is actually our best plant growing season, too bad the water cools off and the fish don't eat as much then. In the summer here it is often difficult to find plants to use up all the excess nitrates or if you do grow one of the hot weather nutrient hogs, be careful it doesn't eat the neighborhood (lufa.)