Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

There's no "wrong" as such. It's just that over time it is better to keep stuff out of the bed as it will begin to clog up with muck.. I still know people who recommend not washing soil off, other people also bury old fruit and food scraps into their bed, I'd never do that either for the same reasons..

As long as it becomes worm food, there should not be too much if an issue with clogging.

Do you need to add the worms? If so how many? As in just dig up a couple from the yard or go out and buy a whole stack?

look for "red wiggler" or composting worms..a couple dozen to start will get you plenty

How large are people letting their "dirt" started plants get before transplanting?

Is bigger better? Or sooner better?

I could see bigger plants being hardier, thicker stemmed, more handle-able.

I don't know enough about plants but does a plant have ## growing days to maximum size so it would be preferable to get it in the AP sooner to grow faster?
For example in chickens, there are basically so many days for a chicken to get full sized, and if it gets slowed early on will never achieve the size of an optimally grown from day one chicken.

Or do the roots perhaps develop in starting mix differently and if allowed to get too big not adapt to the AP grow media?
For instance a cow raised on one diet then switched to another diet late in life can become very ill, whereas if the swap is made early on they can adapt and eat the new food.

Unfortunately for AP, I know way more about terrestrial animal raising than plants or fish.

I was told that it is best to let them get their second set of true leaves. Though, I never have the patience for that...

We basically just transplant seedlings as seedlings you would normally buy in a nursery..

Just hose the soil at a shower setting.