Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I was curious to know if I would be able to grow larger trees using aquaponics (given I have a big enough set up)? For example... apple trees or mango trees?

If you dont drown the roots, I don't see why not. I've got a rather large banana in my system, which is causing one end of the GB to slowly sink into the ground, because it is so heavy.

Can you, yes, should you, no.

AP is great for quick growing plants, vegetables, fruits; but trees take 2-5 years to produce anything. And the lifetime age of a plant could go on for longer than you.

They are also easier to get going in the ground, and take very little maintenance in the ground. Prepare the soil right, and keep them watered for the first season, then just forget about them until you need to harvest/prune.

Plus they will likely get root bound in an AP system (I had a tree in mine, I thought it was a raspberry bush, but it wasn't), and I was just retiring that bed, and for a small plant, the 1m x 1m bed was very root bound (well a quarter of it, but it'd spread over time). And you can't really trim back the roots well.

EDIT...


I've got banana's in mine too, but technically a herb or berry, and the main plant dies off after fruiting :p

Trees are ok if they are in separate containers rather than in normal growbeds trying to compete with other plants, and if you have other heavy feeding pants in your system, not just trees. seen some nice miniature fruit trees in half barrels over the years.

Based on what I've read about the makeup of solid waste, you might have better results planting trees in the ground and using solids from cleaning the system as a fertilizer for the in-ground trees.

I find this also very interesting... What about bonsai trees?

Get the tree to develop quick and prune it regularly due to faster growth. Once the tree has a presentable appearance replant in the normal container and just let it age...

If not for a fruit benefit will the Bonsai idea work?

With bonsai you do take much care when pruning the roots in the pot.

Bonsai men's tree in a pot. And the tree is miniaturised due to the roots being limited.

What's your guys thought on this?


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Solids and top up water might be the way to go, but with bonsai you trim the roots to prevent root lock, and trick the tree into thinking it's full grown. The only major negative I can see is when a small tree fruits with full size fruit it's gonna need support, much as tomatoes do.

This sounds like a job for science!

>> This sounds like a job for science!

no, look to the ancients.....
bit like these - traditional small space AP from vietnam
all three had goldfish in them.... cat quite see in photos...



[attachment=0]2015_Vietnam_AP3.jpg[/attachmenti

Science doesn't always mean labcoats. The basis of science is experimentation, which I'm sure lead to those wonderful plants being cared for in that way.

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Wicking Beds... Each tree in separate units... That is how I hope to grow our new fruit trees..
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ancestor comment said said with much jest .... no disrespect to science or scientifc method intended

Buidoi - I think this is what the wicking bed looks like when the tap is left on or when the budget runs out for media

having said that these are pretty much in water with some very basic soil and it is amazing what they seem to grow in them. In various places we went they were pretty much everywhere. And they all had some token little fish. Seems to work for them.

You can may be grow seedlings of apples, pears, nashis or stone fruits in aquaponics and later transplant and/or graft them. You should scarify the seeds first in the fridge for germination.

Dwarf or step-over varieties would do well in their own buckets.

could it be BONSAI AQUAPONICS?

Has anyone started putting bonsai trees in AP yet? I have some for an experimen in a gb. I have a ficus benjamina, shefflera , and a couple croton cuttings I rooted in soil. All of them made the transition from soil to AP without loosing leaves, which suprised me because f.ben. can loose them from changes in location or temp or overwatering. Id say pulling it out of a pot and washing off all the dirt.then going into AP is a fairly big change! But it looks fine so far, no leaves dropped. If your familiar with f. ben. as bonsai, you understand how impresive that is, there more finiky than say f microcarpus. I aslo put in a native strangler fig in there, hopefully they will grow out faster. I transplanted peppers and strawberries to soil to move them and they were ok. I think the roots will stay fairly close and shallow, perfect for transition to bonsai. If it looks like its working I will make a gb special for bonsai growing. Another thing I noticed with the peppers was the lack of taproot. Tap roots are not needed or wanted in bonsai and can cause problems. If the trees roots grow like the peppers did, pefectly round shallow and all white feeders, nothing very thick. I imagine thats why we have to steak up some plants to avoid wind damage/falling over. I think I will make a thread for my experiments with trees, or a blog tht other bonsai folks and AP folks together. I really think theres potencial in the idea. You can take trees out and trim roots easier than in soil also, keeping them close and dense rather than spread out like in the ground. Im also coing to try a couple ficus in wicking beds where Im almost sure they will grow faster than in pots and maybe the ground too. Id love a way to maximize growth for a year or two. In a bonsai pot trees grow very slowly and so are often planted in the ground on top of a tile or plate to make the roots grow more horizontal than deep. I think the water level will make the trees grow wide flat root systems and grow fast in both methods and Im going to find out...