Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well not yet, but hopefully.

Anyway, I planted some melons in an Affnan GB and some in the dirt at exactly the same time.
The AP ones, sprouted way quicker and grew faster and look healthier.
But, the dirt ones have flowered already but the AP ones show no obvious signs of flowering yet.

Any ideas why this would happen?
Is it even necessarily a bad thing?

Actually the same thing happened with the tomatoes, the AP ones are only just flowering, whereas
the dirt ones have some orange ripening fruit already.

You knew that thread title would get people looking...

Perhaps your AP system is a bit low in Phosphorous and/or potassium.. These are the nutrients plants require in greater amounts for flower and fruit production.

Thanks EB, found a couple of interesting threads on the same topic about Tom's.
Have just bought a load of over ripe bananas, a treat for the fish, and skins in the GB's.
I put some in a while ago, but perhaps there weren't enough.
I was told the water in CM is very high in phosphorous, so it shouldn't be that, though I can't test for it.
I'll add some Seasol (I haven't added that for a while 'cos everything is looking so healthy)
and the skins.

Thanks again.

Oh you mean the plant lemons

Your a bad man Freo

I reckon more potassium in the system. We can do that easily with eco rose down here but banana peels should work too.
Counted 12 rockmelons forming on my two vines in the greenhouse AP system and really happy. For once the ants have done me a favour by pollinating them.

Maybe the nitrates are too high.
I have always been told if plants have got tons of leaf growth but no flowers/fruit then there is too much nitrogen. I THINK a lot of vine type plants can suffer from this...

Also a stress (dry spell, lacking in AP in this case) will prompt plants into a repro mode sooner than if under ideal conditions.

That's possibly a good call too, it is very dry here this time of year, the dirt plants get watered by a hose, most mornings and nights, but in the day it drys out very quickly.

Thanks for your answers guys.

...I don't want kill your plant in error but I am pretty sure that my mum mentioned to stick a rusty nail in the vine to shock the plant. I remember her mentioning it ages ago when she grew bitter melon.... but I never remember actually seeing the nail in the plant... she just threatened them.

There's a guy over at the aquaponics community looking into dual root zones. This means the plant takes up flowering nutrients (or whatever) in a different place than N and water. So far in his experiment he's done DWC hydroponics with normal results. If you add some DWC beds to your mix you could grow even bigger melons, without hurting your fish! Here's the thread: http://aquaponicscommunity.com/group/fi ... ble-for-ap .