Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have some vigorously growing cucumber vines in my system that have just sprouted some flowers. I have seen different posts mention pollinating with a paintbrush. How is this done? Am I right to assume that I just touch the inside of one flower after the other with the same brush?

Also, my basil, lettuce, etc. is yellowish and I understand that they need iron. I also understand that I need trace elements to grow carrots. What is the best product to add without harming the fish?

Thanks, as always.

iron chelate would seem to be the go. you can probably get some from an aquarium in liquid form at inflated prices, or in powder form from a garden shop.........just check out the side of the packet for obvious no-no's

and DONT over dose............i worked out the dilutions somewhere here when another member killed some fish. we really need to sticky that sort of stuff damnit.

Thanks. I have looked everywhere around here for Iron Chelate but can't find it, even at garden stores. Perhaps it will appear as the weather turns warmer.

What about other elements? Is there a benefit to adding other trace elements?

Beyond copper, what are the other obvious 'no no's'?

"Chelated Iron" will have quite a number of trace elements included with it. I go to a farm supply (AgWay) to find chelated iron.

Pollination - you are trying to pick up pollen from the male flowers and deposit it in the middles of the female flowers. Just gently dab the paintbrush in to the center of one flower, then the next and the next...Initial flowers will all be male, btw. Check your genders to make sure you're doing productive work.

So your saying the girls are the late bloomers where cuc's are concerned JP? I learn something every day.

Try buying a cucumber variety that is bred for greenhouse production. These produce fruit from every flower - which would therefore indicate they are self polinating (or at least have the male and female parts on one flower - which increases chances of self polination.

Yup, the girls are late bloomers. The plant has more energy invested in producing female flowers. Producing males first ensures that pollen is available for when the females arrive. Males are expendable.

I am glad I am already hiding out in Costa Rica!

How does one 'check the gender' of cucumber blossoms beyond knowing that the first ones (and how many are 'first ones?)are male?

easy way to tell the male/female flowers apart. The female flowers will have a tiny cucumber as it's stem the male flowers will be on slender stems without sines of being a fruit in waiting. You want to dab the male flower with the paintbrush first and then a female and continue alternating.

I've heard people talk about burying a bit of banana in the grow bed to provide more potassium to help fruiting/flowering. I'm not sure the best way to increase phosphorus. Chances are if you are getting flowers then you are off to a good start.

Regarding trace elements, I use diluted blackstrap molasses from the health shop as a suppliment which seems to work quite well as a suppliment and a chelating agent. The fish don`t seem to mind it.

No clue of the ratio, I simply dilute 1/2 teaspoon in 2L of warm water and add about 100ml of that to the ~140L tank once a month.

Probably not particularly useful for organics but i did test the EC of the tank before a 100ml addition (EC 2.0 _1000ppm) and again after about an hour (EC 2.6_ 1300ppm)

Just snip off a male flower and use it to touch the female flowers.

TC phosphorus is in the fish food at very high levels since the fish bones are made of it, digestion by the fish makes it available.
For the potassium side of things it is what can be lacking in a system, I think the banana in the growbed is not efficient enough for proper dosing, make it been eaten by the fish would make it more easily available by the plants. Any fruit is full of potassium it is what it is made of to create the flesh of the fruit.

I have been trialing a product found at the local fish store for planted aquariums called Leaf Zone by aquarium pharmaceuticals.
It contains chelated iron and potassium sulfate in a liquid form.
Wasn't really all that expensive.

It is showing good results on the plants~ they have greened up really well, some peppers are fruiting now (strictly using hand pollination)
and there has been no loss of fish so far. I have dosed four weeks in a row at this point in time.