Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I was wondering if anyone has done any info on allelopathy and its effects within an AP system?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allelopathy

ignore the "done" in the middle of the previous post

I know the question of companion planting in AP has come up. I'm not sure if any solid info about it's application to Aquaponics has come forward. I have noticed that certain plants have not been overly successful in my system and it is possible that other plants that were near them might have been part of the problem.

I have lots of tomato plants and onions in my system and it seems that beans don't like growing right next to those in my system. In another bed in my system I did manage to get some related plants to grow so I think it may have more to do with root zones touching or not than with chemicals moving in the water.

I think you will find as a system gets older it settles down ,in dirt the plants send out roots all ways looking for neutrients and yes they may try to suppress others where in aqua the nuetrients is delivered right to the roots i have noticed in my system [2 years old now ] the plants are getting bigger and the root systems are getting smaller i have just grown a large crop of onion planted in blocks 4 in appart all the stuff i put in just goes where there is a spare hole

I think a lot of the plants that try to inhibit other plants are mainly trees and shrubs. Veggies don't have a long enough life cycle to had developed these. At least not enough for us to notice. A lot of plants like to grow next to others. It can be for aid in pollination or because of relationships with insects. Some plants attract beneficial insects while others repel destructive insects. Native trees next to an AP system might have a negative effect because of the sap they drop on the ground or would the water dilute its effects. My dirt garden was not growing well until I removed a tree from the back yard.