Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

DDM, call up the local tree loppers, they often have truckloads of tree chippings cheap or free, then compost it yourself in a big pile, will take time and will need to adjust the mix, but its a cheap way to get bulk soil improver

Think its got manure, peat, fish poo, worm casting, seasol, charlie carp, beer and I added ft water so it has sea salt. And sugar. Been a little bad and was watering the mango tree straight from it.100% Transplanted it to a larger pot and the root mass is very small for a tree thats over my head.

Over you head... wow. This I gotta do! How many beers would you say....

Its hard to say. I'm usually drinking wild turkey.
Just a splash of one without the preservatives.

LOL. Glad its the healthy stuff Duff... preservative free. Kidding aside....bet there is something to it too... . heard its supposed to be rich in B-vits. Been told often enough! Daily dose required...

Something on this video might interest anyone with a fire-ant problem in the States... saw a documentary and know they can be hell to fight down Florida way... he said to use dry molasses. It raises the beneficial bacteria and the fire-ants move off.... they like monoculture environments best with no bio-diverstiy to compete with... remind me a bit of Monsanto.... can spoil even a simple day in the garden

Here is the video.... 4th one in a series on how to make compost tea. Pretty good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEx6YaiD ... re=related

They guy growing the giant veggies says others are reproducing his success using his compost tea mix. The big secrets are unsulfurnated black strap molasses to grow bacteria and protein/fish oil to grow fungus and the greatest secret is the rock dust from under the glaciers. The bacteria process the minerals and trace elements so that its fully available to the plants.

When I tried compost tea a few years back the plants did look "unreal"; very green and large leafs. I quit the organic growing because I have no large source of compost or even grass and leaves. Now, Im rethinking using compost tea with the proper trace elements added from sea minerals or rock dust.

The compost tea book I still have is called "The Field Guide for actively aerated Compost Tea". Produced by Soil Foodweb. There is no ISBN on the book. Its also an older book from 2004.

This is pretty much all the info you need. Just add rock dust or unprocessed raw sea salt.

Along with that 22 hour day to produce huge amounts of plant sugars!

Thanks DDM. Really appreciate the heads up on this. I kept watching every video I could find on it and seems like so many are into it now with wonderful results. I already bought all the equipment ... just need the bucket and good compost to start. Might just dig for good humus here on the farm.... add some volcanic rock dust and manure and blackstrap molasses and see what that produces. Will learn as I go I guess. I am a way of having my own compost yet and the one video says the stuff you buy in plastic bags left in the sun will be sterile... the heat will kill all the bacteria in that compost. Never thought of that before.

Good point BRB. Is probably a good reason he got those giant sizes.

But I don't need giant... just real healthy and nutritious in abundance and I think this stuff will do it for me. The more I watched videos on it and read stuff the more impressed I became. It works so well with other Permaculture principles.

Going to get started on digging my "stream" through my food forest today. I think I will just use clay soil as a base and when I am not pumping the fish water through the forest it can become a pathway to me so will probably line with stones along the base to strengthen it. That is what is so great about Permaculture... you learn and adapt to your own environment. Fascinating stuff

I found these videos really helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugFd1JdFaE0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa9yMjsS ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQmPT6jf ... re=related
The last one cuts as though it should continue but couldn't find more... pity.

Just had a thought DDM. Will use water from the fish pond as the water for the compost tea... even more bacteria.

Humus... till have own compost
Volcanic Rock Dust
Manure
Blackstrap Molasses
In Fish water

Should be pretty good....

I'll use it where I will notice the results quickly.

http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

This is absolutely hilarious, but the scary part about it is that it's probably not too far away from being reality. Want to know how to order a pizza in 2010? Click the link and see. . turn up the volume. .. listen closely. . watch the pointer carefully!

If you want a guide to compost tea down load this: http://www.naphtha.us/naphtha/images/posted/CompostTeaFieldGuide.zip

Its a lot to read through as its in Q & A format, but it has just about everything your could need to know except for adding rock dust.

Its not the 22 hours of sun that makes plants grow big. Infact most plants reach photo exhaustion in less than half a day. Like he says the secret is in the soil.

I dont think its the correct kind of bacteria, but Im sure it can't hurt. Besides the extra nitrogen should really get things growing.

Check these video out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3CedS7rCZ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eHYHy9KRxA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLBMvHQ4FAI

Notice the mood and expressions of these happy people! This is a great example of what can be done. I dont know about you but I spend all year to pay for a car, food, and a place to live. These people raise all the food they need in 3 months then party and socialize the rest of the year; could even spend time developing personal skills and goals..

Its just amazing
Really make me rethink everything in "our society"...