embi's 2nd system

hydrophilia

embi wrote:

I think as the plants start getting bigger that I will have the opposite issue. I have a heap of plants in the system that as they get bigger will obviously need more.

Agreed. My system was running at 80+ nitrates for a couple months (tiliapia don't mind) while most of the growbed surface was taken up with a big piece of glass as a solar collector and my salad strip and wheat patch were young, but has been plunging lately as spring plantings have grown. When things really get going they can suck nitrates down to zero and growth can stall....or they can balance perfectly and you get zero nitrates and good growth, just as one *can* run a life with no cash reserve or bank balance or credit and no problems. But how can you tell, if running at nitrates=0, that you are not reducing your growth potential?

Recent reading from University of Virgin Islands system (http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ista6 ... n/p676.pdf) mentioned that their system required 60g-100g of food per day for each fully-utilized square meter of planting. YMMV, but it is a good number for comparison purposes.

embi

Well we had our first food from our system tonight.

Snapper with SILVER BEET, herb and almond pilaf. The silver beet came from the growbed....I just wish the fish was from our system

Anyway... seems we are under way and its sooo fresh.

And 5 weeks growth

creative1

good feeling eh?
and another thing... P is for Patients.
:lol:

Lungy

creative1 wrote:

P is for Patients.

Only incontinent ones C1 :wink:

faye

Aaah, a rewarding feeling eating your own produce. It teaches us to appreciate things a little more, take time and enjoy. Well done you guys. 5 weeks huh. :cheers:

embi

Today I decided to move the mint to its own growbed. A quick trip to B and I had what I needed.

I need to add a return pipe to the tank but it will do the trick.

The brackets are a no drill bracket. Really great idea that I got from a guy at the garden show.

Anyway its been 10 weeks I think since we planted seed