Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

IMHO I would shade the area. Also check your salt levels to ensure they are the minimum for nitrite control ie 1ppt.
At that heat it is likely the plants are continually stressed and so would be prone to any disease/deficiency.

http://www.seaagri.com/seaenergy_nov01.pdf
http://www.seaagri.com/Murray_Trace_Elements.pdf

This guy beat his tomatoe woes with sea salt. On the first article you will see where he refers to "seaponics" he did not use fish, however, all that he did would (and does)work in AP.

Mathew

Fascinating reading. I will do more research on knowing how to go about harvesting sea solids. Makes a lot of sense.

Thanks Matthew for that information.

If/when you are in the country, let me know and I will line you up with as much as you like/afford. You need to make sure it is a good source. I bought a pallet of it, that way it is not expensive at all. This stuff actually comes out of Baja California (Mexico). The owner is a nice and reasonable guy. I think they ship world wide.

Mathew

While I would agree that sea salt contains most micro nutrients it also contains a large amount of sodium and not much potassium or calcium.
We have a situation where tomatoes are being grown well outside their optimal temperature range, in containers which are very good heat sinks, in as far as I can tell open sun. Adding salt (and I correct my previous statement from salt to sodium) is about as useful as giving shipwrecked sailors, in an open boat, seawater to drink. Roots work by osmotic pressure variations, increasing TDS of the nutrient solution would be counter productive.
There again I could be wrong, but I would like a scientific explanation before I would believe that.

Hi Sleepe,

While you are correct, I will note that you suggested that the salt be at least 1ppt. The information on the web site I attached, is very extensive, if you will look it over. They are not using straight sea water, it is diluted. They are in a climate not too different than what DTHawk is dealing with, and the TDS is not that far from what we would consider (although they have tested with TDS far beyond what we would normally do, and found surprisingly good results, and do teach that there is a limit at which more is not better and instead detrimental). Also, one thing that they point out in some of their deeper research ( I will try to find the link) is that by having the trace elements all in their proper and complete balance, that the large amounts of certain elements are no longer necessary. For instance potassium, is assumed by most to be needed in large amounts, they proved that when potassium is present in balance with all of the other necessary trace elements that very little potassium was necessary. Take one of the constituents out (no matter how "trace" or put too much of another one in and now we have to put more of something in to make it work than would be necessary if it was in proper balance. I am not explaining their work nearly as well as they did, but I hope I have not destroyed it either.

I am out to build more grow beds and prune tomatoes. By the way, my climate here is more extreme than Dthawks. I have spent time in El Salvador and theirs is a dream compared to here (in fact... it's a dream true tropics), so, there is more to his issues than the climate.

I am sure with all the knowledge on this forum, he will be abounding in Toms sooner than later. They would market well down there wouldn't they DTHawk?!

Mathew

Matthew

I sincerely hope it works .
My point was mainly directed at the effects of the heat ie transpiration through the leaves. Until the plants establish a canopy to protect the GB's they will be as hot as you know what.
If they cannot push/pull sufficient water they will be stressed, ideal for disease. Shading and reducing TDS I think would assist.
Not sure about El Salvadore but even in Perth mid summer the gravel can get hot enough to crisp off new plants.

It Started to rain This weekend!!!!! We have not had rain since Nov. 2, 2008. That is normal for here though the rains have started about 2weeks early this year. What I noticed was that instantly, everything, including the toms greened up and looked much better. I have heard that rains contain a certain amount of nitrates. If this is the case, then maybe a foliar nutrient spray may help, and maybe the root cause of the problem with my toms is a lack of nutrients, IE I need more fish! There are just under 60 fish in the system and there are 500 gallons of water. Me thinks this might be a big part of the problem. I need to quit giving away so many fish I guess.

Rain contains more that- cloud water vapor mixes with our pollution make a weak acid, mixed with dust from dust storms, it can make water soluable iron and other trace elements.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 065400.htm

And I don't think the cooler temps hurt either.

I think there are several things coming together. thanks for the article. I keep plugging away.

I need alittle help with my tomatoes. The first one off the vine was great, nice and large, firm and well shaped. Now they are having smaller growth, but getting growth cracks. The temperatures have been very hot and am wondering if that is what is causing the problem.
Thanks for any input.
Joyce

Well I think I have come across something. I am planting marigolds in my growbeds and have practically eliminated insects. It is not the smell of the flowers but the smell of the plant that repels the insects. using hybrid marigold seeds the first generation remained quite manageable but as I used seeds from dying flowers, the stalks got higher and the flowers less. this allows the marigolds to grow along with corn and okra, as well as other taller crops. I am liking what I found.