Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Growing strawberries in an aquaponic system? Here's an interesting article

Here is a simple but probably not cheap way of growing vertical hydro/aquaponic stuff I reakon strawberries would grow well this way.

Here is a link to an absolutely freaky way of growing things... It's a verticle method where your plants will grow out horizontally to a central light... Can't imagine what anyone would possibly grow in something like this.

I must have everbearers they give strawberries all year same plants are about 4 years now. I'll try growing tips of them and see how they go. Commerciallyfast off season varieties make sense but if I can convince everbearers to perform like I think they might in Aqua....

Never a shortage of strawberry eaters round here.

I too might be able to swing the missus over to the dark side if I could grow strawberries - both her and the kids love strawberries!
How about some pics of that cage - you have the brain in a buzz here wanting to know what it looks like

EB not only is that growing thingie wacky, it's over 2000 pounds to buy!!!

Here's a link to the cage.

"hyphenated tomatoes cage"

I'm interested in the tube design itself. Vertical strawberries mmm.

They say it's the most efficient etc etc.

You could get more growth per light by having 4 columns planted on all faces that revolved around a central light.

Sphere around a point indeed methinks these boys were sampling their own wares!

Really EB? Use your imagination.

EDIT: Oh, AA, i see you beat me to it "Sea of green" was a dead give waya in the first link

Aquaddict, thanks for the link to the "Cages".... had a look, I would say that it might interest people who have long dark winters etc, but take a look at the price !!!!
It does not come close to the possibilites of the flood and drain that Joel has built ......
But once again , interesting......it helps to see other ideas ...helps to reinforce my plans to go with Aquaponics Earthbound style.
Murray

had a look at those cages, ... interesting site indeed - but I will be sticking to the growbeds which rely on mother nature's warm warm sun

i think the cages could be used to maximise sapce use. For example you could have them hanging behind your growbeds planted with the strawberries or other herbs etc. or hang them on your fence, side of house etc you use them to maximise the removal of waste. As with anything but the grow beds you would have to have a biological filter. Consider these like vertical NFT.

I like this idea of the cages ...

I think I have to get busy over the holidays... (Not enough time in the day!)

I am thinking a trip down Bunnings to get the Y shaped rather than T shaped pvc joints may be in order .. put several of them Y shaped pieces together and you got a tower .. use a pump that can give the "lift" required .. attach some wire to the tower so the plants have something to hang on to ..

Now .. what media would you fill the towers with? Pearlite, gravel, Vrmiculite, Expanded clay balls? How would you stop the medium from pouring out? maybe some nylon mesh glued into the joints?

I am seeing towers of strawberries!

I think that this would fit my wheelies so well!

I gotta draw a diagram and photgraph it! - Will post my idea during the weekend!

Are there PVC fittings of the correct shape. Need a t of sorts but with the horizontal bit bent to face up Do they do these?

Why do I hear the Beatles singing in my head when I read this :confused5:
(damn, the voices are back!:help: )

yeah you could do it with the drainage pipes that as said are y shaped instead of the supply pipes that are a true T shape. You would arrange the plants in pots that would be started elsewhere until you have roots of reasonable length and then thee would be moved into the tower and the water would flow over the roots in the main pipe. THe clay balls would be my pick. THe aquasonic fogger that is being discussed elsewhere would be ideal to get the plants started.

I like it nick, i think that by pure accident you coined a phase "aquasonic" i like it

Yeah, to think that that little system costs more than my large flood and drain system... Though I do like the idea of the fittings all joined together for a verticle grower..