Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have shade cloth over the top of my bed. It adds some protection, but also allows sunlight to hit most parts of the bed at some stage. Stops the really hot mid day sun and any heavy rain. I have my seed pots half submerged in the media so I don't have to water by hand - Lazy!

Thank you for the tip, I like the idea of having the seedlings in the bed getting the AP water. I only have a small bed but will give it a go. I will try and concoct a removable shade cloth cover that sits on the edge of the grow bed and still allows the beans etc to grow down around the barrel. Bunnings mission tonight

I moved the seedlings outside and buried them into the grow bed. I also made a shade cloth cover, the frame is 4mm micro irrigation tubing joined with barbed T connectors.

yep, us Ozzies are an inventive lot.

Thanks

Daniel why don't you direct seed the growbed? Sprinkle the seeds, ruffle the surface lightly and water in. You might be surprised.

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Thanks, I will give it a try, I suppose re-spacing will be alot easier without needing to wash dirt from the roots.

Plants like Beans don't like to be transplanted so direct seeding those is a good idea.
Lettuce, you can just sprinkle around and what comes up, comes up.

The transplant tray definitely needs a bit of sun protection since the plants that already came up were stretching for the light but you may be able to remove the cover after several days unless the mid day heat/sun is really scorching.

Daniel, what are your expansion plans?

Week 3

Thanks TCLynx, I am wondering if my grow bed gets enough sun, it only gets full sun from about 7 until 11, I may have to move it in search of 6+ hours of full sun.

Nanniode, I am thinking of turning the water spout into a vertical NFT tower for stawberries, but for now I am struggling with the lettuce seedlings.


On Sunday I sowed a full packet of lettuce leaves into the grow bed, fingers crossed they sprout because the seedlings in the tray are starting to rot. After I moved them into the grow bed I had one more seedling appear, hopefully he can withstand the constant moisture. On the positive side the strawberry plant and fish are doing well.

Don't bother with a strawberry tower for now, strawberries tend to like the pH to be lower and that is often not possible in a brand new system. Wait till you are fully cycled and the system is mature enough to get a pH below 7 before you really start pushing the strawberries.

4 hours of Sun will be ok and Iv found with the small barrel systems its often best if they are not in to much sun as they heat up. The barrels on my balcony don't get much sun.

Thanks, I will see how the simple bed goes first, I also have the shells in the system which will prevent the PH going that low. I may do it with another system one day.

Thanks, Coming from you I'm convinced, the growth your balcony system produces is amazing.

I was getting depressed with my lack of seedling growth and feeling like I was falling behind with where I hoped the system would be right now but when I went out to feed the fish this morning...

my first grow bed seedling had sprouted after only 2 days, unbelievable.