Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

There are some great ideas happening on the forum at the moment. If you have one you are busting to share but don't wanna be laughed at, post it here, we promise we won't laugh.
Show us your hidden genius!

Ok... here's one....

Eighty years ago Rudolph Steiner (that's the same Rudolf Steiner who founded the Anthroposophical Society and the Waldorf schools) gave a series of lectures that would form the basis of biodynamic farming.

One of the lectures contained a theory involving the concentration of trace elements and "dynamic vitalisation" of manure stuffed into cows horns and buried in the ground... often in alignment to various astral equinoxes and moon phases, another component of biodynamic farming.

Steiner named it prep 500 in his original lecture. To make it, we bury a cow horn filled with cow manure into the ground and let it remain over winter. The horn provides nutrients to microorganisms in the soil that turn the manure into compost. The finished compost is essentially a "bug in a jug", or soil inoculum, that contains microorganisms naturally adapted to the farm's soil since that is where the compost is made.

The resulting concentrate is used "sparingly" i.e a handful per acre... bit like rock dust...

I have seen a market farmer use this technique over several years around the local area and all I can say is... he grows the biggest, best tasting, quickest growing vegetables I've ever seen and does so consistently year after year without the use of any other chemical sprays or fertilisers.

Might sound bizzarre, but many major vineyards are adopting these practises and the biodynamic farming movement is rapidly growing especially in the UK and NZ...

Try googling "burying cow horns" and have a look at some of the results...

Given the organic nature of the proposal and the fact that many APers have encounted trace element deficiencies.... I wonder if it's worth consideration... bury a cow horn full of manure in a growbed....

As for moon phases... any good soil gardener can attest to the difference in crops planted/transplanted on different phases of the moon.

did I promise not to laugh

Thanks Rupert, that's the sort of stuff I'm talking about. May sound whacky as all hell, but is there anyone willing to try it?

Laugh away Mon... (not offended) but Read This....



As you can see these methods are being taken very seriously by some of the "Top" french wine-makers

Yep, biodynamics is pretty well established in Australia, and I've seen some pretty impressive results...

Sounds like Schauberger's research -- where he followed an austrian farmer around -- the guy's fertilization regime consisted of collecting some clay, adding water till it reached porridge consistency and then stirring it while singing. He sang one tune while stirring clockwise and then switched to counter-clockwise Then he got up at 3:00am when there was a heavy mist and rode out into his fields on his donkey cart -- singing and flinging globs of mud right and left. His fields outproduced all the farms around including those that were chemically fertilized.

And I mentioned in another post a fellow named Bud Thomason who has been able to get incredible growth with little or no fertilizer and even 1/10th the water -- using water energized with "eloptic" energy.

How about the SMALLEST aquaponics system... say 1 or 2 guppies in a VERY small tank/ glass with a $10 solar powered pump or device to take water from the bottom, to a small pot plant sitting on top...

What about ideas for solar powered pumps?

Ferris wheel perhaps taking water to the top...

Ive got a small solar powered electric motor just sitting there...

Glad to see that the moon phases have been mentioned again.
I now no longer am amazed at the results(difference) of planting at the correct time.I have used planting by the moon for many years.
Also I go fishing only the days recommended.

With you on both there C1

most of these crack pot ideas have been main stream crack-pot, lets step it up a little

On the cows horn, i'd tend to go for it, but the singing and clockwise stirring?

Honestly, i think that the best way to shut something down, or to sow dis-information, or "dress up" an idea in silliness.......because its the first thng that skeptics will sieze hold of.

C'mon, so who's gonna bite the bullet and post something Whacked out? I'd have to say that most of the crackpot ideas i've seen have to relate to energy..........i think we'll see a re-vitalisation of intrest in the near future............

I am not a crackpot - I'm a psycho-ceramic. get it right, please !

Hey C1, i just came back from planting out my grow bed with winter thingies,
i thought i'd give planting by seeds one last go, then i came back inside and thought "oh shit, the moon!" Checked the weather pages, and if i have my info right it is the absolute worst possible time to have planted leafy greens? I checked your post in the plants section but couldn't find the link........you can reply to me in the orginal moon thread if you like.

Steve

Oh well, if it must be me then i'll give ya a few hundred meg crack-pot reference.................no liability will be taken for sleepless night, electrocution, or disappearances (either into government facilities or parallel universes)

http://www.rexresearch.com/1index.htm

here is one for you

a solid/bio filter off live aquatic plant roots

How's that? use the roots to quickly brake down the solid fish poo

not sure I understand you CG... more explanation please