Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok there is a large list of plants suitable to AP but I cant see a list of plants that wont grow, perhaps the knowedgeable ones here could add to this thread
reasons why they wont grow
type of systems they wont grow.

The problem with such a list is that systems vary widely.

There are people that for example have banana's growing happily, but I've tried it and it doesn't work well. Same with citrus, it didn't work well for me.

I believe Charlie couldn't grow corn well, and I grew it happily and it was tasty.

I've not had much luck with rhubarb, but I've seen Ron had it growing like a weed in his system.

I've also not had much luck with raspberries/boysenberries/blueberries (it could be a PH thing for me), but others have them growing quite well.

Root crops you can rule out, but most of it is stick it in, and see, and go with what grows well in our climate.

Colum, do you have a job or just spend all day on here?

I have a computer at work :p

I usually give myself a few hours of work, then give myself a 10 minute break on the computer to stuff around.

Keeps me more focused.

Yea every system and location differs from the next.

I grew corn but it didn't do well, the cobs were deformed and small but grew fantastically in my dirt garden 3 metres away. Rubarb grew well for me. Couldn't grow basil, coriander or peas but grew a bumper crop of beans. Pretty much everything else I planted did well. So theres some differences just between mine and Column's.

I agree root crops don't do real well and most tree varieties not so great compared to soil.

Im sure plants will differ in my new location to my old as well.

I need to contradict Charlie & Colum- some root vegetables grow well so I think we might need to be more specific. I can grow beetroot brilliantly, but can't grow a carrot to save my life - although I have seen Rob Bob harvest reasonable carrots.
I am fairly sure I have seen daikon grown well along with radishes - all root crops.
It did take me 3 years to grow a zucchini plant, others can grow them easily.
I couldn't get decent lettuces for over a year & they are generally everyone's first crop!
I find successful & unsuccessful crops are very site specific so trialling veggies (sometimes more than once or twice) is the way to go.

So, why is this? why do they grow in some systems and not others?
In ground I can understand ( I think) different soils etc but AP although there are different styles they should all be running about the same PH.
Is it the growing media, gravel/scoria/clay balls

Citrus hate to be waterlogged. Have seen plenty killed by a few days standing water. They grow great here in the sandy loam with no mulch around them. I've had good luck with most veggies, but haven't tried root crops. Lettuce, toms, basil, eggplant, zucchini, thyme, rosemary, and mint. Mint should stay in a tower or dwc, not a gb...too invasive.

It could be masses of different things.

Not everybody has the same PH, mine is quite stable without me doing anything at 7.5, others have it crashing to below 6, and need to continually buffer it up, which adds lime/calcium and other things. Others need to bring it down with hydrochloric acid, which could affect different things as well.

Then there is the feed used, all aren't created equally. Some will be higher in protein, others higher in filler, and even the seafood used in the feed isn't equal, some may be higher in different things.

Then the media itself probably plays a part, releasing different minerals over time.

And the problem is that I don't believe anybody has done side by side comparison between two systems testing these variables.

+1 Colum. Not to mention whether you have constant flood or flood & drain, the timing of the cycle, how close to the surface you flood; the climate, the time of year, the prevailing weather, and your microclimate & aspect; plant varieties selected, how your seedlings have been raised & how much shock they experience when transplanting; the WQ of your starting water (rain, groundwater, scheme), things you add eg. seaweed solution, potassium, iron chelates; whether you are removing solids or have worms in GBs to break them down to make available to the plants; how mature your system is; how heavily you stock and what sort of fish and the quality of feed, how heavily you feed.... I could go on - oops , I already have

Salinity levels is another.

And microclimate.. someone may have theirs in a warmer sunnier spot..

Colum Joc Earthbound Charlie

Colum, I now have the capacity to do a side by side test - sort of.
When conducting tests there should be only 1 variable - but I would have a few - new versus old system, differing media (hydrocorn v canna), radial filter & grow beds v just grow beds & the biggy at the moment is pH 7.4 v 6.4.
Maybe in 12mths I could report back, but I find that sometimes there is no logical explanation why some plants grow well in 1 bed & not another, even in the same system. With only a thermometer, EC gauge & API test kit at my disposal, I think my mysteries will stay just that!

Was scouting through my thread and it seems I did grow corn. Although I think from memory it was stunted to some degree..

Some plants don't work for me either.
Aquaponically or in soil.
Way too many variables in a backyard situation.