Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all im very new to AP but have the bug big time my system is currently cycling once it is established i would like to add some fruit trees im thinking something like raspberries, blueberries, mandarin, lime will these survive in AP systems i would do a flood and drain system as i dont think they will like sitting in water full time. Whats your thoughts and experience
Many thanks
Rod

I have some limes in AP wicking beds, and they seem to do well sometimes, then partly die off- I think it might be a bit wet for them. We have had some great finger limes though. Raspberries are thriving, there's a recent pic in my AP2 system thread. Blueberries- I thought I had them doing ok for a while, a couple of times, but they died off eventually, their pH requirements are not really compatible with AP- they like very acid soils. I have a huge banana in my 1st AP system, I've posted a few pics in there, and also one mango, although not much is happening with it.

Our Mandarin trees are in the ground, and get some AP fertilser, but I don't think I'd try them in the AP

Strawberries do very well, I've started picking the first of the spring crop a few days ago.

I couldn't find the post but I think there is one other person here trying blueberries so it might be too soon to conclude that blueberries aren't a good choice for AP. I'm pretty sure you're right in most cases but they should do well enough at pH 6.5 and below even though the higher pH isn't optimal. Something like a non return wicking bed or container with sphagnum peat moss or using elemental sulfur to push the pH down would be another option if that didn't work.

At the moment I've had a small lingonberry plant in my AP for about 2 months (ever since the chickens dug it up). These are related to blueberries and require low pH as well. If it survives the winter I'll see how it's doing in the Spring.

I have 2 blue buries in non return wicking bed

Yes I used sulphur to reduce ph [5.8 ]
And the birds started scratching in the bed so I put a few lemons through the mincer and spread this around the pots no more birds

Hmm, sounds interesting may have to try that with what's left of the lingonberry bed. Any particular formula or type of lemon Milne?

IMHO, large fruit trees belong to soil and need mychoriza and lots of space to stretch their roots.

I have read before here that fig does well in AP veggie beds but covers the entire area with roots.

Shrub like fruiting plants can do well in non return or circulating deep wicking beds maybe dwarf varieties would do as well

Anything that requires or tolerates pH6.5 and below would conflict with fish.

If we think that banana is actually a veggie, no wonder it is doing well in aquaponics :-)

The other problem is in winter. Trees go dormant in winter and not use nutrients. If you are doing trout, this would be a problem.

I tend to agree - in the ground and fed with AP waste water is good.
A good lemon tree watered with man pee is a bonus that every house should have.
I have limes in self watering pots about same size as 1/2 blue drum but the ones in ground out perform them easy and produce much larger fruit. The kaffir lime goes well in a pot and AP water helps produce good leaves.

The citrus in pots often get excessive with flowers and small fruit that never develops - I think its a boom & bust thing.
My citrus trees in ground (lemon, mandarin, orange and limes) are more stable and get good fruit.

I have two blueberries but not in AP - I don't think they would go well as they don't seem to like being too wet.
Mine are in large decor self watering pots and fruit fine - that would be about 400mm of soil and 70mm water.
Potted them originally with Azelea mix and as AP water is acidic I water with that plus MaxiGrow soluable mineral fert.
Get fruit but it tends to be smaller than the commercial ones - just coming on now.
I would concur with F&F - those decor self waterers are not dissimilar to the way F&F builds his wicking beds.
To be honest for the amount of fruit you actually get they are not really worth it - I trialled both Nellie Kelly (Aust high yielding hybrid) and a legacy variety. Nellie Kelly = lot small fruit, legacy = less fruit but bit larger.
My wife eats a lot of them - but they come from Coles supermarket.....

Rod - you don't say where you are located in Aust.

No not realy was given 60 lemons to make lemenchello[ for my other hobby ]

So after I removed the yellow outer skin [not the white pith ]
I quartered them put them through a large mincer then through a tomato sauce machine
Resulting in 8 litres of pulp and juice that I froze in ice blocks [for my other hobby ]
Then the residue went around the plants

That's interesting Milne with that kind of volume I'm not surprised they stayed away you must have made a good sized batch of Limoncello or tried several flavored versions. I'm thinking it's probably not worth peeling that many lemons just to save a couple of remaining lingonberry plants, they may not get dug up anyway . Thanks

The others have covered it, but I can add my video

The lemenchello I make I mix it 50 50 with gin the girls love it I call it panty popper I don't mind it either
My favourite drink at the moment is brandy and dry ginger

Im just south of perth

I always like drinks with Rum or Vodka but it's been awhile. I've been more focused on enjoying beer lately.

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Nice video Colum

definitely if can (not renting etc) then put them in the ground. Either gutless sand or hills clay is fine.
Clay you breakdown a bit with some dirt,mulch etc, sand you build up with a good quality peat-mulch.

Ground grows fine in whole south-west and will outperform pots any day.

Raspberries etc will grow OK (got one here but spiny little sucker), but you don't get a lot of fruit.
If on a farm/property where they can go wild a bit may be better.

Comment on blueberries in earlier post above.

I am in Perth, as are number members. [south perth]


have you been to visit Chiedys BYAP store and display in Jandakot - Sue etc are all good BYAP'ers.
Worth a visit even if going DIY. They have grown lots of stuff over the years in the back display area.

Thanks for all the excellent feedback looks like i will stick to planting them in the ground. I will try a few berries fir someth8ng to do thought.
Cheers
Rod