Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

When it comes to growing tomato and cucumber, which method would be preferred? faster growth and better yield?

I think AP will use less water, but soil grown would be easier to apply fert?

The fish apply the fertiliser automatically in AP! I had 160kg of tomatoes from 8 plants over 2013-14 summer, I've never had anything like that yield from soil grown plants.

for tomatoes - AP has worked best for me. In dirt and even wicking beds I tend to find that they go up and down quite a bit where as in AP they have access to water. My preference is to grow them in dutch buckets rather than a large grow bed - then I can add a bit of blood&bone and the roots tend to stay under control and end of life clean up is much easier. The exception is cherry (mini) tomatoes which I find go quicker and more rampant in wicking beds and raised beds.

for cucumbers and zuccini wicking beds have always performed better for me.
Neither dirt garden or AP was ever much chop. (it gets hot in Perth - bit like San Diego -and poor soils)

a lot come down to how much nutrients and what type of water your AP is going to provide. If you have a few fish, are feeding with high quality food and managing things like potassium and other trace elements and you have a reasonable pH etc then you might do better than others. Small systems tend to struggle a bit so that can make a difference.

darren, if you try tomatoes in the ground again, try growing them tall in pots, then take all the side shoots except the top set and growing tip off, plant it as deep as possible without burying the top branches / leaves.
this really helps them through hot times and they will grow new roots along the buried stem.

Any idea on table grape? I am in Southern Calif, low desert. Farmers grow table grapes in the winter .... from soil of course. Any benefit in growing them AP or wicking bed?

Hey Darren, a few questions:

1. How do you add blood and bone meal to tommies in dutch bucket?
2. I am in Palm Springs, Calif. Super hot in the summer, 40C-48C day and 25C-32C nights, think AP can help tomatoes endue the heat?
3. I probably will use my in ground 500g concrete pond and gold fishes as nutrient, currently there are about 15-20 goldies, could that support say 4 buckets of tomato, couple of cucumbers and eggplants? Along with a sheet of 3ft x 6ft sheet of DWC lettuce? I can add more fishes of course.

Thanks

1. How do you add blood and bone meal to tommies in dutch bucket?

my dutch buckets have media in them like mini grow beds and just an overflow pipe.
simply sprinkle it onto media and then lightly water in with watering can.
I don't have a heavy fish load (always got nitrates) so this can help.
I find the B&B acts as a slow release around the roots.
here we have a product 'B&B with potash' so this gets some K as well - but you could mix up. Also iron.

2. I am in Palm Springs, Calif. Super hot in the summer, 40C-48C day and 25C-32C nights, think AP can help tomatoes endue the heat?

Perth is pretty much same. Very dry heat. That is why I think AP works a bit better than our sandy soils.
Also they are not then moisture limited - plus side of my house suits AP better than a garden.
I put them under 50% shadecloth all summer.


3. I probably will use my in ground 500g concrete pond and gold fishes as nutrient, currently there are about 15-20 goldies, could that support say 4 buckets of tomato, couple of cucumbers and eggplants? Along with a sheet of 3ft x 6ft sheet of DWC lettuce? I can add more fishes of course.

pond will be fine. Good aspect is that a pond doesn't have the same issues as a fish tank as it is already 'working'.
So you just need to do whatever suits your AP (presumes pond is all healthy etc).
And you can easily supplement anyway with B&B and/or seaweed extract and liquid food as required.
3' x 6' (1m x 2m) DWC of lettuce is practical and will need less nutrients than tomatoes anyway.

You can run some API water quality tests (freshwater test kit) to see where your pond system is at currently.

Pic below is run on about 10-15 goldfish.

Many varieties of dutch buckets around here. And they work pretty well.
20-30L (5-6Gal) 'industry' buckets are popular.

here are some threads (advanced search dutch buckets and/or bato buckets will get more)
you can see many of these are variants of basic 'bucket' concept.
Biggest issue usually is managing leaks - so the outlet seal is most important.
Also best to keep the pipe work simple (couple examples in threads below get bit too complex)
You can run as constant flood or timer and does not have to be too frequent - doesn't make any real difference

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23861 (good range pics and different ideas)
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26030

also some discussion on plumbing...
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26881&start=15

I pretty much run the F&F style now with outlets at bottom rather than an overflow style.
Allows for bit of adjustment.
But I still feed from top using drill holes in 15-20mm PVC pipe (3/5"-3/4"?)