Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Titus,


That's a great success story! Congratulations!

--
Sam

Hi
It has been very cold here.
However when I read Brian's post and see the weather in New Mexico I realise that I am continuing the English preoccupation with any weather slightly out of the normal.
I have a 60 litre pot that was used very successfully to grow runner beans during the summer. In November I planted Broad Beans in the same pot.
A bean pot . I thought. Runner beans in summer and broad beans in winter would give give me continuous production.
We spent the Christmas holidays with family and when we returned the early shoots had disappeared. Mice or birds?
I have today replanted and covered with plastic netting
The main grow bed is planted with winter cabbages and they seem to be doing well.
I also planted another small grow bed with Broad Beans and they are now about 10 cms tall.
The second grow bed has Samphire. Planted in the spring last year they are well established but were not of a size to pick. This as you probably know is a perennial plant so I am hoping next summer I will have big crops. Time will tell.
The third GB is water cress. What a delight to be able to pick this fresh during the last few months.
The GB is a 90 cm/40 cm/25 cm dog bath. it is filled with clay pebbles.
If I lived in the smallest of apartments I would have one of these on my balcony. A simple small hydroponics setup which returns IMHO great fresh salad vegetables.
My 110mm grow tubes were also very successful during the summer.
Planted with the, “Tumbling Tom” variety of cherry tomatoes we had more than we could eat. I overdid the complementary planting of calendula (Marigolds) but kept my wife happy with fresh flowers.
Entering my third year in aquaponics I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who encouraged me in the early days and particularly thank the members of this website for all their help and encouragement.
I could not have done it without you.
Never to late to wish you all a happy New Year.
I may not be able to offer the same reception as HM The Queen will give to the American President but if any of you cousins and I include you Aussies are the UK give me a call.

Great to hear from you Titus. The year sounds like it was a smashing success.

What a great thread Titus, and I had many a chuckle while reading it. I also looked longingly when I spotted the St Agur in one of your photographs. I am able to get it here in Oz occasionally, but not many places stock it (and it can be anywhere up to $90 per kg). I was curious to know which samphire you grow. Is it the beady variety (like a string of rosary beads) or the long, thin branched variety (looks a bit like a blue grey portulaca)?
Great to read about your challenges and successes.
Thanks

Hi
The St Agur is one of the preferred cheeses our family in Spain ask for when we visit.
I am almost ashamed to say I have no idea of the cost.
We buy it and various other English cheeses at the local market.
It was at this same street market that I bought fresh Samphire last year.
I cut this with a scalpel underneath a nodule and then dipped in rooting powder planted it a sponge seed medium.
Once rooted I transplanted it to a clay pebble medium.
This is outdoors but sheltered under plastic sheets.
The bed is on a 15/45 flood and drain cycle.
I have to say that I was initially disappointed.
No real crop to harvest this summer.
However it appears to be wintering well.
Late at night and too much to drink to share a photo.
English supermarkets are full of wonderful produce from all over the world.
Samphire here is £2 per 90 grms so is one of the crops I consider, interesting.
I have a 40 hole tube system and this is one of the crops I am considering.
Have fun

This bed is the middle of a three stack, above watercress below Samphire. I planted the garlic before Christmas. I read somewhere that garlic adapts to local growing conditions. So second year planting is always better. The cloves I planted came from .’earth grown’ garlic about two feet away. So local.
If you look closely at the photo you may see watercress from the bed above seeding itself. I plan to transplant this to other parts of the system.
Day after day the system simply works. It almost boring.
I have built a growing machine.

Long ago my parents had a fish and chip shop.
I grew up with tons of potatoes and stones of fish.
The weight(s) of childhood.
So I know a little about fish batter.
We watched one of those ***** chef on TV.
He was cooking onion rings in, Gin and Tonic batter.
I am too mean to waste gin. So just tonic.
Once a chip pan would have been common in UK kitchens but times change.
Banished to the garden with our electric deep fryer.
Under the purple haze of the useless LED grow lights I now use for pure amusement. I cook.... squid rings! Calamar Al La Romano
What fun! what crispy batter!
Supermarket tonic water and plain flour. slightly thicker than normal.
Wonderful.
Try it!