If you are reading this article right now, you must be interested in having your own Aquaponics systems that would provide you fresh, home grown organic vegetables available to you every day.
There are many vegetables that can be grown for your aquaponics systems. The most popular ones are lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, spinach, watercress, basil, parsley and mint.
You can also grow a number of different aquaponics plants in a single aquaponics systems.
The easiest plants to grow for your aquaponics systems are lettuce and cucumber.
Lettuce:
Lettuce matures in 40 days and really easy to grow.
Lettuce matures in 40 days and really easy to grow.
The optimal temperature range is between 60-80 degrees F.
The lettuce root (i.e. water) temperature should be between 70-74 degrees Fahrenheit. Lettuce is a perfect combination with tilapia as tilapia also needs warmer water.
How to grow lettuce for aquaponics systems?
To grow lettuce, you can either plant the seeds directly into your hydroponic beds or else you can plant the seeds in a pot and then transfer them to the grow bed when they have grown a few inches.
When the time comes for harvesting, you can either pick the whole plant or just take a few leaves at a time – exactly the number of leaves you need for that side salad!
Cucumber:
Most aquaponics gardeners grow English Cucumber.
Most aquaponics gardeners grow English Cucumber.
Cucumbers grow best at air temperatures of 75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and prefer a humidity level that is below 75%.
English cucumbers mature in just 6 to 8 weeks and are ready to eat when they reach 6 inches in length.
Squash, melons, buttercup, watermelon and cantaloupe are very similar to cucumber in requirements and grow well using an Aquaponics set-up.
Tomatoes:
Tomatoes require a high level of nutrients. To achieve this, you will need to have a fairly crowded fish tank, and therefore you will need to choose fish that grow well at dense populations. Refer this post (fish for your aquaponics systems).
Tomatoes grow best when they have about 8 to 12 hours of light per day (especially when fruiting) and at temperatures around 68 to 88 degrees F.
Tomatoes should not be seeded directly in the hydroponic bed; instead seed them in a seedling tray and transplant them after about 2 to 6 weeks. For the best taste, allow the tomatoes to fully ripen before picking.
To discover how to choose the best plants for your aquaponics gardening, and how to get the best yields, check out Aquaponics 4 You
