Now that the barrels are set up the system is ready for plants and fish. Plants can be introduced to the system in a couple of different ways. Seeds can be germinated and planted in the vegetable bed where they will anchor to the gravel. Alternatively, partially grown plants in soil can be used. I chose to use plants that were already a few inches tall and had established root systems. I believe this will increase the likelihood of the transplanting being successful. At least in my experience with gardening, grown plants are more resistant to changes in their environment than seedlings.
So how do we introduce the plants to the system?
First, you will need to acquire plants that will thrive in an aquaponics system. Many small leafy plants like kale, spinach, baby lettuce, arugula and parsley do well in these systems. Root vegetables also work, but I've read that they are harder to grow. Larger systems can also support plants like tomatoes and papayas. Check out the end of Travis Hughey's Barrel-ponics manual for an idea.
Top left: Parsley Top middle: kale Bottom left: arugula Bottom middle: spinach Bottom right: chives
Once you have vegetables, the soil will have to be removed from the roots. This will be easier if the soil is dry and if the plants are not root bound. Unfortunately my plants were both wet and root bound, so I had to resort to trial and error to find a successful method. Ultimately the best way to do it was running water over the roots while gently massaging the soil out.
Here you can see one of my less successful attempts alongside the running water method. Now the plant can be planted in the gravel bed. I'm planting one spinach plant in a clear container to monitor its root growth.
The oddly colored gray area in the center is the roots.
I'm moving across the state of Massachusetts tomorrow and will have the whole system, barrels, plants and fish, permanently constructed and operational soon. That process will be explained in my next post.
I recently finished assembling a home made aquaponics system for less than $200, and I'm going to show you how to assemble your own. My system is modeled after Travis Hughey's Barrel-ponics system, however mine is much cheaper and more simple to assemble. For this system you will need:
Two 55 gallon barrels - $50
Water pump that can move at least 100 gal/hr - $50
Filter that can attach to water pump - Around $20
At least 50 lbs of gravel - $50
Tubing - $9
Corrugated Pipe - $6
Vegetables and Fish - Price varies (I spent $15)
Total cost: $200
Here is a video of the system assembled and functioning.
So how do we set this up?
Step 1: Acquire materials and components. I purchased the 55 gallon barrels through craigslist. The water pump, filter, tubing and corrugated pipe were from Home Depot. The gravel can be purchased at any pet store and the vegetables can be purchased at any garden store. The fish are harder to find but can be purchased from local hatcheries that are easy to find with google.
Step 2: The barrels will have to be cut. One serves as the fish tank and the other as the vegetable bed.
Step 3: Now the pump, pipe and corrugated tube can be added.
The pipe has to be cut to an appropriate length. The corrugated tube length should about match the barrel, and it should be cut in half so it can lie flat on the bottom of the barrel. Slits should be cut in the tube to allow water to flow up through it. Another pipe should exit the other side of the barrel, to channel water back into the fish tank.
With all of these components connected you will have a functional aquaponics system. All it needs now are the fish and the vegetables! I will post a follow up to this explaining how to introduce the vegetables to a hydroponic system from a soil system soon.
We recently harvested our first zucchini and decided to make a batch of zucchini muffins. It turned out to be a lot easier than making pumpkin bread and they are just as delicious. I will post the recipe and pictures of the process, but first I have some news. I have now lost count of the chili peppers and snow peas, so I will no longer be updating them on the scorecard. We've started to harvest the corn, and despite a couple of hungry, hungry caterpillars most of the ears are turning out great. We've also started harvesting squash, onions and bell peppers. Unfortunately our pumpkin patch has come under attack by a fungus. I will go into it more in my next post. Here is the recipe for zucchini muffins.
First, cut the end of the zucchini off and cut out the seeds. The seeds can be left in but I chose to remove them.
After the zucchini is cleaned out it needs to be grated with a cheese grater.
Once the zucchini is grated the rest of the ingredients can be mixed together. I mixed the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon) together first.
Then I added the egg (beaten first), vanilla, butter (melted in the microwave first) and zucchini, and mixed everything together.
Once all of the ingredients are mixed the batter can be put in a muffin pan and cooked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
My name is Doug Johnson and I have a B.A. in Political Science from UMass Amherst. This is a blog about my previous vegetable garden and my more recent work on an aquaponics farm.
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