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.
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