tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9542423338128682182024-02-19T16:25:22.058-08:00Aquaponics in Happy ValleyFrom the beginning of my adventure in aquaponics in Utah CountyOkishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-50072166414741523752017-10-28T07:09:00.000-07:002017-10-28T07:09:56.642-07:00Accommodating Other Growing EntitiesThree days ago marked the third anniversary of removal of a stage four cancer tumor from my gut. A doctor in New York worked for seven Hours to remove part of my large intestine from the entrance to the small intestine to the middle of the upper section, 30 lymph nodes and other tissue through a thtee inch incision at the bottom of my tummy. I have avoided radiation and chemotherapy and self medicated with apricot pits. Meanwhile my aquaponics system struggledalong with little input. A thriving growth of mint and a few fish persisted. Last night three of my grandsons broke state weightlifting records but they are being coached by their uncle, a college NCAA champion years ago, in spaces without adequate headroom. By removing the center platform from my greenhouse I can provide them with a practice space that has sufficient height. I will contue to use the grow bins and the side troughs .Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-22268913032958813172015-02-23T09:45:00.001-08:002015-02-23T09:45:59.252-08:00Starting Seedlings for SpringAlthough I found I didn't like the intense taste of most of the microgreens I grew, beet greens transitioned nicely to baby greens and I was okay with chia seedlings. The light setup and growing trays also work well for starting seedlings for use in my aquaponics greenhouse and the garden when the weather settles. I have tomato, cucumber, green onion, parsley and marigold seedlings growing. I planted marigold both for their property of driving away harmful insects and for the healing benefits of a tincture made from the blossoms which are also known as calendula.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-79370172765609540692015-01-06T21:41:00.001-08:002015-01-06T21:41:12.857-08:00First SaladI have never been a fan of radishes. While others looked forward to enjoying the crispy little red globes each spring and crafted radish roses as a decoration for veggie trays, I found the distinct 'bite' of the root unpleasant. If Sango radish seeds had not been provided in the kit I ordered I wouldn't have planted them. Because this is essentially an experiment, I started out with radish seeds. The past few days I have been harvesting the resulting tiny plants. I made a salad with quinoa, dressed with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon and sea salt with diced tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions. I cut a half a tray of radish greens and added them to the salad. The Sango radish microgreen have two purple leaves about a centimeter in diameter mounted on a slender lavender stem. They made an attractive addition to the salad and while they taste like radishes, they have less bite than the mature root and I liked the taste they added.
In a couple of days I will attend a class on fitness where we have been asked to provide a healthy snack to share with others. I plan to half small Roma or plum tomatoes and hollow them out leaving the outer skin and fleshy layer to make little boat shaped cups. I'll chop the tomato pulp that I remove from the cut tomato halves and add it to quinoa along with chopped onions and dress it with the olive oil lemon juice and sea salt. Then I'll stuff each little tomato boat and put a sprinkle of the radish greens on top. Alternatively, since the little purple seedlings are somewhat exotic, I'll place a small heap of several kinds of microgreens in the center of the plate on which my little salad boats are served and invite my friends to taste the greens before they use them as a garnish.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-13434206586940352712014-12-26T08:09:00.002-08:002014-12-26T08:09:29.633-08:00Winter Veggies - MicrogreensI have decided to grow microgreens in an available room with a southwest facing window after considering setting up an indoor aquaponics system to grow fresh vegetables during cold weather. I used available materials for most of the setup, things I had on hand from other projects. For example, a rack made of 3/4" PVC pipe that I originally intended to be a solar drying rack for an overabundance of plums. I also had four fluorescent light fixtures and ten full spectrum 4' lighting tubes I had intended for my greenhouse before discovering that there was little need for them. I had a 5 gallon water storage barrel with a spigot in which to store ph adjusted water. Although I now drink water adjusted to at least an alkalinity of 8, plants do best with slightly acid water which I produce by adding a little lemon juice or vinegar to tap water to bring it down to 6. I purchased a starter kit from GrowingMicrogreens.com and also ordered beet seeds and soil plus additional growing trays and grow mats. I intend to start a new tray every other day. The first tray, radish, was seeded on the 19th of December. On the 21st I planted beet seed which requires soil. 'Mixed salad' a blend of seeds provided in the kit was started on the 23rd. On the 25th I planted kohlrabi seeds. While the first trays planted were covered as germination took place, I set up the rack with lights for the second phase of growth. Since growing microgreens is conservative of water, I feel it dovetails nicely with aquaponics. Since no fertilizer is used because the greens are harvested before the plants begin to need more than the nutrients provided in the seed itself, and there is no water drainage, it can provide a daily supply of highly nutritious greens. So far the beets have been slow to germinate but the radish and mixed salad trays are thriving under the full spectrum lights. The low temperature in the room may account for the delay in germination of the beet seeds. I numbered the trays and keep a log of when and what was planted and the day they were exposed to light. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-4082697690371971052014-11-24T03:28:00.000-08:002014-11-24T03:28:06.487-08:00Better than BeforeIn late October 2014 my chronic lack of energy and general debilitation caused my Doctor daughter to insist that I go to an emergency room in New York where I was visiting and find the cause of my gradual decline. I was immediately served by the efficient staff and within the hour some of my immediate concerns were dissmissed as an EKG showed my heart was in good shape, however a blood test revealed that I had less than a third of the hemoglobin of normal people, in other words I was severely anemic. Tests disclosed a tumor on my large intestine that was close to blocking off my digestion. Surgery removed the tumor plus a length of the associated intestine. All visible signs of the cancer were removed and with the help of a tranfusion I feel better than I have in years. My recovery was rapid and I look forward to returning to Utah in early December and using some of my restored vitality on my aquaponics setup. I hope to have something worthy of viewing by those of you who have contacted me by mid December. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-59294901494546214382014-10-16T12:22:00.000-07:002014-10-16T12:26:01.821-07:00Temporary InterruptionI redesigned my rain gutters into a vertical bank along my northeast wall replacing the grow tubes which had been a problem because of water supply restrictions of the 1/4" supply. A call from York City for a family emergency in March of 2014 meant I had to leave immediately before I had adjusted the gutters well enough to ensure good flow rate through the new system or plant for the coming season. In July I returned to find that my son had kept my main system going with the mint thriving and a few gold fish still alive. A new grandson dictated my return to New York before I did any further work in the greenhouse.
the diagram below depicts my new gutter arrangement
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzqs-1pvX0mie0MEj5gpdwyb6RZNjlx8F-x_v5UVsl9XpRGmLhg0CDruOP8FLq045fM8zENxfzRIYakzFI02XodLtEPVL2KEsUmSgCAr_MOBVqlFe6wYCEk5KCje8yHnTq7wh1TlAYbg/s1600/horizontalgutters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzqs-1pvX0mie0MEj5gpdwyb6RZNjlx8F-x_v5UVsl9XpRGmLhg0CDruOP8FLq045fM8zENxfzRIYakzFI02XodLtEPVL2KEsUmSgCAr_MOBVqlFe6wYCEk5KCje8yHnTq7wh1TlAYbg/s320/horizontalgutters.jpg" /></a></div>Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-79432655191614349442013-06-04T12:17:00.000-07:002013-06-04T12:17:21.075-07:00The Sweet Smell of Partial SuccessI returned fro a three week visit to Florida to welcome a new grandson who was born in St. Augustine on the 22 of May to find that I could gather a handful of really tasty strawberries from my greenhouse. The tomato and pepper plants have thrived and are setting fruit. Best of all, the blend of scents from mint, strawberries and various herbs is heady. On a visit to the 'Grow House' in Denver during the Aquaponics Conference last September I noticed that they set potted plants with holes in the bottom nestled into the flood and drain grow beds. I followed that practice with my various nursery plants this year. I set the four inch peat pots into the gravel beds without any apparent negative effects. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-76979343510536391092013-04-29T19:47:00.001-07:002013-04-29T19:47:31.045-07:00If I were to Start from ScratchHmmmmmm. That's all I can say. There are so many varieties of aquaponics setups that the many enthusiasts and serious business people have developed that I doubt I could decide which would suit me best. I would likely move to Florida or Hawaii if I seriously wanted a thriving aquaponics system without the expense of a greenhouse or worrying about heat and cooling. In retrospect, I'm satisfied with what I have under the circumstances. By using mostly what I had on hand in terms of containers for water and plants and dealing with a preexisting greenhouse, I have had the opportunity to exercise my ingenuity. I have been through two winters now and begin on my third full growing season. The expanded shale from Utelite has worked well for me. I abandoned my worm factory at present, but the other day when I planted some peppers and tomatoes I noticed signs that there are still red wrigglers in the grow bins in spite of the harsh winter. Since I use the aquaculture side of the aquaponics system more as a source of natural fertilizer for the grow bins, I have decided that gold fish, super cheap and rather hardy, are my best choice for now. I have added snails to the fish pond on the advice of my son who helps me with the system now and then. I got them for free at the pet store where they are considered pests. I have resolved that as the weather grows colder with the approach of winter I will make certain that the water pipes have thawing wires running along them. Meanwhile, I plan to put some beans in my grow tubes just to see what happens. The media bins are filled with mint, tomatoes and peppers on a flush and fill system with bell syphons, the rain gutter trays run with a constant flow of water and planted with herbs and strawberries. Meanwhile I'm setting up container boxes out in the open yard to grow root vegetables such as carrots and turnips that don't develop very good roots in the media beds.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-50131972665974823432013-04-10T19:52:00.000-07:002013-04-10T19:52:01.772-07:00Pyhrric Victory"A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately lead to defeat"
I sort of felt this way when I realized that we had actually survived this very nasty winter (which still continues as of April 10, 2013 with snow and cold below freezing) with the basic system still intact. The mint is thriving, some of the primroses are blooming, and there is still a fish or two in the fish tank. None of the essential equipment failed, and I will continue with the adventure of aquaponics. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-90938261343590920712013-03-30T12:35:00.004-07:002013-03-30T12:38:52.998-07:00Expensive Chicken Feed - Frozen FishWinter of 2012-13 in Utah set records for cold. Particularly in January when the temperature went below zero with sad regularity. For various family reasons I spent all of January in the east, ranging from Florida to Puerto Rico to New York City. I experienced some cold in Manhattan but not the hard, killing freeze that settled over Utah. My son tried valiantly to keep the greenhouse running. The propane heater and charcoal brazier proved inadequate. Even burning hardwood in the chimenea couldn't cut the cold entirely, then the greenhouse door froze shut. A brief spell of temperatures above freezing allowed my son to view the damage. A 140 gallon block of ice with fish suspended in it filled the fish tank. Most of the primrose plants survived and we now see blooms on some of them. The mint is shooting out green leaves. My enterprising son, unwilling to deal with a quantity of dead fish as spring approached, found a novel way to use the frozen fish and water in the fish tank. he chipped out the fishy ice and let the three hens we keep for eggs work their will with it. The chickens, omniverous eaters that they are, enjoyed the frozen fish and their eggs likely provided a lot of omega 3 fatty acids. The previous winter I had insulated my water pipes and taped electrical warming lines along them but I rearranged the plumbing last fall and made the mistake of failing to restore the insulating tubes and the warming lines that kept the system from freezing last year. In review, I purchased too many fingerling trout. As they grew larger, they overstressed the system. At least they provided a tasty treat for the chickens. This winter wasn't a complete disaster, some of the plants survived. None of the more important parts of the system failed. We restored the flood and drain system and soon I will plant the grow beds with various less hardy plants as spring comes on. We plan to add some snails to the fish tank and I will gradually add a few fish, either trout or gold fish. I don't plan to disturb the ecology of the various growing systems which have been through two growth seasons so far. It seems wise to augment the plants with a bit of fertilizer along with the chelated iron I use whatever number of fish I have and not try to keep a lot of fish. I engage in aquaponics more for plants than fish as well as the water storage/saving that is part of the system. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-44125699512090692992012-12-29T10:12:00.000-08:002012-12-29T10:22:39.254-08:00Skirting Disaster, A Series of Unfortunate EventsReally cold weather hasn't been much of a challenge until last night when my son-in-law reported that there was a fire in the greenhouse. This occurred because the propane tank we used had been overfilled at the gas station where we take our tanks to be replenished. The empty tanks were refilled to a proper level, but the partially empty tank received more than it could hold and still function properly. At any rate, instead of neatly heating the radiant area there were flames coming out of the top of the attachment that screws onto propane tank. The situation was caught before extensive damage occurred. One of the rain gutters used in the float system was slightly deformed by the heat and some of the primroses were wilted but not scorched. We have a back-up system of a small barbeque brazier, the tabletop kind that is about 18" in diameter, which burns charcoal briquets. We used it last night when the temperature dipped into the teens and it kept the greenhouse from a hard freeze, even though the tomato plants have likely met their end. The water in the system didn't freeze. One of my sons keeps the heater or the brazier going as needed and it is he who responded to the fire and diagnosed the cause. Today is cold, under 20 degrees until after 10 AM. He will be in the greenhouse 'burning off' the extra propane while doing various things to the system.
Less than a week ago we woke after a late night and family party and discovered that there were only three inches of water in the fish tank. Eeeeeek!. Fortunately I store extra water in 50 gallon barrels, partially as a heat reservoir but also as an 'at need' source of water that has sat long enough to degas the chlorine. I immediately added the water to the fish tank. Later we added additional water with a hose once the faucet and the hose were thawed enough to use. I add the chlorinated water through the plant beds and so far that seems to moderate the chemistry enough before it reaches the fish tank that the fish haven't visibly suffered.
Apparently whatever caused the loss of water was fixed in the process of 'messing around'. So far we haven't had to add more water once the normal levels were restored and the system was up and running, draining and filling through the bell syphons. At this point mint, strawberry plants, parsley, kale and primroses are standing up to the stress of winter cold and we haven't lost a significant amount of fish, although I suspect that 'floaters' are not a realistic indication of fish loss. There are signs that the larger trout, some of which are longer than 6 inches at this point, are predating the smaller trout. This is just as well since it keeps down the nitrogen from too many fish. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-89677230337930554132012-12-24T04:23:00.001-08:002012-12-24T04:23:08.182-08:00Primroses Are Edible!I felt like I had made a compromise when I added primroses to the greenhouse solely because they are winter hardy and provide a nitrogen absorber. Their efficacy has been proven by the smell test. With a proper balance of plants and fish, the air smells fresh. I decided to do some further research. I discovered that both the leaves and blossoms of the primrose plant are edible, having a taste ranging from mild lettuce to the more bitter herb. This makes them very eligible for a good aquaponics plant. Even though I plan to leave the leaves in place, once the blossoms appear I can harvest them and add them to a salad as a very pretty addition. Dandelion is another plant that can be eaten. My chickens prefer dandelion leaves over other greens. When they appear in my lawn this spring I plan to harvest some seeds and plant them in the greenhouse. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-45617094566968112342012-12-12T17:15:00.000-08:002012-12-29T10:15:36.271-08:00Tomatoes in December and a Primrose BonanzaThrough thorough insulation and the use of a small propane heater on nights that go below 30 degrees, we have been successful in maintaining growth in our mint, parsley and tomato beds, as well as some of the strawberry plants. As I worked in the greenhouse this evening I harvested a handful of cherry tomatoes from the somewhat struggling vines.
Today we went shopping for some nitrogen absorbers. In other words, our fish are outstripping our vegetation. I have become familiar with the cold hardiness of primroses, mostly as I enter and leave the Provo LDS Temple where the winter plants of choice are the hardy little plants that almost seem overcome by a sharp frost or deep layer of snow, but which bounce back as soon as warmth returns, providing a green ground cover in the winter and giving a lovely floral display in early spring.
Although so far I have avoided floral plants in favor of fruits, vegetables and herbs, our trout are growing and as they grow, they eat more and provide more 'plant food'. Without an adequate amount of vegetation, they will end up with too much nitrogen in their water.
Cook's nursery in Orem, west of the 1600 North interchange had mostly indoor plants and poinsettias for sale, however we found some flourishing primrose plants in a cool corner of a heated greenhouse. We placed them in the rain gutters that I used for float trays in the summer. I was pleasantly surprised to pay only a little over a dollar a plant for 18 plants. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-22720019556601851722012-10-14T22:26:00.001-07:002012-12-29T10:17:52.087-08:00Two Weeks and Fish are Thriving In Spite of Some ProblemsWhen I was dealing with 20 cent feeder gold fish I didn't feel the economic pinch too much if a bunch of them floated to the top of the tank a day or so after I brought them home. I feared at first that I was responsible but a reliable source told me that feeder fish are notoriously infected with various things that make them short lived. The survival of two of the original gold fish through last winter, living on algae apparently, surprised me when I noticed them at last.
The trout represent a greater investment. I paid for them by the inch as well as paying for delivery. Fortunately the delivery cost was split between me and another aquaponist in the area who ordered larger fish from the same trout farm. In addition, the man who delivered the fish threw in a few extra. Actually he threw in more than ten extra. But he didn't want to carry a load of water and a few small fish all the way back to his trout farm.
Following his recommendations, based on the number of fish, I fed them about a cup of fish pellets from Intermountain Farm Association where I purchased 50 pounds for just a little over $35. Even though any remaining pellets should be discarded after 3 months, this still beat the price of fish food from the pet store. Then I discovered that my three hens are crazy about fish pellets. I had read somewhere that hens fed on fish meal produced eggs with higher levels of omega fatty acids, so I consider it a win/win situation. The fish pellets are twice the cost of layer pellets for the chickens, but with no need to worry about wasting the pellets after ninety days have passed, I figure all is good.
At any rate, feeding the fish at the rate of a cup a day didn't work out well. The fish let a lot of the pellets sink to the bottom of the fish tank where they became food for algae. Suddenly my pumps seized up from algal clogging and the water in the system turned nearly opaque. After cleaning the pumps and getting them started again I put a piece of polyester upholstery foam in a rectangular plastic colander and set it beneath the outlet from the fish tank into the sump. The following day, Thursday, we didn't feed the fish. On Friday the filter was filthy, the water in the fish tank was crystal clear and the fish eagerly ate the handful and a half of pellets fed to them. No casualties were detected.
I was happy to learn that even commercial aquaponists use chelated iron as a supplement. I have used it with good effect. My tomato plants had turned a sickly yellow green earlier this month but an application of chelated iron brought them back to a lovely green. I'll wait until the greenhouse gets too cold to support them before pulling them out and replacing them with cold weather crops. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-20777539319553052502012-10-01T21:35:00.000-07:002012-10-01T21:35:07.482-07:00Progress Report FISHI attended the 2nd Annual Aquaponics Association Conference last weekend in Denver and learned some new things about my hobby. One of the sections addressed the care and feeding of rainbow trout. Today Spring Lake Trout Fishery delivered more than 60 trout ranging in size from 2 inches to more than 4 inches. They are slender little things but they will grow large and fat if they survive. Fortunately my water temperature is in the right range, which is likely a bit too cold for my tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberry vines and probably explains why only the bed of mint is truly thriving. I redesigned my grow trays, making them hold more water in keeping with the idea that they are semi-deep water culture instead of being NFT. I purchased seed for growing winter crops that the trout lecturer indicated were successful crops to use with trout. A raccoon or some similar pest got into my greenhouse a couple of weeks ago on the night when my latest grandson was born. All but two inches of the fish tank were emptied. Fortunately the gold fish I already had in the tank survived. At this point the gold fish are fat and doing well, but the Spring Lake man indicated that as the trout grow larger they will probably eat the gold fish.
Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-31852739665544860252012-07-07T14:06:00.001-07:002012-07-07T14:06:21.763-07:00Death of a Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My neighbor on the north died this past year and now the great tree in his yard is also going. It is a mighty Chinese Elm. It has taken nearly a week for the tree to have all but the major branches removed. Perhaps I should mourn for the tree, but it had long since passed the dimensions common to the breed. Towering far above the 60' maximum. It is likely it was nearly the end of its life span in any case. But though I should feel some sorrow for the passing of such a magnificent specimen, I cannot regret it. The tree produced prolifically, sending the white discs of its seeds drifting through the neighborhood like a pernicious snow. The bottom picture shows the seeds caught in a coco fiber basket. This is not atypical coverage, and each seed can produce a little weed with a strong root that invades gardens and lawns. Somehow it even produced seedlings in my aquaponics grow bins which I seek out and remove. Good riddance tree.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-1771861870463873032012-07-03T18:34:00.001-07:002012-07-03T18:35:05.885-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The images above show my three aquaponics growth components. Last year I established six grow bins which are filled with expanded shale, linked into two drainage systems. I'm growing cherry tomatoes, mint, kale and parsley. This spring I installed eight grow tubes made of 4" PVC pipe with slots that permit planting vine crops. The tubes are suspended from a 1 1/2 " aluminum conduit tube with chains. The water is pumped from the fish tank and is fed in at the top and runs through expanded shale gravel to discharge at the bottom into a rain gutter that discharges into the fish tank. I also created a growing tray from lengths of 4" wide PVC rain gutter. I cut lengths of 1" insulating foam that are slotted with 1 1/2" square holes which are filled with 'Sure to Grow' polyester foam cubes. I planted romaine in the cubes. Water from the fish tank flows along the bottom of the rain gutters continually and discharges back into the fish tank.
My tomato plants have begun producing well, the mint and kale are flourishing. The strawberry plants are blooming and bearing and the cucumber plants have begun to blossom.
The greenhouse is cooled with an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler) set beyond the west wall of the greenhouse. When the air begins to flow the flap opens from the pressure of the air flow. I have about 15 large gold fish in my fish tank, still not adequate to provide all the nutrition needed by my plants, but next month I plant to put in trout.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-43876487702688485672012-04-01T18:26:00.000-07:002012-04-01T18:26:55.618-07:00Spring is SpringingI've been kept off my game by a persistent cold that made me want to stay warm. Meanwhile my aquaponics system has plugged along through subfreezing nights. In several senses it has been successful. Mint has taken over one of the grow beds. Mint is something I want to grow, but it has a tendency to spread too far in a garden. In a grow bin it will hopefully be isolated to a particular bin instead of spreading through the system. My parsley is also responding to the warmer temperatures and before long I might be able to use my own mint and parsley when I make tabbouleh, a dish which features bulgur wheat and various vegetables and greens including parsley, mint, green onions and tomatoes all diced up and mixed together with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. <br />
I scattered some peas on the surface of the three bins where I had tomatoes growing until fairly late. They have responded to the casual treatment by growing! I planted some beets last year in a similar manner and had beet greens for quite a while. There are still some rather stunted beet greens growing amidst the parsley and mint. Now I need to plow ahead and get the other parts of my system up and running. The fish have come out of hibernation and flit around. I will purchase more 'feeder gold fish' since I'm not all that hooked on fish as part of my diet. I get an egg or so a day from my chickens and that usually meets my minimum needs for animal protein, although now and then I poach a bit of salmon or make a tuna sandwich. Or, when I'm feeling self indulgent, go for coconut shrimp.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-21921873193561311802011-12-30T15:06:00.000-08:002011-12-30T15:06:24.778-08:00Root Zone Heating and Insulation of GreenhouseWhen I intended to use my greenhouse mainly for storage I installed a double layer floor over the native dirt instead of using gravel. I wanted a surface I could easily clean. The first layer consists of 3/4" thick mats of recycled tire rubber which had been used as an athletic floor in a gym. Over this I placed an indoor/outdoor carpet that extends from wall to wall. This flooring has proven resilient to flooding. I recently learned that insulating the floor of a greenhouse is a good idea since the earth itself can suck a lot of heat energy out of the greenhouse. The thick black rubber floor makes a good insulating layer. Years ago I purchased a large amount of mylar faced bubble insulation which was on sale with the intent of using it in a projected construction project that never was realized. I have been able to use this material in the lower wall areas of the greenhouse where transparency is of no value. Because it has both insulating properties and is reflective, I plan to use it under my nutrient film trays to retain the heat provided by a 40 foot seedling heating wire. Adding and retaining heat are my chief concerns at this time of year.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-9702404976159765582011-12-29T12:33:00.000-08:002011-12-29T12:33:20.889-08:00Crop Choice and Water TemperatureThe summer and autumn seasons of my greenhouse aquaponics were a limited success. I grew edible crops and found ways to combat excessive heat gain in the greenhouse with materials I had on hand. Winter has presented a more difficult challenge.<br />
My tomato plants were killed by the low temperatures of early December, however the herbs I planted in the other half of my bins have survived the cold and remain green. The attempt to heat the greenhouse with a chimenea turned out to be destructive of the insulation on the ceiling, but the insulation which has deformed and withered probably kept the polycarbonate roof from melting. I plan to do more work on the use of other methods such as a rocket mass heater, but at this time I will continue to use a propane heater to moderate the air temperature.<br />
We have now focused on keeping the water system stable and preventing freezing. We have a titanium fish tank heater on order and we have wrapped the pipes in the system with heat tape and added tube insulation. Freezing in the pipes creates imbalance in the dynamic flow of the bell siphon system. It also threatens structural damage to the tank and pipes if the water freezes hard and expands. <br />
Herbs and green vegetables such as spinach, mint, beet greens and cabbage resist cold air temperatures and continue to produce in the winter. <br />
I can start crops like strawberries and tomatoes earlier in the greenhouse and keep them longer as the weather cools, but it is evident that I should switch them out for more hardy crops before sustained sets in.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-5943290884793219032011-12-24T11:56:00.000-08:002011-12-29T12:03:19.239-08:00Brrrrrrrrr!I went to Hawaii earlier this month and while I enjoyed the tropics we had a cold snap in Utah. I had set up a heater in my greenhouse but it wasn't handling the really cold temperatures. On the other hand, one of my chickens managed to get out of the coop one night and froze to death. My son moved the heater from the greenhouse to the chicken coop and suddenly the two chickens left are laying eggs and doing fairly well. He started using the chimenea to provide heat for the greenhouse but there are laws in Utah County that forbid wood burning on certain winter days when the atmosphere is trapped in the valley, creating an inversion and smog. We went shopping for a propane heater and it seems to be doing a better job than the electric heater.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-6447455496919327182011-12-01T11:26:00.000-08:002011-12-01T11:26:43.775-08:00There are Fish!I tried putting 20 goldfish in my fish tank several months ago and as far as I could see at the time, there were no survivors. Yesterday while redoing some plumbing on the fish tank I discovered two healthy gold fish. I haven't really fed them, but there is algae growing in the tank and I guess they were doing fine as cold water vegetarians. Someone at the aquaponics association meeting told me that it might be disease and not water quality that killed the initial batch of fish. Apparently they were right. Go figure. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-17161222342193730462011-11-27T14:24:00.000-08:002011-11-27T14:24:16.755-08:00What Is and What Will Be In My Greenhouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBtw7Tzr6TPIvrtY1Q67QlbXMyvrvGkrmcqkUZZuU0bwD5UhEJ0Idz4whckqwWw5_6d2zwJ5vPIVHX5supLIRE8QMuB1avir9cYR7fQaDZw35n9uAzq6RoQpvK-ausua4BzP5wIF37cU/s1600/setup+for+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBtw7Tzr6TPIvrtY1Q67QlbXMyvrvGkrmcqkUZZuU0bwD5UhEJ0Idz4whckqwWw5_6d2zwJ5vPIVHX5supLIRE8QMuB1avir9cYR7fQaDZw35n9uAzq6RoQpvK-ausua4BzP5wIF37cU/s320/setup+for+web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Beginning in April of 2011 I began to make plans to turn my existing greenhouse into an aquaponics garden. At this point, late November of 2011 I have accomplished an initial harvest in the grow bins pictured on the lower part of the graphic above. I am still harvesting tomatoes from the three bins pictured on the lower right and herbs including beet greens, mint, parsley and dill from the three bins pictured on the lower left. I have yet to experience a success at growing fish. State regulation of fish suitable for eating are a major block to stocking my pond with trout or other edible fish and since I have decided that koi will best suit, and I don't want to waste the lives of anymore fish until I have my other items in place, I have sustained my plants with occasional supplements of chelated iron and other minerals and soluble plant food. <br />
I am now ready to set up the next two sections of the growing area. These include hanging tubes for vine plants along the north wall of the green house and trays for lettuces and similar plants along the center. The growing trays are made of rain gutter with an electrical cable along the bottom to heat the water as it flows past the roots. The lettuce will be planted in coco fiber contained in plastic cups. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-63997143840147462612011-11-17T11:03:00.000-08:002011-11-17T11:03:59.432-08:00Several Ways to Harvest Sunlight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnQIBSSguIUgM2tWM5rHIIgy9vBvn8kdtmL3mn3iyUlSk50LtaB-_oU3wgruVLwkkdfV9C8U_tJGZeaTk4b28LRVoNxrAOguCsOANTl2sa0QFIRzg4E4-HaztmPORxcR8FCdcAFnIpzU/s1600/coop+roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnQIBSSguIUgM2tWM5rHIIgy9vBvn8kdtmL3mn3iyUlSk50LtaB-_oU3wgruVLwkkdfV9C8U_tJGZeaTk4b28LRVoNxrAOguCsOANTl2sa0QFIRzg4E4-HaztmPORxcR8FCdcAFnIpzU/s320/coop+roof.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I have essentially finished my 'winter coop' which is adjacent to my greenhouse. The picture above may require some explanation. Under the corrugated polycarbonate sheet that constitutes the roof of my small chicken coop are two separate systems for harvesting solar power. On the left is a solar panel with the battery pack above it. This gathers electrical energy to power the 75 watt incandescent bulb that turns on for several hours in early morning with a timer, adding necessary light and heat. On the right is a black painted panel on which I've placed 36 cheap water bottles. During the day the black panel heats up the water in the bottles which is stored as thermal energy and released gradually as night falls. Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954242333812868218.post-58555772963750573782011-10-30T19:48:00.000-07:002011-10-30T19:48:19.286-07:00It's Getting ColdWe've had a couple of nights when the temperature fell below freezing but I've found some ways to add enough heat to the green house to avoid death of my tomatoes. The first night I found out rather late in the day that it would freeze. I quickly set up a little charcoal grill that has a domed cover. We lit it and the following morning I found that most of the briquettes had been consumed, but not all. Although I plan to eventually install the necessary heat and smoke dispersion to my chimenea, for now I found a room sized convection heater for less than $40 at Home Depot plus a 'Frost King' regulator plug in that will start the heater when the temperature drops to 35 degrees and stop the heater when the temperature raises to 45 degrees. This will save on electricity costs while keeping the killing frosts at bay. It is 'hard freeze' that kills plants. <br />
I also purchased four workshop 2 tube florescent light fixtures and a box of daylight (6500 kelvin) bulbs to add an additional amount of light and some heat directly over the grow bins.<br />
I plan to plant lettuce, peas and spinach in rain gutter trays that are heated with a warming cable meant for seedling trays. These are intended to be like the display at Green Sky where the water trickles down the gutter and discharges into the fish tank. After looking at the price of 'rock wool' growing bricks and other alternatives I am using coco fiber in my grow cups. This came about when I found a super sale on some hanging baskets furnished with coco fiber.<br />
Meanwhile I'm making a mad dash to finish up my 'winter coop' which will use black painted tubes filled with water to gather heat during the day as well as a solar panel to run a fan and light. It will be interesting to see how I get through the impending winter.Okishduhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957104138287371004noreply@blogger.com0