Are you interested in aquaponics? It is a great new way to cultivate vegetables and plants without the use of soil. You can easily purchase aquaponics seeds from aquaponics companies. These seeds were specifically created to survive in such aquatic environments.
Aquaponics is easy to do because it can be done indoors, even at the comfort of your home. You are not required to maintain or till land and there is no need to use commercial fertilizer or even pesticides. It is gaining popularity because of its low maintenance and affordability.
Aquaponics is the marriage of aquaculture and hydroponics. In an aquaponic system, plants rely on fish waste as their source of food, while fishes rely on the plants to filter the waste in the tank.
Microbes present in the waste help convert ammonia into vermicompost which serves as food for the plants.
Starting Your Aquaponics Seeds
For your produce to start growing, it is important for you to know how to start your seeds. For less hassle, you must know how to germinate your seeds directly in a soilless environment as opposed to starting them in soil. This process is what you call broadcasting.
Remember that in an aquaponics system, a grow bed will be used as the place to grow your plants and vegetables. Here, you must scatter the seeds evenly.
By using this technique, and planting the seeds on the grow bed, the seeds will fall between the stones in your tank and as soon as they reach the right depth level, they will easily germinate.
This kind of technique is great for carrots, lettuce, radishes and other small seeds. The best seeds to use are those that are usually planted in the early parts of spring, as these have already adapted to wetness.
Another way to start your aquaponics seeds is by germinating them in wet cotton or a paper towel. This will especially do wonders for produce with larger seeds such as beans, peas, melons and cucumbers.
These seeds germinate quickly among others and won’t grow as effectively when planted immediately in grow beds.
As these plants require longer term, they should be positioned properly within the grow bed. This is why it is a good idea to start them in a wet paper towel. After placing them on the paper towel, you must seal them in a bag, preferably a Ziploc. Check on them daily for signs of sprouting.
As soon as you see a good root, the size of around 25mm or longer, you can gently place the seeds in your grow bed, in a position where the root can be continuously wet through the water cycles.
Basically, the success of your aquaponic system will rely greatly on how you start your seeds. It is important to do this right to avoid wasting seeds, and for you to grow whatever produce you like effectively.
Choosing the Best Aquaponics Seeds
More than 300 varieties of seeds have been tested to see which ones will work best for aquaponics. It is not advisable to plant root vegetables here like potatoes. The best ones to plant are those that grow above soil and those whose roots are used to getting wet.
These plants have been mentioned above, but the highly-recommended ones are lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs and other leafy green vegetables.
The last two vegetables are the easiest to plant and are the most productive in an aquaponics system. Also, do not forget to consider the climate and weather of your own environment, as this will also affect the survival rate of your plants.
Other factors to remember when choosing your seeds are their quality and germination rate. Make sure they are all organic and that they are not GMOs.
You want whatever you will be planting, especially those that will be for consumption, to be safe and free from harmful chemicals. Your seeds should be of high-quality, because this something you want to benefit from in the long-term.
It’s All About Quality
If you’re really set on pursuing and creating your very own aquaponics system, make sure you have done your homework, know all the necessary steps and that you are equipped with the tools to put you on the right track.
Everything you will put into that system, from your fishes and your plants down to your tank and pumps, should be of high-quality. This is not just a simple science project that you do on a whim. This is a great project that requires so much more than just money and time.
An aquaponics system is a great investment that you can benefit from in more ways you can imagine. Choosing the right aquaponics seeds for your system and starting them effectively will determine the success of your whole aquaponics endeavour.
It is not just an affordable way to plant or garden; it is also a sustainable means of livelihood and resources that your whole family and community will thank you for.
