Hawaii MicroAquaponics

Planting to foil the insects

2012-02-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

No pesticides can be used in an aquaponics system that has live fish dwelling there. The fish water is circulated through the troughs where the vegetables live and then returned clean to the fish tank.

Any pesticide on the plants will be dripped into the water and will kill your fish. Therefore , dealing with insects is tricky.

About the only thing you can do is to plant 'stinky' things that repel insects. My favorites are :

bunching onions, basil, and french marigolds. I scatter the 'stinky plants' throughout the system with extras near the beans , peas and cabbage type plants. The onions and basil we eat when they mature,

the marigolds are just pretty. French Marigolds will grow into huge creatures

and take over your system , if you let them. They need heavy pruning and after a couple of months replaced with new small starts. I take the old marigolds and plant them in the ground nearby . They rarely even wilt and continue to grow and chase away the insects.

We have small mosquito fish living under the vegetable troughs to control the

mosquito population. The mosquitoes lay eggs in the water and the tiny mosquito fish

eat the larvae . Occasionally the mosquito fish population explodes and we scoop out a

few and the chickens have a treat eating the extra small fish. .

Tubers in an Aquaponic system

2012-02-16T10:49:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wonder how to grow root crops in an aquaponic system?
It can be done and the results taste great. The trick is to use really big net pots
filled with lots of coconut medium .

For carrots, parsnips, beets , you can plant a circle
of seeds in each pot. Taro , a tropical tuber, works also.

Of course this means you need to make big holes in your floats and insert the big filled net pot.
If you can't find big net pots , take a regular black plastic pot and slice pieces out along the sides
and bottom of the pot.

Happy weed free gardening !

Start a Tree

2012-01-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

If you want to really give a seedling tree a jumpstart ,
do this :

Start the seed in a net pot filled with coconut fiber and vermiculite.

Once the seed germinates put the net pot in the aquaponic system and
leave it there until the tree is about 12 inches tall.

Take the tree and net pot out of the aquaponic system
and plant it wherever you want it to grow. Do not try to remove the plant from the net pot.
Just pant the whole thing in the ground . Be sure to water it
a lot when you plant it and for the next two weeks.

Stand back and watch it grow ! You will be amazed.

Sexy Vicious Fish

2012-01-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

Tilapia like privacy when they breed , usually. We have a special tank just for 'breeders'.
That is where they are suppose to have sex and make little fish. The two big tanks are where they grow and turn into fish fillets.

Last week we noticed something was eating the roots of the plants and the tiny mosquito fish in the plant troughs were disappearing. So we did a test. Dropped a few pieces of fish food in a plant trough and watched .
Several 6 inch Tilapia came in for a snack. We repeated it with a fish net in hand.
Several fish later we thought we had them all. Three days later we repeated the test and caught several two inch Tilapia.
So how did they get from the breeding tanks into the fillet tank and through the filters and into the plant troughs? Seems some of the fillet fish didn't mind having sightseers around when they made whoopee.
They created fry and when we washed the filters the tiny fry swam into the troughs . Then they ate
the mosquito fish and some of the plant roots . After a month or so they were doing some real damage to the system.

Guess we need to be faster when we wash filters.

If You are TIRED of pulling weeds then…….

2012-01-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

If you are tired of pulling weeds then aquaponics is the way for you to go.
I have had a system for a year and half and can count the weeds I have pulled out of the system
on my fingers .
This is the ideal lazy way to grow vegetables . I feed the fish everyday
and stick seeds in net pots once a month. Then I sit back for 3 or 4 weeks
and wait for my crop .

Even if you are 80 + you can handle this !

New Years on the Big Island

2011-12-31T19:46:00.001-08:00

New Years here on the Big Island is unique. My neighbors set off a few fire crackers throughout the day
and as evening approaches they become more frequent. By midnight my village is full of smoke, noise.
and small red pieces of paper on the road. Someone always comes to my driveway in the dark
and sets off a number of loud firecrackers leaving small red papers on the driveway.
The locals tell me it is to scare away the evil spirits .

They also claim my huge rosemary bush by my driveway is an excellent necromancer.
You can google that one .

So I guess I am all set to experience a really great New Year.
Hope your New Years is good also .

2011-12-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

WING BEANS

The sun has returned to the Hamakua Coast and with it the
young roosters have learned to crow . Time for BBQ chicken.
BBQ cures crowing .

The Wing Beans planted some time ago are finally producing.
I think they will make a lovely side dish to BBQ chicken in a few days.

2011-12-19T22:04:00.000-08:00

WINTER STORMS

Lately we seem to have 4 days of stormy weather and 2 days of almost nice weather
and one day of a little of both. Last week we had a 7 inch rain one day.
The lack of sun and the abundance of water has caused the aquaponic system to slow
down considerably. Even the weeds seem to be on vacation and the chickens haven't laid an egg for 5 weeks.

The one bright spot in our system is a line of bean vines with sweet pea like blossoms on
them. I had to go back and look at my records to remember what kind of bean I had planted.
Turns out I have Wing Beans blooming. They are an Asian version of the green bean. Look them up
in Bakercreek Seed catalog and try them , you will enjoy them.

CELERY

2011-12-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought I could raise celery in an aquaponics system ?

Yesterday I picked
a stalk of celery that was 2 1/2 feet tall and had so many leaves it resembled a bush
more than a celery. We will be using a LOT of celery this week!
The leaves are good in
soups and casseroles as well as just raw.

The days are short now in Hawaii…under 10 hours of daylight . So plant growth is
slowing down. Lettuce isn't growing much but the celery and the leeks are looking good.
Tomorrow I will plant some snow peas and see how they do.

Amazing things

2011-11-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Amazing things grow in my water garden called aquaponics.
A Neem tree appeared , without my help , recently.

I have two Neem trees in the backyard . One is doing ok but the other is more of a bush.
I noticed the ok one was blooming this year but I did not see any seed form.
Recently, however, I pulled an 8 inch tall Neem tree seedling out of the aquaponic system,
The roots were amazingly about 18 inches long.

How did it get there ? Had to have been a bird bringing the seed from my ok tree to the planting medium
bin or to the net pot in the system.

An YES I am sure it was a Neem tree.
I sent it off to live in a neighbors yard. I will watch and see if it lives.

Seed time

2011-11-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to order your aquaponic seeds. The new seed catalogs for next year are coming out
and the seed supply is probably as good as it's going to get .

Here on the Big Island of Hawaii we have seeds sold in our grocery stores, hardware stores, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes. The germination rate on these seeds is usually less than 50 % but if you buy seeds now, dated for 2012 , you should get a better germination rate. I like to keep them in the refrigerator in a ziplock plastic bag until I use them.

For the very best germination and generous seed packets I like to order
from BakerCreek Heirloom seeds. They have a seed catalogue that is a real joy to read .

The Engine that Runs the System

2011-11-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

We often think an aquaponic system is pretty much like a hydroponic system

but that is not the case. Fish are the engine that run an aquaponic system.

Fish give off the excretions that, when they break down, feed the plants.

The plant roots then clean the water before it is returned to the fish.

The fish also feed us. We harvest at least 5 pounds of fish each month.

Our white and golden Tilapia are fed a dry seafood based food

as well as a few lettuce leaves. They have a very light flavor that is

best when sauteed in olive oil and lemon.

My Favorite

2011-11-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

My favorite vegetable in the Aquaponic System is Swiss Chard. It grows a little slower than lettuce
but has a wonderful flavored . I wash it, chop it up and throw it in a skill with olive oil and garlic.
Add a handful of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and half a cup of walnuts and stir fry until wilted.
Splash a little balsamic vinegar in the mix and serve over brown rice .
A wonderful meal in less than 5 minutes.

Rain is Your Friend

2011-11-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

We have been having really big rains the last day or two. One would think that
the aquaponic system would not like that much water being added, but just the opposite
is true. The system seems to thrive on rainwater.
This week we are enjoying some beautiful swiss chard with rainbow colored
stems. Tomatoes are now 4 feet high and covered with green tomatoes.
Leeks are almost ready for harvest. Anyone have a good recipe for Leeks ?

Chickens in the loop

2011-10-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Right now my Buff Orpington chickens are molting and looking terrible. So no eggs
or very few.
Molting is a seasonal feather dropping that all chickens do at least once a year.
I have young Australorps , a black Buff cross , and brown Danish Leghorns
that should be laying by the end of the year. But November and December are not good egg months
here on the Hamakua Coast.

Chickens are a profitable loop in Aquaponic systems because they eat all the
vegetable and fish trimmings !
We built a little shed close to the fish tanks and ran water to it and put in a big a sink .
All fish and vegetables get cleaned there before coming in the house. All fish and
vegetable waste goes to the chickens. All kitchen garbage also goes to the chickens.
Pretty good system , trading garbage for eggs and the occasional chicken dinner.

Fall Growing

2011-10-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Aquaponic system is slowing down a little with the shorter fall days.
Things take a little longer to grow now. The beans and peas and lettuce all love the
cooler weather however.

Surprisingly enough I have Heirloom tomatoes that are bearing.
Another week and I should have some ripe tomatoes.

Anyone who is interested in a class or buying a system should email
me at the above address.

Aquaponic nutrients

2011-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked me where the nutrients come from in the aquaponic systems.
First of all the fish breathe and excrete and that supplies a lot of nutrient.
As the system ages soil accumulates in the bottom of the water troughs. This soil comes from rotted vegetable material and from the coconut fiber that is in the net pots that hold the
vegetables.

After 6 months or so all kinds of creatures set up homes in the bottom residue . The most noticeable ones
are : a tiny gray shrimp with a long name and red worms like the ones you find in worm bins.
All of this activity provides a lot of nutrients.

Experiment

2011-09-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

Aquaponics systems are fun things if you like to conduct experiments.
I love to try new plants in the system . Some work and some don't.
Strawberry starts grew wonderful plants but only two berries because it is just too
hot at 350 foot elevation.
Papaya seeds planted in the system went crazy ! I pulled several out when they were about a
foot high . The roots were too long to pull out of the net pot so I planted the whole thing in the ground.
The plants didn't even wilt they just took off growing much faster than the ones planted in the ground.
Of course I planted them in an area the chickens had fertilized so they are now continuing to
break growing records.

Yucky Water

2011-09-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

The water was yucky yesterday and the roots of some of the veggies
were covered in slime. What the h--- is wrong?
Turns out after some testing , we have too many fish .
The balance was off, too much ammonia in the water..

So we dumped some of the water and added fresh water that had the chlorine
burned off. Then we had fish dinner .

Everything is doing fine again and the fish tasted great. You have to eat at least 5 pounds of fish a
month out of this system to keep everything in balance.

Vertical Growing

2011-08-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

We have styrofoam covers floating on our troughs of water. The styrofoam has holes in it
and a net pot with coconut fiber sits in each hole. A plant grows in each net pot sending its roots
down into the nutrient rich water. Each 4x8 trough has 130 holes growing vegetables.

If you want to grow BIG plants such as tomatoes , cucumbers, beans , peas, etc. you
have to put them along the edge of your trough and run a 4 or 5 foot high fence next to
the trough for them to climb on.

Because things grow about 30% faster in an aquaponic system I have had on the same fence this
year: peas, green beans , squash, tomatoes. After each round of plants maxes out I pull them and put in the
next round. It is now August and after doing all of the above I am doing another round of Tomatoes.
So wish me luck ! These are several unknown heirloom varieties. Experimenting is half the fun !

Bugs

2011-08-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

Bugs ! They are every farmers problem this time of year, even in an aquaponic system . Bugs
are especially a problem in an aquaponic system since most things that get rid of bugs will also get rid of
your fish. You have to think creatively to beat the bugs. First off plant lots of onions in your system. I like the white bunching green onions. They are easy to grow and the smell is not appealing to bugs.
French Marigolds also give off a smell that repels bugs . Not just any old marigold will work. The French marigold is especially stinky and is what you want.
Plant mint and basil also. If all of this still leaves you with bugs on your vegetables , toss the buggy veggies to the chickens . They will take care of the problem. Cabbage plants this time of year are a waste of time and space at lower warmer elevations. Your aquaponic system will grow lovely vegetables but like your garden vegetables the aquaponic vegetables react to the weather conditions. Green beans, cabbage, peas all grow better in fall when the weather has cooled off a little.

Size Matters

2011-08-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Kits we sell come in two sizes. An apartment or balcony size and a backyard size.

The main requirement for your aquaponic location is sun.

If you have an area on your balcony, deck etc that has sun then you can easily grow enough produce for 1 person with our small size kit.

If you have a family of 4 and eat lots of vegetables then our Micro System as described in the previous

blog is ideal.

Hurray

2011-08-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

This site is finally up and running !

In my backyard is an aquaponic system that holds about 30 pounds of fish and 260
vegetable plants. All of this takes up about half the space of an average one car garage.

There are two 100 gallon fish tanks and two 4'x8' troughs of vegetables. This system can easily
provide most of the vegetables a family of 3 or 4 people can consume. I grow beans, peas, herbs, celery. cucumbers, tomatoes , green onions, and a wide variety of greens such as water cress, swiss chard, kale and more.

The water from the fish tanks is run through the troughs and roots of the vegetables
The vegetables 'clean' the water before it runs back into the fish tank.

Welcome to Hawaii MicroAquaponics!

2011-07-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Hawaii MicroAquaponics. We supply backyard aquaponic kits, designed and suitable for small places. Grow fabulous organic fish and vegetables on your balcony or in your back yard! Contact us for details!