Photos

Some photos:

Yum

Been picking a handful of red ripe strawberries for the boys each day for the last 3-4weeks. Haven't been able to get a photo because they are at them before I can get there! Makes me think I may need to turn one tub into a dedicated strawberry growbed! Cucumbers are going crazy, picking 2-3 a day so far and soon will not be able to keep up eating them. Tomatoes are setting fruit and plenty of them. I am experimenting with pruning and not pruning and seeing which produces more. Corn in the garden has fruited (?) but the ones in the growbed, although very very healthy, are yet to flower. They were put in about 3-4 weeks after the dirt garden one to stagger the crop. My next lot of corn need to be put in also. There has been more lettuce and chard (silverbeet) than any of us can consume and carrots are really taking shape. The beetroot have also formed really well. Capsicum, eggplant and chilli are all setting fruit. Watermelon also setting fruit (yeah - first time in 5 years damn it!). Photos to come.

Fishies

More fish!

75 silver perch

50 bass

25 catfish

about 30-40mm only though, thought they would be bigger. Oh well just need to fatten them up for the winter.

Got them in my old system which is currently operating as a fingerling system.

More fish a comin'

Been away for a week to Apollo Bay so got a friend to feed the fish while gone. System has been powering along. Lettuce really taking, basil going off, grapes and thornless blackberry shooting new leaves everyday. Will have to move the thornless b.berry as it grows pretty big. Will put it in it's own tub. Corn growing strong, tomatoes fruiting, cucumbers flowering and fruiting, beans going well, kiwi spreading, silverbeet and beetroot going crazy. All in all very happy. Have ordered 75 silver perch 50mm fingerlings, 50 40-50mm bass and 25 55mm catfish. arrive tomorrow. Can't wait.

Banana Peels

Have been experimenting with burying banana peels in the growbeds to add potassium to the system. They get buried near the roots and then after about 4 days, all gone. The worms must go crazy on them! So far, it seems to be helping with fruit set and flowering. Will keep the experiment going. No bananas in the old system and definite difference in flowering, particularly with the strawberries.

Phots are strawberry flowers, cucumbers setting fruit and chilli setting fruit.

Grape Vines

Put in the arbours today and the grapes. The AP system is strating to really look good!

Test Results

Test results for Today:

ph 7.4
Amm 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40
temp 20

Also bought some cheap arbours from Bunnings for $10. Will set up the grape vine arbours today. I have enough fittings to turn them into a auto siphons but am keen to have a constant flow constant height system happening with them.

I am thinking that I will go the constant flow/height and if the grapes look like they are suffering, then will change over as required. The way I see it, the water should have more than enough DO for the root system not to rot. Can only give it a go I guess.

Ticking along!

The system is ticking along beautifully. Here are some update pics: