Well this weekend I have been busy... my hydroponics had been neglected with all the family commitments and sad times we had had. So this weekend I decided it was time to rectify that and get proper fresh salad back in our kitchen (rather than the compost from the shops)... so the top 4 pipes and the two black plastic grow beds are being fed from the 2/3 barrel which is hydroponically fed. The lower two pipes are being fed from the small blue reservoir which will have fish in once I have built a solids filter and the water has aged.
This method of growing via hydroponics and Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and grow beds last year gave us all our greens, herbs, a few strawberries and rhubarb for months.
So at the top "jungle" are chives which need separating and cutting and drying as they are so happy they are breaking out of their cups! Old basil green and red going to seed but still good and some oregano which has been completely cut back. The lower cups have seedlings of rocket (arugula), cos, mixed lettuce and rainbow chard. The seedling have the potting mix / fertiliser washed off then they are put into cups that have holes pierced in with a red hot fork all over and filled with expanded clay.
In the barrel there is some Kang Kong that was trailing across the ground which I am letting take root, then I will pass it on to a fellow gardener. There is no solids filter on this system due to there being no fish in it however I am considering adding one to keep the insides of the pipes a little less silty. The roots catch all the small particulates and have to be rinsed.
Kang Kong - also acting as rafts for the bees that come to drink. The basil has been neglected and gone to seed but is still quite usable and extremely pungent!
The new system which will have fish in it. Now yesterday the boys were busy whittling / creating / destroying / making mess.. and made some water channels with my bamboo... so waste not want not... I added a tray with some chocolate mint and expanded clay under the out feed of the pipe. This will help disperse the water making more droplets and more oxygen into the water. It also casts shade to help stop algae. The "grass" is water chestnuts and the long tendrils is orange sweet potato that has popped up in back yard and was in the way so its here until it gives some roots... then will fine a new home.
Now in the aquaponics I split the 4 pots of strawberries from up the top and put them into pots... and last night they had strawberries on them... juicy red strawberries... I came out this morning and there were no juicy red strawberries. Now I blamed Balla (in the background) until I watched Rex - the dog who will pick out every vegetable and piece of fruit from his dinner gingerly pick a fruit right in front of me! Being extremely careful not to pull the plant or dislodge the cup! LoL - I have now made a barrier as I actually want my fruit! I am so glad I found my strawberries alive up the top hidden among the chives... I so thought I had lost them!
Both my Hydroponics and Aquaponics attract the bee's from the hives at the end of the road... they all make a bee-line to get a drink here before going on to the wild flowers in the conservation land next door. The word seems to have got around that I am no threat and am good at surf rescue when they fall in in the ponds lol... These insects are very welcome!
In the top grow bed / box had tomatoes in which came and went - with harvest but as they were growing I stuck a cutting of kang kong and vietnamese mint... this JUNGLE is after harvesting for stir fry! The grow beds also work to filter the water although this box needs pulling down, the plants splitting and replanting so they have room to grow.
This box... haha this is my watercress... or should I say WAS? 3 very fat caterpillars and some stealthy slugs who were under the clay! I have some new watercress but I have a tray of heavy iron slug pellets sitting in here just to be sure.
Since we are on the subject of creepy crawlies... I lifted the lid on the bottom layer of my worm farm that I only filled with worm food a week ago... they have been busy! I am very happy to see so many happy workers.
Ok that's it from me tonight... Happy Gardening,
*hugs* Sarah
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