PLANT VARIETIES
Plant selection
This section covers some of the plant species most commonly grown in aquaponic systems. Details are provided on the ideal growing conditions, the length of the growing cycle, common pests and diseases, and recommendations for harvesting and storage. Many varieties of vegetables are available from seed houses. While both field and greenhouse varieties can be grown in a greenhouse, it is advantageous to use greenhouse varieties whenever possible, since they have often been bred to yield very heavily under controlled environmental conditions (Resh 2013).
· Aqu@teachIntroduction
More than 150 different vegetables, herbs, and flowers have been grown successfully in aquaponic systems. Plants suited to aquaponic systems are typically fast growing, have shallow root systems, and a low nutrient demand, such as leafy greens and herbs. Fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, also do well but they have higher nutrient demands and are more appropriate for established systems with adequate fish stocks. But there are some plants that don’t grow well, some that don’t make sense in terms of economics, and some that probably won’t work well due to space restrictions.
· Aqu@teachCrop scheduling
Planting all the crops on a farm at the same time results in production waves instead of continuous production. Continuous production is what farmers need in order to satisfy weekly or even bi-weekly demand, by always having mature crops in the farm. A planting and harvesting schedule that accounts for the life cycles of each crop is a useful tool to achieve this (Storey 2016c): Leafy greens like chard, lettuce, and cabbage have a 4-6 week cycle from transplant to harvest
· Aqu@teach