What is Aquaponics Gardening?

Whether you’ve been gardening for a long time or are just discovering more about it, waiting to give it a shot, you’ve probably heard of aquaponics already.

It has recently become incredibly popular among gardeners and farmers, and that’s all for a number of good reasons.

So here’s diving right into it and helping you discover more about what it really is.

Read on…

What is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is actually a merger between aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants in a water based medium).

This system basically works in a very simple way. The water that contains the fish and aquatic cultures (which contains fish waste) is actually used as a medium for the plants, since it is rich in nutrients that support the plants and their growth.

The plants take up the excess nitrogen from the water medium, which in turn, purifies the water going back into the tank.

This process effectively creates a closed, self sustaining system which allows both- the fish and the plant life to thrive.

The Pros of Aquaponics Gardening

So now that you have a basic idea about how aquaponics works, it is time to uncover its benefits.

• With aquaponics, you can yield up to 8 times more produce per acre while utilizing just 1/6th of the water you would typically use in traditional farming practises.
• The produce that you’ll reap will be free of pesticides and herbicides, and the fish will be hormone and antibiotic free.
• The system allows continuous production of food with minimal input, and is super efficient when it comes to water usage too.
• Since no soil is involved, there is no risk of the plants being affected by soil borne diseases.
• Experts believe aquaponics might be the solution for the increasing global demand of food.

The Cons of Aquaponics Gardening

And of course, just as any other man made system out there, there are a few possible disadvantages of implementing aquaponics.

• The system is power hungry. If you’re looking to keep up the production during the colder months of the year, you might have to be ready to tackle the power consumption with the heaters, the water pumps and the lighting.
• You might have to keep an eye on the system and its components often to make sure they are all working perfectly.
• The setup can take up a certain amount of space, but then again, in most cases it requires less space as opposed to a traditional farm.

Aquaponics Veggies

If you’re considering giving aquaponics gardening a shot, here’s a little help for you. We’ve listed some of the veggies that thrive wonderfully in such a system.

Green leafy veggies and herbs are the most common and easiest vegetables to start growing in an aquaponics system. Cucumbers and tomatoes are often picked too, but growing them can be a bit complex for a beginner.