How to grow aquaponic carrots

1 Buy a media bed aquaponic kit from and online retailer or garden center. While it is possible to build your own system, kits are easier to set up quickly and usually include everything that first-time aquaponic gardeners need to get started, including a timer that automatically sends water into the media bed and drains it back out.

2 Install the aquaponic system according to manufacturer instructions. The exact set up differs according to the brand and size of the system, but generally includes connecting the fish tank to the grow bed and installing the pumps.

3 Place growing media in the media bed. Ideal types of growing media for carrots include gravel or hydroton, made from small clay balls, giving the roots something to grip.

4 Fill the fish tank with water and test the pumps to make sure that the fish tank is being aerated and water is pumped out into the growing bed. Use a pH test kit, available at garden centers or pool supply centers, to check the water's pH level. Ideally, the pH should be around 7.0. Treat water with a pH of 7.2 or higher with a pH lowering product and treat water with a pH below 6.8 with a pH raising product, available at aquarium supply stores and some pet supply stores.

5 Let the fish tank sit for at least 24 hours to make sure any traces of chlorine are gone from the water.

6 Place fish in the tank, using an initial ratio of one-half inch of fish for every gallon of water. After the system is running for at least one month, the density of fish can be increased to 1 inch of fish for every gallon of water. Stock the tank with cool water fish, such as koi or trout, since carrots are a cool-season crop that generally prefers temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit; keep the water in this temperature range.

7 Wait one month to plant carrots in the media bed. Alternatively, you can plant just a few seeds at first, increasing the number of carrot seeds and seedlings after the system is established for a month. Scatter seeds over the media bed, interspersing a few seedlings in the bed, if possible.

8 Harvest carrots once they are about the size of a finger, just as you would in a soil garden. Most plants grow faster in an aquaponic system than in garden soil, so the plants will most likely be mature before the number of days indicated on the seed packet.

Things You Will Need

§  Aquaponic system

§  Growing media

§  pH testing kit

§  pH altering chemicals

§  Cool water fish

§  Seaweed extract (optional)

Tip

§  Feed your fish high-quality food; the fish waste in the recirculating water hydrates and feeds your crops. Seaweed extract can be used to address any nutrient deficiencies without harming the fish. The dosage needed depends on the product being used; be sure to follow manufacturer instructions.

Source: Homeguides
Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash

Source: Homeguides