A revolutionary sustainable method which involves the growing of both vegetables and fishes is what we call AQUAPONICS. Fishes and vegetables all have great benefits from aquaponics and you can also choose to grow vegetables alongside certain fishes like tilapia, ornamental fish, trout, catfish and many more. However, what you might not know is the type of vegetable that you can be able to grow alongside a fish and that is why you have this article at your disposal as it tells you all you need to know on how to grow vegetables and fishes together.
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How To Grow Vegetables And Fishes Together
The combination of aquaculture (this means the raising of fishes) and hydroponics (this means growing plants using water and not soil) is what we refer to as AQUAPONICS and what we want you to know about this combination is that the water in which this fishes grow in is recirculated back to the plants. This recirculated water here contains wastes from the fishes and these wastes are made up of not only nutrient but also beneficial bacteria which plants can actually make use of in place of fertilizers.
In this case you do not need to make use of herbicides or pesticides because you do not have to worry about weeds and soil borne diseases. There are no wastes under this condition as everything that comes from the fishes is being used by the plants so this is also a good source of growing food all through the year whether it is vegetable or even protein.
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Vegetables That Can Be Grown With Fishes
When it comes to growing vegetables and fishes together, there are just few plants which do not support Aquaponics. An aquaponic system is one that maintains a fair and neutral pH level and this is generally good for aquaponic vegetables. Most people who engage in aquaponics for commercial purposes mostly plant grow lettuce and fish together but nowadays, you can now see commercial aquaponics growers growing vegetables like pak choi, Swiss chard, watercress, collard and Chinese cabbage together with fishes.
There is a reason for this and this is simply because greens tend to grow better and its harvest are also rapid therefore making aquaponics more favorable. Herbs are also another commercial aquaponic plants and this is also because most herbs can grow perfectly well with fishes. Some of the herbs and also other vegetables that you can grow together with fishes are listed below;
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Beans
- Squash
- Spinach
- Peas
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Furthermore, vegetables are not just the only type of crops that you can grow alongside fishes. You can also try out growing vegetables and fruits as well. Some of the fruits that would do well alongside vegetables includes;
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
In a low impact and sustainable way, growing fishes and vegetables together is quite beneficial not just to plants but also to animals as well. This is why most people consider this growing method as the best food production method in the nearest future and we over here agree with this thought. If you are a farmer or a leisure gardener then you would benefit a lot from aquaponics in the sense that you are getting more high quality food for your family and also generating income at the same time.
A mini aquaponics system can be built either in your shed or in your backyard and farming in your backyard also offers great opportunities for home and commercial uses. What you need to consider before going into the aquaponics system is type of fish and plant, system design, location and size. Other consideration is cost but building this system by yourself would save you a lot of money while buying one saves time.
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