7 Best Vegetables to Grow in Aquaponics & Most Popular

 

 *Organic Seeds, as Available

Farmers regularly agonise over two stubborn issues: the health of the soil and the glut of livestock manure. While manure does enrich the soil, there is still too much of it to use up and the earth continues to suffer from chemical pesticides and heavy equipment compaction.

Aquaponics answers these challenges by using fish effluent to feed the plant roots which, in response, cleanse the water of waste. This enterprise works in small and large scales, providing a self-sustaining ecosystem for vegetables and fish alike. For best results, it is important to know the best vegetables to grow in Aquaponics.

Lettuce

 Mixed Varieties Available 20gram. $33.60

Leafy greens lend themselves well to Aquaponics because their roots descend from shallow trays where the seedlings rest. Drawing up the waste water nutrients from the fish tank, the lettuce plant absorbs the fish waste as food, and thereby purifies the water. The newly freshened water then returns to the fish tank.

Growing lettuce this way avails the grower of year-round cultivation, an advantage given the health benefits. Red leaf lettuce, for example, contains vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, foliate, choline, beta-carotene, vitamin A, lutein and vitamin K. This makes it one of the best vegetables to grow in Aquaponics.

Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata 

 Packet (250 seeds) $4.80 

Cabbage is also among the best vegetables to grow in Aquaponics. Available in red and green varieties, this vegetable is universally recognised for fortifying the body against cancer. Cabbage is very high in fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Research is ongoing regarding the phytochemicals in cabbage that can possibly reduce the likelihood of breast cancer.

In traditional farming, the most expensive inputs associated with cabbage are avails the grower of year-round cultivation. None of these are factors with Aquaponics. Since this vegetable is ubiquitous in sauerkraut, stir-fries, Coleslaw and salads, you might want to consider the abundant harvest reaped through this method.

Spinach

Matador (Spinacia oleracea) 

 50g $28.80

There is a reason Popeye always ate his spinach. Not only is it dense with vitamins A and C, it also holds foliate and calcium. Spinach, too, is a champion cancer fighter. In addition, it fosters resistance against cardiovascular disease. Since Aquaponics avails the grower of year-round cultivation for plants, cabbage growers can be confident that their crop is one of the best vegetables to grow in Aquaponics.

If your Aquaponics system is indoors, be aware that spinach prefers cold nights and warm days. Whether you grow your vegetables is a greenhouse or your own house, you should program your thermostats accordingly. While there are seeds and seedlings that withstand winter better, that should only be of interest to outdoor system users.

Kale

Nero Di Toscana (Lacinato, Cavolo Palmizio, Black Cabbage)

 5g $8.40 

 Packet (120 seeds) $4.80

Considered the ultimate leafy green in terms of antioxidant and phytonutrient density, kale also ranks high among the best vegetables to grow in Aquaponics. It is popular in smoothies and soups, not to mention baked into chips. A regular supply of fresh kale promotes robust health and wellness.

The fish tank for growing kale should be availing the grower of year-round cultivation levels, slightly on the alkaline side. Baking soda can raise pH while peat moss can lower it. An important caveat is to confirm the tolerance capacity of the fish in the tank before adjusting the alkalinity.

 Packet (130 seeds) $4.80

 5g $8.40 

Mustard greens are calciferous vegetables that help to detoxify the bloodstream and ward off cancer. In fact, mustard greens receive credit for assisting in the repulsion of ovary, prostate, bladder and colon cancers. Moreover, this vegetable possesses anti-inflammatory properties that alleviate conditions like asthma and emphysema. Mustard is one of the best vegetables to grow in Aquaponics, especially for health-conscious cultivators.

Mustard greens grow in cooler climates out in the world so Aquaponic growers should bear this fact in mind when adjusting water temperature. Goldfish and KOI would do well in a cold-water tank if mustard is the crop of choice. Like kale, mustard receives nutrients best when the water is slightly alkaline.

 

Swiss Chard

 NZ Certified Organic 

100 seeds per packet $4.75

As with other leafy greens, Swiss chard is an excellent source of fibre, calcium, iron and foliate, as well as vitamins A and C. While the leaves are the principal components people like to cook and eat, the stems are also highly edible and good additions to many recipes. For non-traditional farmers, Swiss chard classifies with the best vegetables to grow in Aquaponics.

Aquaponic Swiss chard can grow to maturity in as little as 25 days. While the plants themselves need ample light exposure, the water–as always–needs shielding to prevent algae from forming. Since Swiss chard does best with a little extra nitrogen in the fertiliser, it is well-suited to nitrate-rich fish effluent. Interestingly, this vegetable tolerates higher levels of salinity than many other vegetables. As an aside, Australian Native fish are fish that also bear up against high salinity.

Watercress

CRESS Curled

(Lepidium sativum)

  400g $36.00 (organic currently unavailable) 100g $12.00

Seed count: 650/g

In addition to the health and longevity commonly associated with the leafy greens above, improved digestion and weight loss come with the regular consumption of watercress. Its high fibre adds to a feeling of satiety because, similar to lettuce, people most often consume watercress raw. The carotenoids in watercress participate in the repair of cellular damage.

Since watercress grows naturally in flowing water, its adaptability to Aquaponics is natural and easy. Drawing its root food from water is nothing new to this vegetable. Optimal water pH lies between 6.5 and 7.5. Fish waste harbours sufficient potassium for watercress cultivation.

Summing Up

Aquaponics is a fast and efficient way to grow food without soil. The most efficacious growth occurs with leafy green vegetables. Yet fruiting vegetables and root crops are also possible with this growing technique. The quick uptake of the fish – generated nutrients by the roots – and subsequent return of cleansed water to the fish tank – leads to accelerated maturity and generous yields. The fact that Aquaponics supports the most nutritionally dense and fibrous plants is particularly notable.

Although Aquaponics is sometimes more expensive to initially set up, and time-consuming investment, serious commercial farmers/gardeners will appreciate the rapid development of these highly nutritive plants.

 

*(Prices my change depending on supply) No postage to Western Australia