Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Aquaponics System: Location Selection

There are many great advantages to growing vegetables and fish in an aquaponics garden. Getting started and maintaining this kind of system is very simple, and it can be a lot of fun. In order for aquaponics system to live up to its potential and produce exceptional results, there are some details that you will need to get right.


Aquaponics System Location: Indoor or Outdoor?

An important decision when setting up an aquaponics system is to decide where to put the aquaponics system. One of the benefits of aquaponics is it is very versatile as far as where it can be located. Unlike a traditional garden, it will not be dependent on fertile soil. This means if it is outside, it can be located in areas that would normally be unsuitable for growing much of anything.

The two things to consider when choosing a location is temperature and light. It will need to be located in a sunny location, or you will have to supply it with full spectrum lighting. It will also need to be located in an area with a temperature that will be appropriate for the type of fish and plants you will be trying to grow. If the system is outdoors and you have cold winters, this will limit what you will be able to grow in the winter.

Putting the aquaponics system indoors or in a greenhouse gives you the ability to better control the temperatures. Indoor aquaponics systems open up the possibility for year round gardening in climates that would typically not allow it. The disadvantage of indoor growing is the possible lack of sunlight. This is where a large sunny window or sun room are great.

Best Approach for Aquaponics System Location

A great approach is to have more than one system. An indoor system, an outdoor system, and a greenhouse system. This allows you the ability to grow crops in each system that are appropriate to the climate they provide. This situation is not available to many growers, but for those who can do it, it is a great way to experiment and provide diversity in production and growing conditions.The most important thing is to enjoy the aquaponics system chosen. With the simplicity and lack of labor involved, this kind of gardening can be a more enjoyable experience than traditional gardening. It eliminates the sometimes frustrating parts of gardening like the back braking work, the weeds and other pests. And the fresh organic fish and vegetables it produces is a great pay off.

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