Lett uce now consider the Leafy Greens

Doesnt that have a nice ring to it.... And for Aquaponic converts, so it should. Although we can grow anything to perfection except root crops (and I havent given up on those yet) LEAFY GREENS are where Aquaponics excel to the extreme. Eight weeks to maturity, and tasting like pure gold, they really do make us feel just a bit proud when visitors come to find out what A/P is all about and we watch their eyes pop as they see a mass of fresh, crisp, beckoning lettuce.

Of course then we get a chance to boast just a little, with gems like "eight weeks" or "yep, all of those unusual plants growing right down to the end of the greenhouse are different types of lettuce as well". Because we grow heirlooms like they are weeds in A/P.

So because its spring soon here in the Wide Brown Land, its time to look at what is happening on the www regarding our Leafy Greens....

A pretty good reminder can be found at about dot com

there are all of the loose leaf varieties....

And of course the Cos Which are an absolute dream to grow under Aquaponics

Here is a PDF file I sure hope youll enjoy from 2007

Of COS theres more

and from the Lettuce & Herb Kitchen...

Did you notice in the pdf file the section on Black Soldier Fly. No? Well you might want to go back....

Meanwhile on the other side of the biggest pond in the world....The US of A





And I love this - the Cos Lettuce pushed the Over head lights out of the way....


When to Plant?

How about Cos Leaf Wrap... Just for the kitchen dabblers...

Final words come from Singapore and we are so glad to have them on board.

OK Guys n Gals Until Next Time
Be kind to your plants and your widdle fishies....
Ozzie

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Now Back to the Black Soldier Flies

If you are new to either Aquaponics or this site and dont know anything about BSF, here is a quick run down.

The Black Soldier Fly lives its life far removed from the type of fly we all encounter in our homes.

It doesnt normally come in contact with humans.

So you would normally go through life without ever seeing one.

Unlike house flies, they dont hang around rubbish EXCEPT to lay their eggs near food suitable for their offspring.

Their offspring, the pupae, are ravenous eaters of most food-scraps.

In fact unlike worms, they will clean up a kilo of scraps in 24 hours if you have enough of them.

The other reason we are interested in them is that they are a brilliant food source for fish as they provide almost all of the necessary nutrition required for most fish that are suitable for Aquaponics.

Throw in the odd handful of fish pellets and bingo you have almost free fish food and this means you or rather the larvae have completed the Aquaponics cycle.

All that is needed is a suitable container set up for them, some corn to draw in the female BSFs and some food scraps.

They find their way into your "catching pen", you pour them into a plastic bag, seal and freeze them until you need them.

The container can be bought or made as a DIY project. Details below:

Here is the Black Soldier Fly DIY Project

Click here for the Commercial version in the US

Click here for the Commercial version in Australia

Now more information on the BSF.(just click and enjoy)

The BSFL is a familiar denizen of compost , known for a voracious appetite and ability to rapidly break down organic waste

 A little secret. In fact, Several little Secrets....


Successful drainage in a BSF unit is achieved through a...

Several pounds of cucumber GONE..........

I noticed BSF in my traditional compost last Summer

Googling this issue, it appears that what is co-existing in the bin alongside the worms are actually "black soldier fly" larvae...

Murray Hallam demonstrates how to use the Bio-Pod to harvest Black Soldier Fly Larvae as an alernative source of fish food in an Aquaponics system.

More later
Happy Growing, composting and fishing...
Ozzie

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