Cantaloupe and Beans

Cantaloupe are doing very well. May be time to close the greenhouse doors.
Its going to be down in the 40's at night

I think I have 10-15 cantaloupe among the hundreds of blossoms.

Green beans are ready for harvest. Just have to find them among  the
cantaloupe.

Beans mingled with the melons

First zucchini of the fall season. 

There are 20 or more tomatoes on the left bush.
I hope they turn green before it gets to cold. I am thinking of
extending the PVC pipe and wrapping both grow beds with plastic.
Mini greenhouses. I will have to harvest some fish this weekend as well.

October 27th

This was taken on the 27th of October. The cantaloupe have over taken the beans on the right
grow bed.  No worries I can still find the beans among the leaves and blossoms.

You can see the cantaloupe starting. This was about a week ago and since has
grown to the size of a plum.

Tomatoes are starting to take off, to to harvest before the first frost.

THe zuccini are in full swing and hope to start harvesting in two weeks.

30 Days later

The cantaloupe are doing great and will soon take over the greenhouse. From seed to this in 30 days. Not sure if cantaloupe will do well in the greenhouse this fall, but still learning what I can and can not do. 

The egg plant got a slow start but seems like it's coming along nicely now. I'm sure it will do well in the green house. Just hope there is enough room LOL

The green beans are doing great and are starting to bud, Should have green beans in the next 2-3 weeks.

Planted the beans 3 days later this is what I had, very cool

The beans one week later.

Some radishes after 2 days

 One week later. Note the cucumber coming up on the lower left.

Verdolaga found this growing next to the house and replanted it in the grow bed. This grows very fast and is great in a salad or cooked as greens. Looking forward to trying it.

New system in greenhouse

This is the new system I started in the greenhouse. I hope to have it cycling by the fall planting season. I hope to move the other two grow beds in here soon.

I got away from the small river rock and invested in the expanded clay. I did use river rock on the bottom to stabilize the automatic siphon system. 

Very happy with the way it turned out. 

I was concerned that the fish tank would get to low if it worked out that both grow beds filled at the same time, however that was not the case. Plenty of water in the fish tank, guessing at least 2/3 full. I put one tilapia in the tank 12 hours ago and she seems to be doing fine. After 24 hours I will put 3 more in.

Arizona summer heat took it's toll

Was time to clean a few for the freezer and turns out the one on the left was carrying eggs. Good to know I’ll have a nice supply of Tilapia for the coming year.

 To hot to grow in AZ now so I tossed in some reddish seeds and am checking the grow rate of shaded and non shaded. No brainer, but still wanted to know for sure. 

Babies are coming along fine.

Few pic's to show how well the garden is going. Lots of veggies to keep our refrigerator and a couple of others well supplied. My son and his squeeze kept watch over the house and garden while we where on vacation, and is now sold on this Aquaponics gardening system. Last few picks before the summer heat makes its claim.

First Harvest

Beans are doing very good and should have them ready next week.

Now What?

I now have more tilapia babies than I know what to do with. I want to get a small pool to accommodate them but it will be a little difficult to convince my wife. LOL oh well I hope to bring some to my wife’s sisters who has a pond with duck weed problem.

Zucchini and beans are doing great.

Proud Daddy

Started cleaning fish and discovered one with mouth full of tiny fish. She is now in the 60 gallon tank taking care of her babies. She may be transfered to the larger tank this weekend as they seam to be getting along fine.

Awesome

From this to:

This in 24 days!! 

Should be eating zucchinis next week

Taco's

Thinking fish taco's tonight

Happy so far. Like growing weeds, can't stop'em

Coming along great, green beans, zucchini’s, turnip, kale, radishes, lettuce, pepper

Not so great green onions oh well. Bout time to clean some fish

Less than 30 days seed to harvest

It was less than 30 days from seed to harvest with the lettuce. Everything else is doing great as well. Hope to be having zucchini and beans very soon. Oh and a little tilapia on the side.

Garden doing great

                                     

April 1st, no joke
We will be having salad from the garden 30 days from seed. Tilapia will make a nice main course.

03-11-2012

Finally both systems are up and running. All the plants seem to be doing very well. Lettuce is growing like a weed and the peppers look healthy. Bean, zucchini and onion are all doing well. Fish seem happy, still unclear how much to feed.

System #2

Finally finished the second system so I can separate the large tilapia (6-8") from the smaller ones (3-5”). I still have the fry in the house. I plan on using the other half of the blue barrel for the first system. 

Babies are doing fine. Growing everyday. Pictures coming soon
Also should have the 80 gallon tank set up this weekend. Have my 55 gallon drum cut in half ready to go for the grow beds

Well I managed to save 7 of the babies. My wife said thats fine. 7 will make a nice fish fry. Put mom back with the other fish.

7 little bugers

Well looks like Sally is going to have 7 babies. They have been out for 24 hours and she looks at me like FEED ME!!. Just a little disappointing but considering everything I did wrong I’m happy with 7. Thanks for all the great advice from: http://aquaponicscommunity.com/group/tilapia-breeding?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A285231&xg_source=msg_com_group