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Written by Jodi Peters
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Monday, 24 January 2011 22:18 |
We have past the darkest day of the year! It has been a grand experiment to see how our backyard aquaponics system will survive the winter outside in our greenhouse. We have two aquarium heaters in the fish tank, which keep the water around 15 degress celcius. Although for some of those extended cold snaps, it hovered around 10. Jeff also walled both tanks in with foam board insulation to help with efficiency.
Heat is one thing, but light is an entirely different issue. There are many species of plants that can handle low temperatures and survive, but very very few plants can continue to GROW when daylight shrinks to a measly 8 hours, and is mostly shrouded in heavy, dark rainclouds.
We chose to try collard greens, Rouge D'hiver winter lettuce, corn salad and cilantro - and to our pleasant surprise, everything seems to be cycling well, albeit significantly slower than in the warmer, longer days of yore. The fish are incredibly happy - being koi and goldfish they can manage well with cooler temperatures. The collard greens get periodic infestations of aphids (in january!!) which is a sign they are stressed in some form, likely a combo of pH and not enough nutrients. But the lettuce and cilantro look great. We can practically see the lettuce grow when the weather warms up and the sun shines for a few hours.
And of course we are looking forward to the longer days! |
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Written by fish
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Wednesday, 08 September 2010 06:47 |
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If you'd like to see some live footage of one of our systems (the Windermere Secondary System). There is a film produced by EYA currently posted on Jack Johnson's "All at Once" website as a fundraising opportunity for EYA (EYA gets a dollar for every view!). So watch it here. An update (and a pretty photo) from our own backyard. The nutrient levels and bacteria colonies have stabilized and we're finally seeing some great plant growth. Hopefully we will get to harvest a cucumber before the weather gets to chilly!
**Update** The video is no longer available on All at Once - but you can find it here: Fish and Veggies at Windermere Secondary from Environmental Youth Alliance on Vimeo. |
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Last Updated on Monday, 24 January 2011 22:02 |
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Chicken Workshop Sept. 11 |
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Written by Duncan Martin
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Tuesday, 24 August 2010 17:16 |
Saturday, September 11, 1:00 - 3:30 pm, Strathcona Community Garden
Learn the basics of Vancouver's chicken bylaw and learn what it would take for you to start getting fresh eggs from your own backyard. Chicken-coop-builder Duncan Martin will let you in on some tips for building your own coop (or buy one of his kits!) and introduce you to everything you need to know about basic care, sourcing chickens and supplies, and helpful resources for future reference. Also: Come away with your own recycled-container waterer. Suggested donation: $10-15
Email Duncan for more information:
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 17:20 |
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Upcoming aquaponics workshop |
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Written by Jodi Peters
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 04:54 |
SATURDAY JULY 31st - Aquaponics workshop and demo!
Details: Saturday, July 31st, 1 - 3:30pm, Strathcona Community Garden
(Meet at the Eco-Pavilion in the north west corner of the garden (at Prior, just west of Hawks)
Grow edible fish and plants - almost anywhere - in a single, connected eco-system. This workshop will explain the basic principles of aquaponics, including basic system design and a hands-on demonstration of how to build a small indoor system.
Suggested donation: $5
Please RSVP to Jodi at :
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 05:35 |
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Happy plants...lots of learning |
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Written by Jodi Peters
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 04:44 |
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What does a happy plant look like?
Yards of roots following the nutrients to their source! Our Windermere aquaponics system has recently taken off. The fish are happy and the plants are growing like crazy!
We are apparently learning the ins and outs of system maintenance through the “crisis method” – a crisis occurs, we figure how to deal with it and add it to the regular maintenance checklist.
Root clearing is a big one. As is solids removal. Fun fun fun!!!
But look at those lovely cucumber plants – all fertilized on the nutrients excreted by a pack of happy, fat and growing goldfish. Stay tuned for the next level…getting some edible fish fry!
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