Hi all I have a quick question...
I'm planning my hydro system that I will be building this fall and will bring online outdoors next spring.
First I'm building a series of 18" high and 24" wide and 36" long wooden benches to set my dutch buckets on. They will be all in a straight line with the drain pipe running the full length back to the reservoir. The whole line will be 16'.
My first thought was to put it on my 24' cement patio. However, I'm concerned about radiated heat from the cement in the summer stressing the plants.
Has anyone else had issue with a hydro system on cement in full sun?
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Most of the hydro systems I have seen are in a covered shade house or greenhouse. You will be limited with what you can do with pest control with a hydro system.
At work we do have aquaponic rail and bed systems in the sun for demonstration. Ground is cinder and gravel. They actually absorb much more heat than cement. If your system is not directly on the ground I don't think it will be that much of a problem, especially if your water is cool. P.S. to keep the water cooler, it is better to have the tank submerged in the soil. It is also better for the tank to be much lower than your buckets since water will be pumped up to the dutch buckets but the return is by gravity.
There are even fewer options for aquaponics for pest control because of the fish.
At work we do have aquaponic rail and bed systems in the sun for demonstration. Ground is cinder and gravel. They actually absorb much more heat than cement. If your system is not directly on the ground I don't think it will be that much of a problem, especially if your water is cool. P.S. to keep the water cooler, it is better to have the tank submerged in the soil. It is also better for the tank to be much lower than your buckets since water will be pumped up to the dutch buckets but the return is by gravity.
There are even fewer options for aquaponics for pest control because of the fish.
I have had a very successful hydro system outdoors in the past. I'm in Colorado and the pets here are limited. Our issues are more disease related.imafan26 wrote:Most of the hydro systems I have seen are in a covered shade house or greenhouse. You will be limited with what you can do with pest control with a hydro system.
At work we do have aquaponic rail and bed systems in the sun for demonstration. Ground is cinder and gravel. They actually absorb much more heat than cement. If your system is not directly on the ground I don't think it will be that much of a problem, especially if your water is cool. P.S. to keep the water cooler, it is better to have the tank submerged in the soil. It is also better for the tank to be much lower than your buckets since water will be pumped up to the dutch buckets but the return is by gravity.
There are even fewer options for aquaponics for pest control because of the fish.
I'm building a much larger system this time. It will be limited to tomatoes, peppers, and maybe cucumbers.
I'm going to use a 45 gallon reservoir that will be almost completely submerged in the ground and top will be covered a reflector.
I do container gardening and heat is a real issue here. My peppers did really well this year but my tomatoes not so much. I've been fighting BER all season. Which is why I'm going back to a hydro system. I'm just debating on the best place in the yard to put it.