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WAbedroomponics
10-27-2010, 01:44 PM
I am setting up a plan for an aquaponics tank and was thinking of growing roses. I haven't heard much about them in aquaponics so I thought i should ask. Is it possible to grow roses in aquaponics? IF so is it worth it?

dufflight
10-27-2010, 02:32 PM
Not sure. do you need your roses to grow that fast. :lol:

rfeiller
10-27-2010, 09:33 PM
the commercial cutting roses for the florist industry in my area are grown hydroponically. no aquaponics that i know of. i am setting up to grow some with aquaponics. roses are heavy feeders, it will be interestring.

urbanfarmer
10-28-2010, 09:27 AM
You should also note the specific nutrient requirements don't match up with what is readily available in a typical aquaponic system (correct me if I'm wrong, but I am basing this on the numbers I usually see on the rose fertilizer at the stores). So as the gentleman stated above, do you need your roses to grow? :twisted:

On the other hand, you might be able to pioneer a market for roseless roses! :lol:

rfeiller
10-28-2010, 09:10 PM
Nitrogen is for foliage development
Phosphorus if used to increase fruit development and strong roots
Potassium/potash is used for flower development, color and size of blooms. it also aids in the strength of the plant

roses are related to tomatos, potatoes and particularly tomatos are grown in aquaponics systems.

i do not believe that aquaponics is the to end all in the world of hydroponics. depending on the aquatic animals diets it can be low or void of many nutrients. We are counting on the nutrients in their feed to pass through; read all of the nutritional additives in any fish food (particularly purina products because of the nutritionally worthless base they use for most of their feeds)

since fish waste is high in nitrogen, with the vaste majoriety of the waste products being excreted by the gills, since ammonia is basically=nitrogen we would be chit out of luck as the saying goes. thank goodness for the poop!

anyway it will be fun working with roses. and i will have to do a fair amount of tweaking since i would never consider a totally closed system in aquaponics it is just not healthy for the fish don't care about the rational, i have to many years in commercial aquaculture to buy into that one.

davidstcldfl
10-29-2010, 02:59 AM
Hi WAbedroomponics, I know of a lady in HI that said she's raising roses in her aquaponics system. If I remember correctly, she's doing it with rafts and also in media beds. Maybe she's doing miniatures with the rafts (?) I'll try to contact her and see if she has any advice.

abdul
10-29-2010, 02:34 PM
I'd love to hear about that, its been something I've been wondering about for a long time too.

davidstcldfl
10-30-2010, 04:41 AM
OK, I heard back from Raychel in HI. She is growing miniature roses in AP...both in 'rafts' and media beds.

She said they are doing better, blooming more, then when she had them in the ground or pots. She also said she was doing nothing 'special'.

She makes her own coconut coir. She uses (only) it in the pots, for the roses in the rafts. I don't know if she is using volcanic rock in her grow beds (?) If she is....maybe she's getting some extra trace minerals, that help with the blooms.

I do have one miniature rose in a clay pot. I had to move it next to my system, because I kept forgetting to water it. I haven't been giving it any thing, other then AP water. It's doubled in size and seems to always have a few rose blossoms on it. It would probably set more....if I remembered to remove the dead/dying ones...... :roll:

abdul
10-30-2010, 04:58 AM
Intriguing.

urbanfarmer
10-30-2010, 06:55 PM
I would like to see pics before passing judgment! ;)

davidstcldfl
11-11-2010, 11:49 AM
I would like to see pics before passing judgment!
If you wait long enough, you'll see Jesus too, whether you believe, He's the Savior or not..... :D .... :P

In the mean time.....now, 'we all' can believe roses grow in AP.
With Raychel's permission....here's a few pictures from Hawaii....

IN RAFTS..

http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad157/davidstcldfl/Raychelsrosesinrafts.jpg


IN GRAVEL...

http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad157/davidstcldfl/Raychelsrosesingravel.jpg

She said she wouldn't grow them any other way. Also, she's thinking about trying a tea rose !

urbanfarmer
11-11-2010, 10:37 PM
NEAT! I will throw a few of those in when I get my next system up and running. They will be great for special occasions, and cheaper and better quality than buying them from the florist in large quantities! :-)

Thank you for the pics; I am a believer now! And, I am sure The Big Guy upstairs would raise an eyebrow at growing roses in fish poo, but he would probably give you brownie points for trying it though! :lol:

abdul
11-15-2010, 01:42 AM
Hmm thats an interesting filter bottle on the water inlet, think we could get a close up/diagram of that?

davidstcldfl
11-15-2010, 02:40 AM
Hi abdul, I thought it was there, just to direct the flow of water...to keep it from splashing.
I'll ask her and see.... :D

davidstcldfl
11-15-2010, 02:46 PM
Ok.....Raychel said.........

You were right David it is just directing the water into the bed. We have a problem sometimes with the water spraying all over which is loss of water by evaporation. We just put a bottle of the appropriate size on the end to direct it. We did this on rafts and gravel.

abdul
11-16-2010, 10:24 PM
Ah, thanks David :D