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  1. #1
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    Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Hey guys,
    Just wanted to say that I am making the jump into aquaponic gardening! Failed a few times at the traditional dirt gardening which was due to many variables; poor green thumb, Florida heat, etc. I am hoping to have better luck with AP as this seems to be a self sustaining, low maintenance approach to gardening. As with any new adventure I have some concerns with the unkown.

    Florida heat - I am mostly concerned with our humid, hot Florida weather and how it affects plants. I have done some research and have found a solution, building a stand around my system and securing trellis siding to it. I found a video of the design I am following.

    Florida rain - With the rain we constantly receive, over 8+ inches a month (which I feel is low), I am concerned on how this will affect my AP system. Will it be messing with the pH balance, watering down the nitrification process, or flooding my grow beds? If this will be a problem, what are the solutions?

    Pest control - In my neighborhood we have a few large oak trees that are still around, the rest get cut down daily by angry senior citizens with nothing better to do but complain on leaves on their yards... These trees house huge families of squirrels, which I feel will be a nuisance to my fruits and veggies. How do I deter these critters from eating my food?? Someone mentioned garlic/chili power and I also heard lime salt (?), can anyone care to further explain these?

    Thanks in advance for any help I receive and I look forward to my journey of AP gardening!

    Regards,
    Chris

  2. #2
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Hi Chris, welcome to the forum....
    There are a few other guys here from S FL. Hopefully they'll share what they can grow in our heat.
    I'm in central FL near Orlando. It's still hot here too, maybe a few degrees less..
    This will help some...Here's a planting guide from UFL ...
    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021

    The shade, like in the video will help 'some'. It's our night time tempts and humidity that can play havoc.

    Rain...yes, we can get a lot every afternoon....try to keep some of it out of your system. I've placed green house plastic over top of my shade cloth.

    Squirrels....I didn't know they ate tomatoes.... They love cherry tomatoes. I used some bird netting, stretched over the frame. They could chew their way through, but they don't seem to do so.
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  3. #3
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Dave,
    Thanks for the insight! Looks like I'll be making the planting season for some crops by the skin of my teeth!

    Do you still grow outside the UF recommended planting seasons?

    As for the night temps and humidity? Can you provide some information or insight into how this would affect the plants?

  4. #4
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Quote Originally Posted by FloridaChris
    Do you still grow outside the UF recommended planting seasons?
    I use it as a 'guide.'
    Example... I wouldn't think of trying to grow lettuce, here in the summer. It's listed as a 'winter' crop. However, with the weather changes going on, I've seen the lettuce try to bolt, even though it's 'winter' here. Same with things like bok choi/pac choi.
    I tried to raise spinach last winter, it would start, then die from the heat. I didn't even try this winter.

    Quote Originally Posted by FloridaChris
    As for the night temps and humidity? Can you provide some information or insight into how this would affect the plants?
    I was mainly thinking of tomatoes.
    I can (sometimes) keep them alive during the hottest part of the summer. Once the night time temps and humidity get high...the blooms won't set. They just fall off.
    As a rule of thumb....The smaller tomatoes do a little better in the heat then the larger ones. Problem with most cherries and plum tom's are they become a pretty big plant. You have to plan ahead for all the room they'll take up.
    The only tomato that may/will keep producing is the 'wild fl everglade cherry tomato'. They go by similar names. The tomatoes are tiny, but taste pretty good. Just remember, they can become a 'huge' plant.

    Check out 'tomato growers supply company'. I think they are in FT Myers. They mainly sale tomatoes, also peppers and eggplants. They have hundreds of tomatoes. If you read through, you'll see some are better for growing in FL.

    These I want to try... florida 91, homestead 24, kewalo, peron, soux, and solar fire.

    I found it's important to have more room between the maters in the summer, then the winter ones. 'Must' have air flow.
    Every disease and bug that effects tomatoes is here in FL. ON a gardening forum I go to...(tomatoville) someone said....tomatoes are a plant that is just looking for a reason to die....

    In the summer...okra, sweet potatoes and malabar spinach are a sure bet. Some peppers like the heat too. You need to research where they are originally from.

    Well, I may be entering the TMI zone.... ...so that's all for now.
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  5. #5
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    I'll definitely have to research some more on the tomato plants! That is one of the main reasons I wanted to start this system! Maybe I can keep a small planter going inside my house during the hot summer months for larger tomatoes. The girlfriend already gave me the 3rd bedroom for my "beer factory". I wouldn't mind a nice looking tomato plant in here

    I saw a few cherry tomato plants at HD today, do you think those would survive a transplant?

    So summer months do you only grow the okra, sweet potatoes, and spinach? Trying to figure out what plants I can start planting now.

    Off topic from plants and over to the build, when I was in HD just now I was pricing out the lumber I am going to use for my build. Is if safe to use treated lumber? Everything there is "weathershield" wood. The wood will just be a stand to support the halved barrels, but I may be running 2x4's up the sides to nail trellis to for shading. How high should I build the cover for this?

  6. #6
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Trying to grow indoors, especially something that blooms... brings up other issues with lighting....
    I don't think the cost is worth it. Our tomatoes aren't worth thousands of dollars like some folk's plants may be... . We only have a month or two, where you won't have tomatoes growing.

    Yes, tomatoes are very easy to transplant into aquaponics. I normally fill up a bucket with water...and gently raise and lower the plant's roots in and out of the water. Just trying to get most of the stuff off.

    If your buying bonnies at HD...you might consider a 'patio tomato' or two. The plant doesn't get too big, and they taste decent. They are a medium size fruit.

    fyi....just because the big box store has starter plants in stock, doesn't mean it's the 'correct' time to plant them.
    Also...flowering plants like peppers and tomatoes don't do as well in a new system, as compared to a mature system... You can stick them in, most of has done it... .. with our brand new systems and they kind of sit there for awhile.
    Check out your local hydroponics shop, and look for some 'maxicrop with iron'. It's made from seaweed and has some trace minerals. It gives a new system a kick start.

    Quote Originally Posted by FloridaChris
    So summer months do you only grow the okra, sweet potatoes, and spinach? Trying to figure out what plants I can start planting now.
    I just mentioned them because , they are a pretty sure thing, to grow in the heat.
    Make sure to note....that is 'MALABAR' spinach, not the stuff that popeye ate... :P It's a vine and is from a tropical area....and it 'loves' the heat.
    http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6044-red-m ... inach.aspx

    http://parkseed.com/product.aspx?p=05660-PK-P1

    Check out the link I shared earlier....look for the chart on plants for 'warm season'. The charts have FL broken into 3 areas with different growing times. Make sure your looking at 'south fl" planting times.

    Hope this helps some....
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  7. #7
    Members bsfman's Avatar
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Quote Originally Posted by FloridaChris
    Trying to figure out what plants I can start planting now.
    I've found this quide very helpful. If you scroll about half way down to table #3, it gives some very useful info!
    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021

    Welcome to the forum by the way! (I'm about 120 miles south of you in Cape Coral.)

  8. #8
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Quote Originally Posted by davidstcldfl
    Check out your local hydroponics shop, and look for some 'maxicrop with iron'. It's made from seaweed and has some trace minerals. It gives a new system a kick start.
    Dave, do I just pour the whole thing into my GB's and let it cycle through a few times? Do I wait to add the fish? I have a hydroponics shop about 3 miles down the road, been meaning to stop in and this will be my reason.

  9. #9
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Hey Chris,
    I've seen folks recomend 'as much as' a quart to 250 gallons. I don't know if I used that much when I 1st started...? I did the guy thing...I shook the bottle and poured some in and said ......that looks good...
    Don't freak when you add some...the stuff is really dark and it will stain your water. (and it'll stain your clothes too) Your water will eventually be stained anyways.

    You can always add more to the water over time..or...I also spray my plants with a weak mixture of maxi crop and molasses.

    You can put the plants and maxi in the system, before the fish...or at the same time.
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  10. #10
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    Re: Hello from Tampa, Florida!

    Dave, just to be clear this just adds minerals in the water to help the plants. It does not help speed up the nitrification process, correct? So it'll be a small shot of energy for the long haul ahead of me correct? I have read that the nitrifying bacteria takes about a month to build up and you should wait until then to plant anything. Just debating on whether I should spend my time and money on planting any seedlings I buy from HD or a grower now or to wait...

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