The blue bins we set up for the water containers began to mold and streatch in every direction. Their walls are too thin. We had to deassemble the entire containment system for rafts and substitute our blue bin with solid black, made out of sterdier material. This time we incorporated those bins, used for mixing concrete and they work. Drilling, gluing and in half-day the job was done. Next, we installed lights, put the patted rafts in the water and vuala, the transplanting can start!
Out plants has been paitiently wating for our progress, but now they are getting quite pale. Good news for them! The water is getting that beautiful tea-color and is full of nutrients. Our planties must be starving by now, growing on air and water alone.
Only one day after transplanting, the WildFire Lettuce mix begin to change color to nice red shades and greens got fuller and greener. Beauful; i love to have this garden at home. Just wait till Nasturcuim begins to flower!
Telling Tales of Symbiosis. Our family lives in a one bedroom apartment in the Bronx, NYC. We grow organic food in our apartment, including fish, fruit and plenty of vegetables, aquaponically!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
We are moving along pretty fast. Yesterday night we wrapped the entire system in a very large tarp. This is our innovation in case of a leak in the system in the apartment conditions. The tarp also protects the semi-transparent buckets from light and will help reduce algae growth.
Since all our bins were already connected with pipes, it took us a little struggle to push the tarp under and around the system evenly, but finally, it was done and is looking very well. In easy, chip and effective solution.
Right after this we made final decisions on the logo, now we are ready to design business cards and a website. Very exiting - a new business sprouting as fast as our arugula and basil in a starter tray!
This afternoon we visited the Chinatown in Brooklyn, NY, where there are an abundance of wonderful fish stores where we found beautiful live specimens of tilapia, barramandy, huge 50 lbs carps, and other types of fish; shrimps of all kinds, turtles and frogs. A saw a woman buying two large 2 lbs turtles, probably for soup. I looked in a turtle bucket full of these poor fellows. One was upside down on its back, helplessly waving its short clumsy legs in the air, with her neck stretched from the shell in the effort to turn belly down. I helped her to get comfortable by turning her and petted her little head. I felt so sad for her. Would never be able to kill a turtle for a soup, i thought to myself. Chris felt the same.
We bought two 1 lbs tilapias to put in our fish tank and a pound of shrimps. They all survived the trip back home very well and tilapia loved their new big tank. But the shrimps all died as soon as we transferred them from the plastic bag full of their Chinatown water into our water bins. We even added some salt to our water to make them feel more at home. But they died anyway within a few minutes. So we cooked them. They were very strange type of shrimps, with flat backs and purple skin under their shells. I didn't have much appetite, but every one else loved them.
After dinner me and Alec painted the floaters. In the next few days we will transfer the plants into the system water, which Chris nurtured very well for a week, lovingly adding bacteria, bubbles and good energy. After all, the little world we create here will be based on this water. There is no earth, only water. Fish and plants.
Since all our bins were already connected with pipes, it took us a little struggle to push the tarp under and around the system evenly, but finally, it was done and is looking very well. In easy, chip and effective solution.
Right after this we made final decisions on the logo, now we are ready to design business cards and a website. Very exiting - a new business sprouting as fast as our arugula and basil in a starter tray!
This afternoon we visited the Chinatown in Brooklyn, NY, where there are an abundance of wonderful fish stores where we found beautiful live specimens of tilapia, barramandy, huge 50 lbs carps, and other types of fish; shrimps of all kinds, turtles and frogs. A saw a woman buying two large 2 lbs turtles, probably for soup. I looked in a turtle bucket full of these poor fellows. One was upside down on its back, helplessly waving its short clumsy legs in the air, with her neck stretched from the shell in the effort to turn belly down. I helped her to get comfortable by turning her and petted her little head. I felt so sad for her. Would never be able to kill a turtle for a soup, i thought to myself. Chris felt the same.
We bought two 1 lbs tilapias to put in our fish tank and a pound of shrimps. They all survived the trip back home very well and tilapia loved their new big tank. But the shrimps all died as soon as we transferred them from the plastic bag full of their Chinatown water into our water bins. We even added some salt to our water to make them feel more at home. But they died anyway within a few minutes. So we cooked them. They were very strange type of shrimps, with flat backs and purple skin under their shells. I didn't have much appetite, but every one else loved them.
After dinner me and Alec painted the floaters. In the next few days we will transfer the plants into the system water, which Chris nurtured very well for a week, lovingly adding bacteria, bubbles and good energy. After all, the little world we create here will be based on this water. There is no earth, only water. Fish and plants.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sprouts are wating for fish
We planted seeds in the rock wool. Arugula came out beautifully strong, but the lettuce wasn't that confident. Half got dry and died. So we planted more seeds in the same wholes. Not sure if this was because of the lack of moister or excess hit in the sprouting tray. This guys are getting pretty big but the system is not ready yet for fish.
I hear my baby plants crying:"Hurry, we need poop or we will starve to death!" I feel such pressure. I can't let them down.
Today i planted cherry tomatoes, basil, more lettuce (encore mix) and nasturtium.
Chris has drilled wholes in a few floaters and i need to paint them, as directed by the Friendly Hydroponics, our mentors.
They tell you to do certain things without explaining why - to save time, probably. And we try to skip some steps, like: why paint the floaters? But after experimenting we always come to the conclusion that these guys really know what they are talking about. For instance, we discovered, that if floats are not painted, they crumble into water and create mess. The crumbs can possibly clog the system of pipes as well.
We should experiment later: The sprouts are still waiting.
I hear my baby plants crying:"Hurry, we need poop or we will starve to death!" I feel such pressure. I can't let them down.
Today i planted cherry tomatoes, basil, more lettuce (encore mix) and nasturtium.
Chris has drilled wholes in a few floaters and i need to paint them, as directed by the Friendly Hydroponics, our mentors.
They tell you to do certain things without explaining why - to save time, probably. And we try to skip some steps, like: why paint the floaters? But after experimenting we always come to the conclusion that these guys really know what they are talking about. For instance, we discovered, that if floats are not painted, they crumble into water and create mess. The crumbs can possibly clog the system of pipes as well.
We should experiment later: The sprouts are still waiting.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
First Mortality
To start the system, we need to have fish in the water, for nitrates for plants to accumulate. After getting 50 feeder gold fishes from the pet store, we transferred them to our 50 gallon food grade trash can. And this is our first mortality- three died in the first hour. This is, actually, pretty good low rate.
We wrapped the trash barrel with tarp to protect from leakage and it looks very cute: chubby and green, to match the plants.
In meanwhile, lettuce and arugula are sprouting in the plugs, getting ready to be transferred to the full of nitrates and other nutrients fish-poopped water.
We are making a decision how close the whole on the float material need to be drilled for optional gentrification of the bins. Oh, and not to forget- the bins have to be painted and drilled as well. Paint will prevent from algae growth and drilling is for piping, so that water will inter circulate in the hydroponic system.
So many things to do and timing is everything! We deal with living organisms, which are very fragile and even one day off can cost us all the fish or the weak crop.
By now, I feel like we are conduction a symphony ...
We wrapped the trash barrel with tarp to protect from leakage and it looks very cute: chubby and green, to match the plants.
In meanwhile, lettuce and arugula are sprouting in the plugs, getting ready to be transferred to the full of nitrates and other nutrients fish-poopped water.
We are making a decision how close the whole on the float material need to be drilled for optional gentrification of the bins. Oh, and not to forget- the bins have to be painted and drilled as well. Paint will prevent from algae growth and drilling is for piping, so that water will inter circulate in the hydroponic system.
So many things to do and timing is everything! We deal with living organisms, which are very fragile and even one day off can cost us all the fish or the weak crop.
By now, I feel like we are conduction a symphony ...
Building the farm, day 3
We are trying to fit 8 grow beds and a 40 gallon fishtank in our small bedroom in a one-bedroom Bronx apartment. The plants in our aquaponics system will be fertilized by 8 lbs of life fish, all systems are interconnected. After 3 days of re-arranging the bins for plant, shelves and tubes we are finally found the best fit with will take the least space with most growing surface.
The urbam farming is a new form of art, and every little step takes a desiosion making: where to drill the holes for pipes, how the water levels and draining will work between the fertilizer fish tank and plant bins. Another important issue is a protection against possible leac, which can be devastating to us living on 14th floor and everyone around. We are planning to use tarp, wrapping it around the 2nd shelve right under the grow beds. Another separate peace of tarp wraps around the fish tank.
In fact, the second shelve, which will have very little light, will be used for growing mashrooms. A separate misting systmem will have to be installed, and it's different trip ;) The light is another separate issue, which we haven't touched yet.
In fact, keeping all parts of the system in a head at once is a little overwhelming at times, but we know, this is just in the begginning. After installing another system inside the greenhouse, which we will assemble on our terrace overlooking Hudson river, we will be adepts of hydroponics.
Because we are growing food in out apartment, the looks of our farm is very important. Our design is simple, and doesn't destroy the comfort of the living space.
Filled with the variety of lettuce, edible flowers and cherry tomatoes, the garden will be a beautiful addition to our interior. The design of the farm can be up scaled to the level of exquisite, and we (especially I, Chris more focused on bringing it to a larger scale) are looking forward to work on this some more.
We involve our 5 y.o. boys in the building process, a much better option to watching TV! It is especially important for them to be educated in environmental purposes of this, because they are who might be faced with ecological pitfalls of human race in a much bigger scale then we are. Early education in vertically integrated farming, understanding how food grow and what makes it truly organic is increasingly important for these urban children.
Our 2 months old is sleeping in his crib right now and doesn't have to worry about the quality of his food, since he is breast fed. But soon, and for the rest of his life, God bless him with everything organic.
The urbam farming is a new form of art, and every little step takes a desiosion making: where to drill the holes for pipes, how the water levels and draining will work between the fertilizer fish tank and plant bins. Another important issue is a protection against possible leac, which can be devastating to us living on 14th floor and everyone around. We are planning to use tarp, wrapping it around the 2nd shelve right under the grow beds. Another separate peace of tarp wraps around the fish tank.
In fact, the second shelve, which will have very little light, will be used for growing mashrooms. A separate misting systmem will have to be installed, and it's different trip ;) The light is another separate issue, which we haven't touched yet.
In fact, keeping all parts of the system in a head at once is a little overwhelming at times, but we know, this is just in the begginning. After installing another system inside the greenhouse, which we will assemble on our terrace overlooking Hudson river, we will be adepts of hydroponics.
Because we are growing food in out apartment, the looks of our farm is very important. Our design is simple, and doesn't destroy the comfort of the living space.
Filled with the variety of lettuce, edible flowers and cherry tomatoes, the garden will be a beautiful addition to our interior. The design of the farm can be up scaled to the level of exquisite, and we (especially I, Chris more focused on bringing it to a larger scale) are looking forward to work on this some more.
We involve our 5 y.o. boys in the building process, a much better option to watching TV! It is especially important for them to be educated in environmental purposes of this, because they are who might be faced with ecological pitfalls of human race in a much bigger scale then we are. Early education in vertically integrated farming, understanding how food grow and what makes it truly organic is increasingly important for these urban children.
Our 2 months old is sleeping in his crib right now and doesn't have to worry about the quality of his food, since he is breast fed. But soon, and for the rest of his life, God bless him with everything organic.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A naked beginning - Seeds
We are not starving yet, but already decided to grow my own food. I am watching my cherry tomatoes turning yellow, orange and bright red on a terrace. What a joy!
The cucumbers didn't yield as much fruit as we expected, but their pretty yellow flowers and beautifully prolific vines with shapely leaves decorated the terrace all summer long very well.
You know, i look at seeds all different now. They don't annoy me any more. Now when i bite a pepper or a cucumber, inside i see the glorious seeds that can design the fruit i just consumed, and 10-folds of it. What power and memory! I admire and worship those little seeds.
This is what happens when one becomes a farmer. An urban farmer.
Yesterday i planted arugula and the wildfire lettuce mix to be grown hydroponically in the apartment. The fish will come from Chinatown, to begin with, most probably, carps.
The cucumbers didn't yield as much fruit as we expected, but their pretty yellow flowers and beautifully prolific vines with shapely leaves decorated the terrace all summer long very well.
You know, i look at seeds all different now. They don't annoy me any more. Now when i bite a pepper or a cucumber, inside i see the glorious seeds that can design the fruit i just consumed, and 10-folds of it. What power and memory! I admire and worship those little seeds.
This is what happens when one becomes a farmer. An urban farmer.
Yesterday i planted arugula and the wildfire lettuce mix to be grown hydroponically in the apartment. The fish will come from Chinatown, to begin with, most probably, carps.
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