New Grow Beds

[Caca]

Gary

One will be set up as a sub-surface continuous flow bed and the other one will start out as a duckweed tank initially.

Can I do it with 20 mm river gravel?
I understand that your media hight 150 mm?
How deep is water?
I can find hydroton for 18 euro for 50 L. Is 3 bags of 50 L=150 L enough for square meter (cut IBC tank)?

[GaryD]

Hi Caca,

Yes, you can use 20mm gravel.

The clay pebble media in my grow bed is 150mm deep.

Because I use clay pebbles (which will wick up water), the water in my grow bed only needs to be about 30mm - 40mm.

If you were to use gravel, I'd suggest that you have the water level at about 75mm - to take account of the fact that the gravel will not "wick" (lift the water by capillary action) as effectively as the clay pebbles.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

We've begun to harvest the duckweed. So far, I've just been feeding it to the chooks and (not surprisingly) our ducks. They eat it with relish.....particularly if it has some green algae with it.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

Our summers are a great time to grow herbs.....they're about the only thing that won't take a beating at this time of year.

From time to time, I read how thyme plants don't like wet feet (and I used to believe that, too).

Our thyme is growing in around 150mm of clay pebbles in a sub-surface continuous flow grow bed. The water is wicking up to around 100mm from the bottom of the bed.

I have to say that thyme....in grow beds.....has been a consistent winner for me.

Meanwhile, in the next grow bed.....duckweed. I harvest the duckweed at least once per week. I get about half a bucketful and I tip it into a tub full of drinking water.

The ducks go to town on it and within an hour or two, the only evidence that there was duckweed there was the telltale evidence on the ducks' bills.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

We're taking a harvest on our duckweed about three times a week now. We give some to the ducks and the rest goes into our BioPod......and is gratefully received by both.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

Latest images of our herb grow bed. These plants host hundreds of little leaf hoppers at this time of year. They appear to live among the herbs but don't appear to do much damage to them. I suspect that they find the oil in the herbs repellent.

Gary

[Shane]

Hi,

Latest images of our herb grow bed.

WOW, your herbs are going great guns there Gary !

I grow the majority of my herbs in dirt (in smallish pots).

[GaryD]

Hi Shane,

Rather than struggle with the insects and the humidity, we just convert to herbs for the three or four months of summer heat and humidity. They require no maintenance other than picking.

We use lots of herbs in the kitchen and we give them away by the fistful......while harvesting the nitrates out of the system at the same time.

Gary