How would you like to have Organic Aquaponics plants available to you every day, new, home-grown? The most sustainable form of food production, Aquaponics, enables you to grow vegetables and fish easily, in a small space and at very low costs.

Aquaponics systems can be used to grow several vegetables, but perhaps the most common are lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and various herbs. In a single aquaponics system, you can grow a variety of distinct vegetables and most individuals do so.

In just 40 days, the lettuce matures and is extremely easy to produce. The optimum air temperature range is 60-80 degrees F, while the temperature of its root (i.e. water) should be between 70-74 degrees Fahrenheit. Lettuce therefore mixes well with tilapia, as warmer waters are favoured too. You can either plant the seeds directly in your hydroponic beds to grow lettuce, or else you can plant the seeds in a pot and only move them when they have grown a few inches to the growing bed.

You can either pick the whole plant when the time comes for harvesting or only take a few leaves at a time-exactly the amount of leaves you need for that side salad! In aquaponic growing, other leafy greens grow just as well, such as spinach, watercress, basil, parsley and mint.

Another very common Aquaponics plant is tomatoes; however, they require a high level of nutrients. You will need to have a fairly crowded fish tank to do this, and you will also need to select fish that develop well in dense populations. Tomatoes grow best at temperatures around 68 to 88 degrees F. when they have around 8 to 12 hours of light per day (especially during fruiting).

Tomatoes should not be seeded in the hydroponic bed directly; they should be seeded in a seedling tray instead and transplanted after around 2 to 6 weeks. Enable the tomatoes to completely ripen before picking, for the best taste.

Cucumbers, particularly the variety known as the English Cucumber, are another plant that is ideal for aquaponics. At air temperatures of 75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, cucumbers grow best and prefer a humidity level below 75 percent. In just 6 to 8 weeks, English cucumbers mature and are ready to eat when they exceed 6 inches in length. Squash, melons, buttercup, watermelon and cantaloupe are very close to the requirements of cucumber and grow well using a set-up of Aquaponics.

To discover how to choose the best plants, and how to get the best yields, check out Aquaponics 4 You