Anyone who has dealt with soil gardening in the past would know that this system would require large amounts of water. on the other hand, water usage in an aquaponics system is much less than compared to soil gardening. then water in aquaponics is in a closed-loop system meaning the water always being recycled.. The plants produced either by an aquaponics system or using traditional soil-based methods don’t taste much different. in fact some argue that vegetables and fruits grown using an aquaponics system taste better. but for sure if you were worrying about the taste of produce from an aquaponics system vs the soil taste of produce, you need not worry.. Not so the soil plant. although it was mulched, soil conditions can dry out stressing the plant somewhat. but both plants were in a sunny position and only a short distance from one another. the plant in the aquaponics system grew very well. the stalks snapped with a rich crunchy sound and made an excellent stir-fry..
Plants grown in soilless systems like hydroponics or aquaponics grow on average 30-50% faster than in traditional gardening. when a plant is grown in a soilless medium the aeration in the roots increases tremendously. this extra oxygen encourages faster root growth, quicker nutrient absorption and overall growth.. The fish manure, while not the same as soil, is a considerable step in the right direction from chemical fertilizers, and elements like liquid compost can be added to enrich the mixture. even so, aquaponics is better suited to urban environments, where square footage needs to be kept to a minimum and production needs to be more intensive..
