Nitrogen is vitally important to aquaponics gardening farms as well as more traditional farms and, therefore, fluctuations in the price or availability of nitrogen fertilizers send ripples of anxiety through the agricultural business sector. Nitrogen is undoubtedly the most important nutrient for almost any plant. Aquaponics gardeners, you will find that this fact applies to your crops as well.
Micro-nutrients and Macro-nutrients
There are approximately eight micronutrients which are essential to plant growth and six macronutrients which are equally important. The macronutrients are, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulfur (S), Calcium (Ca), and Magnesium (Mg). The micronutrients are Iron (Fe), Chlorine (Cl), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and Molybdenum (Mo).
There are some simple things to look for in your plants if you suspect a nutrient deficiency.
- Calcium: Will be indicated by plants dying back and the new leaves are yellow and crinkled.
- Iron: Indicated by white or yellow new leaves with green veins.
- Magnesium: If the older leaves on your plant have yellow stripes between the veins a deficiency is probable.
- Manganese: Pale young leaves that have dead patches in stripes.
- Nitrogen: The oldest leaves on your plant turn yellow and die. The plant may also be stunted in growth.
- Phosphorous: The plant is dark green with purple veins and is stunted.
- Potassium: The plant may have a deficiency if the older leaves have dead edges.
- Sulfur: Young leaves that are yellow to white with yellow veins
- Zinc: Abnormally small new leaves and older leaves may have dead spots.
Aquaponics Nutrients
These can be found in any good plant nutrient solution. There are three requirements for an element to be considered and essential nutrient. One, the element must be necessary for the plants normal growth and reproduction. Two, the element is irreplaceable, meaning that another element cannot be substituted in place of the original element. Three, the plant must directly use the element in some basic function, such as photosynthesis. It cannot be used for a secondary function such as helping the plant to relieve excess toxin build-up.
Your basic aquaponics garden needs the same things that other plants require to live and grow and give you lots of yield. These things are, light, carbon dioxide, water and essential nutrients. Dirt is not a requirement and its part of what separates an aquaponics system from other types of gardens. Soil is a medium to hold the plant stable and inert in the weather and it contains many of the essential minerals plants need – that's why it works so well.
In an aquaponics system soil can be replaced with perlite or vermiculite or something else as a medium or completely removed. Water becomes the delivery system for the plant's nutrients and the roots will just as gleefully suck the elements up. You may have to be more careful in taking care of your aquaponics garden than your dirt garden, because the plants will absolutely need to be fed regularly. They have no soil to suck up water and minerals from. Just try to think of it as having a pet.
You should check your solution regularly to make sure it isn't too acidic or alkaline. If you've got a passive aquaponics system you'll need to flush out the medium regularly to keep salt from building up.