Plants
When choosing plants to grow you should take into account the type of lighting you will use as this can limit the types of plants you can grow. See the Lighting section for more information.
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In this section we will focus on some of the requirements of microgreens, tomatoes and an expected time line for the growth cycle. The following is a short list of the many different varieties of vegetables and fruits that can be grown with the Nomis Engineered Aquaponic and Hydroponic systems.
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Tomatoes
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Peppers
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Greens (most varieties)
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Strawberries
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Microgreens (various varieties)
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Microgreens
Growing microgreens is different than growing traditional plants as you only need to grow the microgreens to be approximately 4-6" tall and not to full maturity. Please keep in mind that microgreen seeds are the same as normal plant seeds, they are just grown differently for harvesting.
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Microgreens have been found to contain great nutritional content, usually more than the full grown vegetable.
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Normally the microgreen seeds are equally scattered onto growing media. For large seeds you want to have about 6-8 seeds per square inch. For smaller seeds you want to have about 10-14 seeds per square inch. The growing media can be soil or soil-less like a natural fiber mat. Some types of seeds will require a pre soak (sunflowers, beets, corn, and more) prior to seeding, but it is best to check with the seed supplier for the exact requirements.
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Once the seeding is complete the seeds will need to stay in the dark for 2-4 days*. Once uncovered, it can take 1 to 4 more weeks* to grow the microcreens for harvest.
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If you are just getting started out with microgreens it would be best to start with seeds that are easier and usually grow faster than others such as,
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Broccoli
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Cabbage
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Kale
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Raddish
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Endive
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Arugula
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*check with seed supplier for actual germination and harvest times.​
Tomatoes
In Hydroponics and Aquaponics systems, Tomatoes can be grown from seedling (small plant), or even through cloning.
Because of the special design of the Aquaponical NS100 tomatoes can be grown directly from seed skipping the steps of transplanting. The Aquaponical NS100 will also grow tomatoes from seedlings and clones. For cloning you need to stick a short tomato cutting (7" to 10" long) with a short stem approximately 4" into the hydroton.
There are many varieties of tomatoes which can have different requirements. Some varieties can become very large and will require a lot of vertical space or special techniques to prune and support the plants.
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Ideal Conditions:
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pH range: 5.5 to 6.5
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Temperature: 60°F to 90°F
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EC range: 2.0 to 5.0
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Lighting: Full Spectrum (18 hours/day)
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Most tomatoes will take:
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Germination: 1 to 2 weeks from seed
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Small plant: 4 to 6 weeks from seed
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Fruit set: 1 to 2 months from seed
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For fruiting or the fruit set to occur pollination needs to occur first. For pollination to occur you will need a fan to blow a onto the plants. Enough to move the leaves around but not enough to damage it. In nature bumble bees or the wind will take care of this process.
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As the plants grow the leaves will need to be pruned to allow for the tomatoes to grow more efficiently. The tomato vines will also need supports. One method we find to be very easy is the lower and lean method.
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Various Vegetables and Greens
The general time line for Basil (can differ between plants and species):
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Germination: 1 to 2 weeks from seed
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Fist leaves: 3 to 4 weeks from seed
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Ready to eat: 5 to 8 weeks from seed
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The general time line for Arugula (can differ between plants and species):
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Germination: 0.5 to 1 week from seed
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Fist leaves: 2 to 3 weeks from seed
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Ready to eat: 4 to 5 weeks from seed
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The general time line for Arugula (can differ between plants and species):
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Germination: 0.5 to 1 week from seed
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Fist leaves: 2 to 3 weeks from seed
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Ready to eat: 4 to 5 weeks from seed
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The general time line for Dill (can differ between plants and species):
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Germination: 2 to 4 week from seed
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Ready to eat: 12 to 14 weeks from seed
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The general time line for Cilantro (can differ between plants and species):
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Germination: 1 to 2 week from seed
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Ready to eat: 3 to 4 weeks from seed
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