Seeding More than You Need

     In my excitement about planting new varieties in my raft bed I forgot about one of the most important rules of starting new plants.  I only planted what I needed in the raft bed and I didn't have any extra seedlings in my seeding cabinet.  The reminder that it's extremely important to plant more than you need came quick.  After losing several plants to damping off I'm behind where I'd like to be already.  This could have easily been avoided.
     Seeds cost money, so it makes sense that we would only want to use what we think we'll need.  But the fact is that there is a lot out there for our plants to survive against.  Pests and diseases can wreak havoc on a crop, and less than favorable environmental conditions can cause just as much trouble.  By seeding more than you'll need you leave a margin for plant loss so that even when some plants are lost you don't fall behind or produce less than you want to.  I'd go with 25% more than you think you'll need.  It leaves plenty of wiggle room.
     If you're worried about losing money to this method then you can collect seeds from your harvested crop for the next season.  By the time you harvest you've already paid off a seed packet, so you can plant as many seeds next season as you'd like without feeling guilty about wasting seeds.  And if you don't end up using your extra seedlings you can always give them away to others, which is almost always a welcome gift.  So plant extra and keep on schedule.  Don't fall victim to the thought that all your plants are going to thrive.

Venturing into Home Aquaponic Production

     Earlier in this year I was working with a couple of large aquaponic raft systems with two 5' x 12' x 1' raft beds.  I enjoyed every day of it and learned a lot.  Because the system was properly designed and I'd been trained/taken classes on aquaponic production it seemed very simple to produce in the systems.  But, I had to grow what my boss wanted to grow.  And that was always lettuce.  I like trying new things and I really couldn't wait to try out new vegetables in aquaponics.  Now I have a couple of systems at home that are about the size I imagine most homeowners would want when getting into aquaponic food production at home.
     It's been a terribly hot summer, and not much is growing other than mint and lemon balm right now.  But as we get closer to the end of summer I'm looking forward to my options for plant selection to open up.  Right now I'm trying to grow pole beans, bush beans, cucumbers, and bell peppers mostly.  I'd like to share my learning process with you.  I'll surely make mistakes, and quickly learn from them.  Other times I'll learn from what does work (I prefer it that way).  And I hope that through this blog you can learn from my experiences, as well.