Tips for growing vegetables / plants in fish pond

Tips for growing vegetables / aquatic plants in a fish pond:

The best thing about aquaponics is that aquarists can cultivate different kinds of plants throughout the year & little maintenance is required. 6 hours of sunlight is enough for your plant.

If you want to grow vegetables in a pond then keep an eye on the water quality, water current, pond inhabitants, & substrate used for keeping vegetables in place. In this article, I have shared my tips for growing vegetables in a fish pond.

The main things to consider when growing plants are: sun, humidity & nutrition. Live plants can be placed in the sun, & water from the pond will keep them moist. They can get nutrition from fish waste & other toxins present in the water.

For beginners, I would recommend starting with the vegetables that grow easily & do not need high maintenance.

Tips for growing vegetables in a pond

My mini backyard pond & aquaponic filter:

My small fish pond can hold only 120 liters of water. I have kept Australian rainbow fish in the pond that can survive in cold & warm temperatures. They have been living in the pond for about a year & show beautiful colors. My pond filter uses cascading buckets & I have kept vegetables & herbs in the filter for cleaning water. Pond water creates strong currents which oxidizes it & keeps aquatic plants healthy.

My mini backyard pond with cascading bucket filter

I am using a filter made of cascading buckets. Water is sucked from the pond using a pump & then it flows through mechanical & biological filtration media, & clean water is allowed to flow back to the pond. I have added plants to my filter that absorb nutrition from the water because I am keeping rainbow fish in my pond. Fish waste releases toxins that act as fertilizers for plants. So, if you have fish in the pond then there is no need to add additional fertilizers.

 

Best substrate for vegetables:

I have topped up cascading buckets with canna clay balls which offer both greater absorbency & air content that help in healthy root formation. Clay pebbles have a neutral PH, & they save plants from rot & fungus.

Add plant to a netted pot that contains canna clay balls

Benefits of a netted pot:

I have added plants to netted pots instead of adding it directly to the cascading buckets. Netted pot helps plant in getting a strong root formation. Netted pots are developed from a rigid plastic mesh & it helps in the drainage & allows water to flow through it. It will let your plant get nutrition from the water. It is easy to add plants to a netted pot & to remove it from the pot when the season ends, & add fresh plants to it.

It is mandatory to take plants out of the pots & wash all the soil before adding them to netted pots. Use canna clay balls as substrate.

 

My mini backyard pond plants:

Video below shows how to grow vegetables in a fish pond:

I have removed off season plants from my pond & have added new plants to it. I am growing the following plants in my mini backyard pond:

Mint

Chives

Oregano

Basil

Sage

Thyme

Strawberry

Italian Parsley

Watercress

Avocado

 

Perennial Herbs:

Herbs that form root when planted in water & cultivate through the winter months are called perennial herbs. The best season to plant these herbs is spring.

 

Mint:

How to grow mint in a fish pond

Mint mostly grows well in wet surroundings & wet soils. They can reach a height of 120 cm & spread horizontally too.

Take mint plant out of the pot. Separate all the roots & wash them gently with clean water. Add plant to a netted pot & fill it up with canna clay pebbles. Then place it in the cascading bucket filter.

Chives:

How to grow chives in a fish pond

Heat & cold tolerant herb. The flowers of this attractive plant are edible. If you let flowers of this herb to develop completely then it will conquer your garden. The flowers of this herb will throw the seeds.

Take out chives herb from the pot. Isolate the roots & rinse them with clean water. Add chives to a netted pot & keep canna clay pebbles as substrate. Then place the pot gently in the bucket filter.

Oregano:

How to grow oregano in a fish pond

Loves warm sunny weather. It is a very tasty herb & you can grow it simply in water. The flowers of Oregano are beautiful & pollinating bees are very interested in them.

 

Basil:

How to grow basil in a fish pond

Do not need soil for growth. It is a very tasty herb that can be used in many recipes. It is very simple to grow this herb but it just grows in the sun in the summer season.

Take basil vegetable out of the pot. Separate the roots & rinse them gently with fresh water. Add basil to a netted pot & use canna clay pebbles for holding it. Then put the pot in the cascading bucket filter.

Sage:

How to grow sage in a fish pond

Easily tolerate dry conditions. You can simply grow this herb. Multiple color flowers will appear in the spring season. This herb can grow in any environment but it should be placed in direct sun.

Take chives plant out of the pot. Divide all the roots & use clean water for rinsing them. Add chives herb to a netted pot & use canna clay balls for holding the plant in place. Then keep the pot in the filter.

Thyme:

How to grow thyme in a fish pond

Thyme is an evergreen hardy perennial. Thyme is normally planted in the spring season. For planting this herb, either use seed, cuttings or dividing rooted sections of the herb.

Take out thyme plant from the pot. Isolate all the roots & use fresh water for rinsing them. Add herb to a netted pot & use canna clay balls for holding it in place. Then place it gently in the filter.

Strawberry:

How to grow strawberry in a fish pond

Strawberry is the name of a beautiful plant that grows fruits & leaves. It is a very popular plant & people eat its fruits. The fruits & leaves of this plant are used in medicines. It offers many advantages & can defend a person against many illnesses.

Sun should be hitting strawberry plants for at least 6 hours per day. Strawberry prefers growing in an unchanging temperature, watery environment, & it should be saved from wind.

Take strawberry plant out of the pot. Separate the roots & use clean water for washing them. Add strawberry to a netted pot & use canna clay balls for holding the plant in place. Then gently keep the pot in the filter.

Italian Parsley:

How to grow Italian Parsley in a fish pond

Italian Parsley grows well in direct sunlight & it is used in soups, fish, chicken & other recipes. It contains an abundance of iron & vitamins.

Italian Parsley takes around 6 weeks to grow from seedlings & a little longer (8 weeks) from seeds.

Take out Italian Parsley from the pot. Isolate the roots & use clean water for washing them. Add Italian Parsley to a netted pot & use canna clay pebbles for keeping it in place. Then place the pot in the aquaponic filter.

Watercress:

Watercress has health benefits such as it can help patients suffering from bronchial disorders & boosts stamina. If you want to plant Watercress then use a cutting.

How to grow Watercress in a fish pond

Use a netted pot for growing watercress. It is a fast-growing plant so choose a big pot. Use Canna clay pebbles as substrate. A very important step is to wash the pot & plant to remove dirt before adding it to the pond. Let the watercress pot float freely on the pond water surface.

Separate all the roots of the watercress & rinse them with fresh water. Add watercress to a netted pot & use canna clay balls for holding the plant in place. Then let the pot float on the water surface.

Avocado:

Avocado grows in warm conditions. They will keep you healthy & protect you from many sicknesses.

How to grow Avocado in a fish pond

It is very simple to grow avocado from seed. It is important to remove the pit but try not to hurt the seed. Insert 3 toothpicks in avocado seed & use toothpicks to suspend the seed in a glass half filled with tap water in such a way that the top half of avocado is outside water. Place the glass in sunlight & keep monitoring it till the roots appear. When avocado has enough roots then it is time to shift avocado to a pond.