Welcome to 2010: a hoophouse odyssey. We're finally ready for plants. This is the most advanced hoophouse I've ever seen. The entire floor is a pond measuring 18" - 24". The pond is part of a larger recirculating pond system including two more outside ponds and a waterfall. The water acts as thermal mass, absorbing the suns energy during the day and releasing it at night.
A boardwalk runs the length of the pond connecting recycled french doors on both ends. The boardwalk is made of black locust cut and milled on the property by Treecyclers. A chicken coop (in red) and shower (behind coop) are also connected to the greenhouse.
The boardwalk has two fixed bridges notched in and one movable plank for access to edge areas. The greenhouse has four types of aquaponic growing systems utilizing fish and chicken wastes as a fertilizer. The plants help filter the water allowing us to grow more fish. The containers on the edge are a "wicking" type of hydroponics. A mixture of compost, peat and perlite in the containers wick nutrients and water up from the pond.
The boardwalk has two fixed bridges notched in and one movable plank for access to edge areas. The greenhouse has four types of aquaponic growing systems utilizing fish and chicken wastes as a fertilizer. The plants help filter the water allowing us to grow more fish. The containers on the edge are a "wicking" type of hydroponics. A mixture of compost, peat and perlite in the containers wick nutrients and water up from the pond. The white styrofoam is a "floating" hydroponics with net pots filled with expanded clay pellets. The bright white trays in back are speedling trays with 200 cells/flat. They will be filled with perlite and vermiculite for seed starting. The speedling tray area will be heated with an aquarium heater and isolated from the rest of the pond. This will create a warm seed starting pond within a larger cooler pond.
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