Fish can help you grow some veggies indoors this winter

Who didn't get a big kick out of The Associated Press story last week about Arctic Greens, the container hydroponics growing company now serving up the freshest vegetables the good people of Kotzebue have ever eaten? (ADN published a story over the summer).

There is no question this is the wave of the future for not just the Arctic, but any number of places where fresh produce is in demand and normal sources cannot reach. Next thing you know they will add a large fish tank and implement it into the system, something not really needed in Alaska where fish are so abundant.

Still, the very idea of a shipping container fully equipped to grow food seems so simple. So simple, in fact, that more of us should consider copying the method in our own homes. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to accomplish this feat without having to utilize a shipping container or get an advanced degree in hydroponics chemistry.

One way is to set up a hydroponics system. This always seemed like a lot of work to me. Why not add the fish which actually seems to make it simpler? This combination of hydroponics and fish is called aquaponics. I know it is not something that readily comes to mind when an Alaskan thinks about growing indoor plants, but shipping containers aren't either.

Here is the deal. Fish excrete ammonia as waste. Anyone who has ever had fish may have seen how toxic this ammonia can be to the fish that produce it. This is the main reason you have to clean fish tanks on a regular basis. This ammonia is full of nitrogen, and nitrogen is what plants need. In an aquaponic system, the water from the fish tank is used to feed plants. This removes the ammonia and the water becomes safe again for the fish.

It's a neat system. Once it is established you end up with a very low-maintenance (read: low-work) hydroponics system for growing plants and keeping tropical fish. If you have a large enough system, you can even breed the fish and eat them. Homegrown tilapia anyone?

I know this is not for everyone. Still, do check it out. For starters, log on to the internet where there are any number of inexpensive "desktop" systems available. You can get a very quick idea of the different system sizes by skipping the actual listings and clicking, instead, on the search engine's image tab instead. You will see that some of these aquaponics systems are quite elegant and would fit nicely into your living room. Some have one fish, others have room for a "minischool" so you don't have to really get into another hobby, unless you want to.

Other systems you will see are more rudimentary. Some are designed to show off the fish and others are primarily to support the plants. Some are for one single plant, others for herbs and edibles. See one you like? Click on its page. In fact, do take a look at several setups. A picture really is worth 1,000 words and you will instantly see how these systems work and various ways you could make your own, if you if you were so inclined.

There are many different kinds already manufactured and ready for the home. I found one system for as low as $10; a simple pot that fits over a "tank" where you keep the fish (obviously). Or, you can go deluxe and big at $2,000 and get 12 square feet of garden with a 140-gallon fish tank. You really could support a school of tilapia with that one, along with your allowance of cannabis plants.

There are plenty of great books out there that you will need to read if you are going to get deep into aquaponic gardening. The bible is "Aquaponic Gardening: A Step By Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together" by Sylvia Bernstein. And, as you already know, there is a ton of stuff on the internet about this fascinating hobby.

Again, I know this is not for everyone, but it is winter. What else are you doing this weekend? Take a few minutes to look at aquaponics, even you folks up there in Kotzebue.

Jeff’s Alaska Garden Calendar

To my loyal readers: Thank you (again) Alaskans, for letting me into your homes once every week for the past 40  years. Its seems like only yesterday I started writing these columns, even though the first was published on Nov. 13, 1976. Kay Fanning, Howard Weaver, Stan Abbott, Jeanne Abbot, Suzan Nightingale … look at me now thanks to you. My biggest thanks, however, go to my family who have had to endure so many "I have to write a column" moments. Jude, I love you for that, among all the other things …

Ice Candles and Luminaries Workshop: Alaska Botanical Garden Dec. 7, 6 to 8 p.m. Limited class size. Call 907-770-3692.