How to Grow Poppies in Aquaponics

Poppies are bright, colorful flowers and are available in annual, perennial and biennial varieties. These flowers, which boast one bloom per long stem, thrive throughout the country during the summer season. Many varieties won't tolerate cold winters, though, and suffer in outdoor gardens with too much shade or weed growth. Gardeners with inadequate outdoor conditions may move their poppies into contained situations like pots or hydroponic gardens. Aquaponics takes hydroponics one step further and incorporates a fish tank into the hydroponic situation for green, sustainable plant nutrition. If you have an aquaponic garden already running, plant poppy seeds there for bright summertime flowering.

Things You'll Need

• Aquaponic garden
• Expanded clay/lava rock/gravel/pebbles

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Fill the growing bed area with 12 inches of expanded clay, lava rock, gravel or pebbles for growing. Hydroponics requires non-soil foundations while aquaponics requires inorganic matter that doesn't break down or disrupt the system's pH. Non-soil foundations eliminate the opportunity for weeds or pests in the garden.

   • 2

     Plant poppy seeds at every four inches in the row, with two to four inches between rows. Push the seeds one inch into the growing foundation for security.

   • 3

     Put the system in a site with partial to full sun or full indirect sun to protect the fish and give poppies the light they need for growth.

   • 4

     Turn the aquaponics system on and set the timer for 15 minutes on and 45 minutes off. This flood-and-drain process allows for best nutrient transfer for both poppies and fish.