The relative growth rate for aquaponics vegetables versus in-ground vegetables can vary considerably, depending on plant species and relative growing conditions, but generally you can assume a time-to-maturity rate that’s 25% to 50% faster. In addition to producing crops more quickly, aquaponics systems produce vegetables with substantially greater yield.
Both plants and fish in an aquaponics system enjoy an environment which offers ideal conditions: food, temperature, water quality, etc. Without diseases or competition for resources, plants and fish are able to devote 100% of their energy to growth. Artificial lighting also allows operators to extend the growing season, so it is possible to grow several successive crops of any given plant throughout the year, instead of only one. In a recirculating aquaponics system, nutrients are being added to the water constantly, through the decomposition of fish waste, and plants are able to access those nutrients 24 hours per day. In contrast, hydroponics systems have fertilizer added only periodically, and in soil-based systems, fertilizer is applied a few times per season, at most. These cycles of abundance and scarcity reduce the rapid growth opportunities found in aquaponics systems.
