Light Sources for Plants

For open and uncovered aquaponics systems, all the light needed for plant growth is usually supplied by the sun. Systems located inside warehouse structures and under some greenhouse covers will need supplemental lighting. Our greenhouse films, ArmorClear, are designed to maximize light transmission. BTL liners industry leading cover allows 87% light transmission, thus making it the perfect choice to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental lighting. Aim to avoid providing light if possible, as it inflates operational costs and adds a lot of maintenance to the facility. 

Staggered Harvests

While batch harvests may be more popular for the fish part of a system, staggered harvests are far more common for the plants. Even if you have large scale wholesale orders, it’s much easier to budget for a business that is making multiple sales per year rather than just one or two big orders. Staggering is often accomplished by planting a mix of fruiting and leafy crops that all mature at different times. However, you can stagger even a single crop such as basil or lettuce simply by timing the seeding or transplanting in batches so they reach maturity for harvesting at different times.