Skirting Disaster A Series of Unfortunate Events

Really cold weather hasnt been much of a challenge until last night when my son-in-law reported that there was a fire in the greenhouse. This occurred because the propane tank we used had been overfilled at the gas station where we take our tanks to be replenished. The empty tanks were refilled to a proper level, but the partially empty tank received more than it could hold and still function properly. At any rate, instead of neatly heating the radiant area there were flames coming out of the top of the attachment that screws onto propane tank. The situation was caught before extensive damage occurred. One of the rain gutters used in the float system was slightly deformed by the heat and some of the primroses were wilted but not scorched. We have a back-up system of a small barbeque brazier, the tabletop kind that is about 18" in diameter, which burns charcoal briquets. We used it last night when the temperature dipped into the teens and it kept the greenhouse from a hard freeze, even though the tomato plants have likely met their end. The water in the system didnt freeze. One of my sons keeps the heater or the brazier going as needed and it is he who responded to the fire and diagnosed the cause. Today is cold, under 20 degrees until after 10 AM. He will be in the greenhouse burning off the extra propane while doing various things to the system. Less than a week ago we woke after a late night and family party and discovered that there were only three inches of water in the fish tank. Eeeeeek!. Fortunately I store extra water in 50 gallon barrels, partially as a heat reservoir but also as an at need source of water that has sat long enough to degas the chlorine. I immediately added the water to the fish tank. Later we added additional water with a hose once the faucet and the hose were thawed enough to use. I add the chlorinated water through the plant beds and so far that seems to moderate the chemistry enough before it reaches the fish tank that the fish havent visibly suffered. Apparently whatever caused the loss of water was fixed in the process of messing around. So far we havent had to add more water once the normal levels were restored and the system was up and running, draining and filling through the bell syphons. At this point mint, strawberry plants, parsley, kale and primroses are standing up to the stress of winter cold and we havent lost a significant amount of fish, although I suspect that floaters are not a realistic indication of fish loss. There are signs that the larger trout, some of which are longer than 6 inches at this point, are predating the smaller trout. This is just as well since it keeps down the nitrogen from too many fish.

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Expensive Chicken Feed Frozen Fish

Winter of 2012-13 in Utah set records for cold. Particularly in January when the temperature went below zero with sad regularity. For various family reasons I spent all of January in the east, ranging from Florida to Puerto Rico to New York City. I experienced some cold in Manhattan but not the hard, killing freeze that settled over Utah. My son tried valiantly to keep the greenhouse running. The propane heater and charcoal brazier proved inadequate. Even burning hardwood in the chimenea couldnt cut the cold entirely, then the greenhouse door froze shut. A brief spell of temperatures above freezing allowed my son to view the damage. A 140 gallon block of ice with fish suspended in it filled the fish tank. Most of the primrose plants survived and we now see blooms on some of them. The mint is shooting out green leaves. My enterprising son, unwilling to deal with a quantity of dead fish as spring approached, found a novel way to use the frozen fish and water in the fish tank. he chipped out the fishy ice and let the three hens we keep for eggs work their will with it. The chickens, omniverous eaters that they are, enjoyed the frozen fish and their eggs likely provided a lot of omega 3 fatty acids. The previous winter I had insulated my water pipes and taped electrical warming lines along them but I rearranged the plumbing last fall and made the mistake of failing to restore the insulating tubes and the warming lines that kept the system from freezing last year. In review, I purchased too many fingerling trout. As they grew larger, they overstressed the system. At least they provided a tasty treat for the chickens. This winter wasnt a complete disaster, some of the plants survived. None of the more important parts of the system failed. We restored the flood and drain system and soon I will plant the grow beds with various less hardy plants as spring comes on. We plan to add some snails to the fish tank and I will gradually add a few fish, either trout or gold fish. I dont plan to disturb the ecology of the various growing systems which have been through two growth seasons so far. It seems wise to augment the plants with a bit of fertilizer along with the chelated iron I use whatever number of fish I have and not try to keep a lot of fish. I engage in aquaponics more for plants than fish as well as the water storage/saving that is part of the system.

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