Re: [APD] Re: dirt and the No CO2 tank

[Derek Parr <derekparr at earthlink_net>]

I recently listened to her (Walstad) presentation at our last club 
meeting here in Raleigh, NC (she lives locally), and I got the 
impression that her goal for using soil was to make the whole thing more 
simple and more simmilar to the way most people grow house plants.  In 
other words, put them in some dirt, add water and put them in a window.

So, whether they get their nutrients from the water or substrate is 
fairly irrelavent in that perspective.

As for natural, well...  no more natural than a potted plant.  I think 
that word might be a disstraction unless we're talking about biotopes.

As for the ferts thing, I don't know what she's said previously at other 
events but in her presentation and what I remember (disclaimer) reading 
in her book she only spoke of adding large amounts of fish food and 
stating that if some plants didn't make it, then tough, it ain't that 
kind of tank anyway. (my words)   When a couple people did bring up 
those kind of questions at the presentation that was basically her 
response, just more civil.  ;]

So, to summarize: from what I understood, Diana is more interested in 
simplicity and minimal work after the setup, and a little science to see 
if some of her theories make sense.

In contrast, I'd say that Tom Barr is ALOT more interested in the 
science and the proving of theories aspect of the hobby.

-derek



> Maybe not so adamant after all. Walstad has also acknowledged on the AB 
> forums that plants can get what they need from the water column. So, um, 
> what would the dirt be doing then?
>
> SH: "Ms. Kasselmann, who spoke at the NEC convention earlier this month, 
> described a version of "dirt tank" (my term, not hers) using loam. She, 
> too, said that after a period, ferts will need to be added. When and how 
> much depends on the loam and the kinds of plants, of course."
>
> Of course. :-/
>
> I think there's something conceptually attractive about the -idea- of 
> the balanced tank and soil substrates that makes them seem more natural. 
> When there's really nothing natural about growing weeds in a glass box 
> at all. The required inputs for success are easily determined so I'll 
> skip the Koolaid and stick with science.
>
> TW
>
> PS: Regarding CO2, I like the third way with moderate light and -some- 
> CO2. Slow stable growth and easy to manage, plus the plants filter the 
> nitrates produced by the fish, which is why I got started on this anyway.

PSS: yea..  i like that one too.. Or I will when I get the balance thing 
more balanced.  ;/

-derek (still a plant newb)
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