Aeroponics - Understanding Hydroponics Systems

To set up a Aeroponics system you would need:

    Purpose built baskets to sit the plants in.
    Purpose built Aeroponics chambers.
    Reservoir or tank to house the solution
    Growing Medium.
    Pump
    Irrigation pipework with atomiser fittings

 



An Aeroponic System
Aeroponics is quite different in one way but also similar in other ways to any of the systems we have looked at so far, with Aeroponics you still need a tank to hold the nutrient solution like Hydroponics, you still need a medium and the unused solution still runs back into the tank but that’s where the similarities end. With this system the plants are planted into a medium held in a basket rather than a pot, this allows the roots to grow freely and hang below the basket. Rather than sitting in a tray or floating in solution as with other systems in Aeroponics the basket is suspended in a growth chamber (some are like a large drain pipe sealed at either end) with the roots hanging freely within the chamber, the solution is pumped from the tank but this is where this system becomes quite unique, instead of just running down the chamber the solution is injected in a mist into the chamber and over the free hanging roots, this has great advantages as it provides oxygenated solution directly where the plant needs it, the negative side to this is that if their is any kind of failure in the delivery system the plants are pretty much doomed; because the roots are free hanging there is no medium in direct contact with the roots so the will quickly dry out and die.
Aeroponics is quite a technical way of growing plants, the expected yields are greatly improved but the margin of error is much smaller, this and the added cost of Aeroponics systems is probably why only the experienced and committed grower use these systems.