- What is aeroponics?
Aeroponics is a system of food production where plants are grown without a growth medium. Instead, plants are suspended in midair, often supported only by stems, and roots are allowed to dangle freely in an enclosed root chamber.
- How does aeroponics work?
The fundamental principle of aeroponics is based on the fact that plants absorb and use both water and nutrients most efficiently when roots are exposed to plenty of oxygen. In an aeroponics setup, plants are grown with roots suspended in midair instead of within some sort of growth media. This maximizes roots’ ability to absorb both nutrient solution and oxygen, without media blocking or interfering with airflow.
- Who uses aeroponics?
Aeroponics systems are increasingly popular in situations where space is at a premium or the local soil is poor quality, such as in indoor urban gardens. Aeroponics is increasingly used in countries like Vietnam and India, where the practice allows farmers to maximize yields and minimize resource use, even as arable land disappears. Aeroponics is also catching on in desert environments such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Given that aeroponics systems use about 95% less water than soil-based agriculture, this popularity is expected to increase.
- Why are aeroponics systems so successful?
Farmers have long recognized that crops grow better and faster when roots have access to plenty of oxygen. Tilling is a long-used practice that improves the availability of subsurface oxygen. One of the major problems with compacted soil, as a matter of fact, is the lack of air pockets for roots to reach. Aeroponics is distinguished by the fact that no growth medium is used and roots are suspended in the air, rather than bathed or submerged in water, as in traditional hydroponics. In aeroponics systems, roots actually spend most of their time absorbing the oxygen they need, while nutrient solution may be misted for only a few seconds every five minutes. This optimal exposure produces rapid growth and maximum yields from healthy, disease-free plants.
- What can you grow with aeroponics?
In theory, anything can be grown using aeroponics, though the typical choices are similar to hydroponics, including salad and other leafy greens, herbs, strawberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers. However, aeroponics is also a good option for growing root crops like carrots, radishes and even potatoes, which aren’t well suited for hydroponics. Aeroponics is also well suited for cloning, or growing plants from cuttings, since it promotes healthy root growth and the cuttings can be moved or transplanted without damaging the tender roots.
- What are the disadvantages of aeroponics?
The best aeroponics systems, which use high-pressure pumps to produce an extremely fine mist, can be quite expensive to set up. While these systems produce the best results in terms of rapid, healthy growth and maximum yields, they require automation for nutrient cycles and backup systems in the event of power failures. Commercial growers are likely to see a positive return on their investment with rapid production and high yields, but hobby growers may never directly recoup the cost. The more advanced and automated aeroponics systems also require some technical knowledge, which can be a barrier to those starting out.
- Why should I care about aeroponics?
Traditional farming is becoming more and more challenging as the push for development encroaches on traditional farming areas. Anyone hoping to start a private farm is likely to find that land prices are an insurmountable barrier. Access to fresh water, whether it’s groundwater, surface water, or ordinary precipitation, is no longer guaranteed across large swathes of the country, and that can make traditional soil farming impossible. Aeroponics isn’t dependent on suitable land, plentiful water, or even nice weather to produce plentiful amounts of delicious, fresh, healthy, and chemical-free food.
- How much maintenance is needed in aeroponics?
Aeroponics systems actually require comparatively little maintenance when compared to hydroponics or traditional greenhouse gardening, for example. If you have a large aeroponics facility to manage, of course, it will add up. One of your most basic maintenance chores will be to regularly disinfect your root chambers. Aeroponics is known for the lack of opportunity for diseases to establish and spread, but that doesn’t mean the risk is zero. Fortunately, it’s a pretty easy chore - hydrogen peroxide is a popular, easy-to-use disinfectant, and it’s no more technical than cleaning a bathroom. You’ll also want to check your misters for clogs and disinfect them at the same time. Aside from that, make sure you have enough nutrient solution and plan to check the pH of your water regularly.
- How is aeroponics sustainable?
Aeroponics systems take advantage of programmable automation so that high pressure pumps operate as little as 5% of the time, a significant advantage over hydroponics pumps that must keep water moving constantly. Aeroponics is extremely effective at conserving water - extremely fine mist is absorbed instantly by the exposed roots, leaving virtually no excess that needs treatment before it can be used again. Aeroponics produces the highest annual yield per unit area for all known systems thanks to the system’s flexibility for vertical arrangements as well as the ability to space plants close together without risk of spreading disease or pathogens. Aeroponics also allows food to be produced readily within cities and close to urban markets, eliminating the need to transport produce thousands of miles to market.
