Plants: Grown in troughs / tubes / chambers
· Roots: NOT grown in any kind of solid material eg. rockwool or soil
· Instead, roots are hung in space and are periodically bathed in nutrient mist
· Thus, roots can absorb nutrients and oxygen easily and faster. It also reduces the risk of root zone disease due to the absence of material for debris or pathogens to reside.
Water pump:
Water pump:
· Provide sufficient water pressure
· Connected to a long rubber hose with small 'feelers' extending from the side of the hose at different areas ending in a drip nozzle laying at the base of a plant in the growing medium.
· May or may not be attached to a wall timer
Seeds:
- Planted in neoprene discs before placing in a tray
Tray:
- Sits above a bin that houses a pump and nutrient solution
Discs:
- Regularly misted with food, air and water
TAKE NOTE: As aeroponics systems are constantly wet with nutrient spray, they must be continually and carefully treated with 35% hydrogen peroxide solution to prevent the growth and development of harmful bacteria and fungi.
· Have no root zone media to anchor in and thus, aeroponics systems have support collars that are rigid enough to hold stems in place and to hold plants upright and keep the roots in place.
· Limiting Factor and Development on Plant Growth: Density of root zone media
· Aeroponics nutrients: misted through oxygen, and hence there are plenty of oxygen in the growing chamber for roots to absorb and thus, aeroponics plants can grow faster and absorb more nutrients than regular hydroponics plants
· Aneroponics Systems: Able to be cleaned and renewal unlike regular hydroponics systems where growers have to remove and replace rockwool and other root zone media. In aeroponics systems, growers can remove plants and their roots, wash the irrigation channels, reservoirs and root chambers with water and disinfectant.
· As plants grow, they can efficiently use the fertilizer and grow more fluorishly. They can produce more flowers with less above-ground growth and be easily moved around in the aeroponics system, which is basically a modular system in which plants can be removed from one neoprene collar and placed in another.
TAKE NOTE: Use superior fertilizers in aeroponics systems due to the absence of root zone media to buffer and hold nutrients. As such, the nutrients have to be properly manufactured in order to be sprayed easily and not cause clogs. They have to be manufactured in correct ratios and the proper pH buffering so as to they provide nutrients that can be immediately absorbed by roots.
Taken From: http://growaeroponics.com/
