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Authors: Tom Corson-Knowles
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Aeroponics is having a big impact on the vertical gardening community.
So what’s so great about vertical gardening with aeroponics? This form of gardening uses absolutely no soil and only about 10% of the water and land compared to traditional gardens. All the water in the system is recycled so there’s no runoff which is why you can grow plants with much less water than traditional gardening.
With aeroponics the plants also grow much faster as well (NASA quoted that aeroponic gardens grow at least twice as fast as soil gardens).
Pest control is a lot easier as well because the plants are so healthy they can pretty much combat disease and insects on their own (or at least better than plants in soil).
Aeroponics can be used to grow almost anything, including herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers. These systems can be placed in small spaces, such as decks, balconies, rooftops, porches and patios.
Above are some baby Alpine strawberries just a few weeks old in my vertical garden.
What is Aeroponics?
Aeroponics is a form of gardening that requires no soil or other form of medium to grow plants. The name itself is Greek and was chosen because it describes this method perfectly – air labor.
It’s important that you don’t get aeroponic gardens confused with hydroponic gardens because the two are different. Hydroponics involves growing plants in sand, gravel or water with no soil. Aeroponics is a specialized type of hydroponic gardening where the roots are exposed to the air and then watered with a nutrient-rich water regularly.
Today, aeroponics systems for the home and commercial use have become so sophisticated and easy to use that all you really need to do is set up the system and check the water, nutrient levels and pH once a week or so.
Aeroponic Gardens are Eco-Friendly
Unlike with traditional gardening, which can place a great demand on the ecosystem (especially when harmful chemicals are used), aeroponic gardens are safe for you and the environment.
The greatest benefit of this system is that it preserves water and energy better than any other type of garden. It has been recorded as using 1/10 the amount of water than what would traditionally be needed to grow the same crop. Some have even dropped this number down to 1/20 depending on the climate.
How Aeroponics Gardening Works
The way aeroponic gardens are built allows it to receive lots of air exposure. The garden is literally on a tower that extends into the air, giving it lots of oxygen. The root systems and stems are free of constraints, allowing it maximum growth and root expansion, due to the lack of physical contact and access to pure water.
Since the plant roots are 100% suspended in the air, they are able to get lots of oxygen. The system also provides the roots with micro-droplets of nutrient water. The design of aeroponics helps to prevent pathogens from forming on the plants.
Less Disease in Your Garden
Aeroponic gardening allows plants to flourish without many of the common traditional diseases found in soil-growing plants. Since the contact between plants is reduced and there's no soil in the system, the plants are protected from many common disease. However, it's still possible to see diseases such as blight, mildew, botrytis, bacterial wilt, anthracnose, fusarium and leaf spot so be aware if you see signs of disease.
When plants are placed in soil or other medium, disease is able to easily spread to plants. In the event that a plant does become diseased in an aeroponic system, it can easily be removed in seconds without spreading it to the other plants.
How Plants are Watered
Since aeroponic systems only use 10% of the water soil gardens use, you may be wondering how these plants are watered. The irrigation systems that are used in these systems usually come in the form of misters, sprayers, foggers or gravity-fed drip systems. A good system will have a timer that you can customize to water the plants on a regular
So what’s so great about vertical gardening with aeroponics? This form of gardening uses absolutely no soil and only about 10% of the water and land compared to traditional gardens. All the water in the system is recycled so there’s no runoff which is why you can grow plants with much less water than traditional gardening.
With aeroponics the plants also grow much faster as well (NASA quoted that aeroponic gardens grow at least twice as fast as soil gardens).
Pest control is a lot easier as well because the plants are so healthy they can pretty much combat disease and insects on their own (or at least better than plants in soil).
Aeroponics can be used to grow almost anything, including herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers. These systems can be placed in small spaces, such as decks, balconies, rooftops, porches and patios.
Above are some baby Alpine strawberries just a few weeks old in my vertical garden.
What is Aeroponics?
Aeroponics is a form of gardening that requires no soil or other form of medium to grow plants. The name itself is Greek and was chosen because it describes this method perfectly – air labor.
It’s important that you don’t get aeroponic gardens confused with hydroponic gardens because the two are different. Hydroponics involves growing plants in sand, gravel or water with no soil. Aeroponics is a specialized type of hydroponic gardening where the roots are exposed to the air and then watered with a nutrient-rich water regularly.
Today, aeroponics systems for the home and commercial use have become so sophisticated and easy to use that all you really need to do is set up the system and check the water, nutrient levels and pH once a week or so.
Aeroponic Gardens are Eco-Friendly
Unlike with traditional gardening, which can place a great demand on the ecosystem (especially when harmful chemicals are used), aeroponic gardens are safe for you and the environment.
The greatest benefit of this system is that it preserves water and energy better than any other type of garden. It has been recorded as using 1/10 the amount of water than what would traditionally be needed to grow the same crop. Some have even dropped this number down to 1/20 depending on the climate.
How Aeroponics Gardening Works
The way aeroponic gardens are built allows it to receive lots of air exposure. The garden is literally on a tower that extends into the air, giving it lots of oxygen. The root systems and stems are free of constraints, allowing it maximum growth and root expansion, due to the lack of physical contact and access to pure water.
Since the plant roots are 100% suspended in the air, they are able to get lots of oxygen. The system also provides the roots with micro-droplets of nutrient water. The design of aeroponics helps to prevent pathogens from forming on the plants.
Less Disease in Your Garden
Aeroponic gardening allows plants to flourish without many of the common traditional diseases found in soil-growing plants. Since the contact between plants is reduced and there's no soil in the system, the plants are protected from many common disease. However, it's still possible to see diseases such as blight, mildew, botrytis, bacterial wilt, anthracnose, fusarium and leaf spot so be aware if you see signs of disease.
When plants are placed in soil or other medium, disease is able to easily spread to plants. In the event that a plant does become diseased in an aeroponic system, it can easily be removed in seconds without spreading it to the other plants.
How Plants are Watered
Since aeroponic systems only use 10% of the water soil gardens use, you may be wondering how these plants are watered. The irrigation systems that are used in these systems usually come in the form of misters, sprayers, foggers or gravity-fed drip systems. A good system will have a timer that you can customize to water the plants on a regular
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