Aeroponics Systems

Like with all types of hydroponics, aeroponic systems can be made up of many different kinds of materials, designs and setups that suit your growing space. Some advantages of aeroponics are they usually use no or very little growing mediums. This allows the roots to absorb maximum oxygen and lets the plants grow at their maximum potential - usually very quickly if done correctly. Aeroponics are very popular among users who are growing root crops as since there's no growing medium the root's are easily accessible, making harvest a breeze.  

We recommend only experienced hydroponic growers use aeroponics as there's very little room for error. This is because the design of the set up lets the roots hang in air and if for any reason the water supply or mister stops working the roots will dry out which can have devastating effects on the crop. Common problems and things to look out for are obviously power outages which stop the pump / misters from working. Depending on what crop it is, within as little as an hour the roots can dry out which stresses the plant. We also always recommend having spare misters on hand as they are known to clog up from the dissolved mineral elements in the nutrient solution. 

There are three different sorts of aeroponic setups, although we commonly claim there are four when you include aquaponics. The first is low pressure aeroponic systems, also commonly known as soakaponics. They are the most popular and are usually what you'll find when visiting your local hydroponic store. The main reason they're the most popular is because their simplicity and the low cost of getting a low pressure areoponic set up. The method is simple, let the roots hang in the air and have a sprinkler head that releases the water and nutrients over the roots at regular intervals. 

The second type of areoponics is a high pressure system also commonly known as the true aeroponic system. The only difference between low presure and high pressure systems is the method of the way the water is supplied to the roots. In a high pressure system the water and nutrient solution is misted onto the roots at around 60-90 psi. The mist allows the roots to get a lot more oxygen than the low pressure systems and usually provide better results due to this. However the cost of the setup is usually a lot higher as you need to invest in a small air-compressor.

The third type of areoponics is the ultrasonic fogger system. We usually don't recommend this as we have found they come with mixed results. We have had customers who have combined using ultrasonic foggers along with the low pressure design however with varied results we try not recommend this. 

The fourth is more of an ecosystem and called aquaponics. There are some great set ups which people have created which combine an aeroponic set up, usually a low pressure system with a fish tank. You can make these very simply or have a very complex system as well. The idea is simple. Like with an areoponic set up, the roots hang in the air above the fish tank. The fish waste breaks down within the water and in turn are used as the nutrient to feed the plant. The water that drops down over the roots is used to aerate the water for the fish. Below is a diagram which explains the concept.