How to Grow Plants Faster With Aeroponics: A Detailed Guide

Did you know that aeroponic crops consume almost 98% less water compared to the crops grown by traditional methods? 

And not just that!

The crops grow faster resulting in increased yield & less environmental damage. Mostly, the crops are disease-free & also grow densely in a shorter space. Additionally, the aeroponic crops & plants require less renewable energy & zero deforestation.

But, what if I tell you that crops can grow without soil as well? Yes, you heard it right. Aeroponic farming can grow plants and crops without any medium. 

So, let’s know how you can generate immense profitability through aeroponics & what exactly you will need for this.  

What Is Aeroponics & What Can It Grow?

Before knowing how this process works, the types & the processes, it is important to learn about the aeroponic farming system. 

The word “aeroponic” is a combination of two Latin words. “Aero” means air & “Ponic” means labor. But can you guess the interpretation behind the name of this harvesting technique? Well, you are right. 

You need to invest less physical labor & inputs for growing crops through aeroponics. Moreover, you do not need soil for this. The roots will collect the essential growth components from an open root-zone environment, a water solution rich in vital nutrients.

Also, you can just spray the roots with water solutions to supply the vital components. However, you need to suspend the roots in a dark container in this farming system. To avoid water clogging, use a spray bottle with smaller holes. This way, the plants receive sufficient oxygen resulting in faster crop yield. 

Now you must be thinking about what you can grow with this technique. Well, you can cultivate practically anything with this. Precisely, this farming practice is best suited to cultivate leafy greens, vegetables, and herbs like tomato, capsicum, zucchini, & cucumber. 

How Does Aeroponics Work?

Just imagine growing your plants inside a special hanging box instead of soil! What if the roots of your plants dangle in the air? Isn’t that interesting? I am sure it is. So, let’s look into how the aeroponic farming system works.

Aeroponic crops collect their food in a slightly different way. All you need to do is to create a special water mixed with plant nutrients. Now, spray the water onto the hanging roots. Just tell me, won’t you enjoy giving them a rain shower?

This process has several benefits. First, it will save you a lot of water. Secondly, you will get rid of all those nasty bugs & plant diseases. Interestingly enough, you can also control the light supply as per your need. However, the warmer the environment is, the better they will grow. 

So, if you have that special box perfect for placing crops & equipment, start your aeroponic farming journey right now! I am sure it will be fun when you see them growing day by day.

The History of Aeroponics

Today, aeroponic farming is a crucial aspect of commercial agriculture with 75 times more crop production compared to traditional farming. But do you know who invented this process? 

Well, the first concept behind this farming technique was published in an article by V.M. Artsikhovski in 1911. He first introduced the spraying methods into the air to observe changes in root systems when contaminated with nutritional substances.

In the 1920s, botanists used aeroponic techniques to study root structure. In 1942, W. Carter introduced the process of plant growth in water vapor. L.J. Klotz grew citrus plants with vapor mists to observe plant diseases in 1944. 

Later, in 1952, G.F.Trowel grew apple with spray culture & in 1957, F.Went first coined the term “aeroponic”. The commercialization first happened in the late 1990s when NASA took the initiative to grow food in space through aeroponics. However, by 2006, farmers started to use this agricultural practice widely worldwide for crop cultivation.  

The Types of Aeroponics

Low-Pressure Units

In this system, you can suspend the plant roots above the reservoir filled with a nutritional water solution. Alternatively, you can suspend the roots inside a channel and connect it to the reservoir. To supply the solution to the roots, you can use jets, transducers, or a low-pressure pump. 

And trust me, it will be mess-free as the excess water solution will drain back into the reservoir. If you want to grow plants on the benchtop on a small scale, opt for this technique. 

High-Pressure Devices

If you plan to grow high-value crops, you can use high-pressure pumps & supply the nutrition with spray mists. Invest in water & air purification, low-mass polymers, & nutrient sterilization systems for advanced growth if you have a high budget.

Commercial Systems

This farming system relies heavily on high-pressure hardware devices along with biological systems. Commercial crop producers monitor a lot of growth factors with advanced technologies for disease-free crop production. Moreover, they need to control aspects like the functionality of the sensors, spectrum filtration, light supply, etc. 

5 Technological Apparatus Used for Aeroponics

Genesis Machine

Did you know it was the first invented apparatus for commercial aeroponic crop farming? It was inspired by the film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1983. However, the mechanism of this Genesis Rooting System will amaze you. 

It was a water-driven open-loop system equipped with a microchip to deliver a high-pressure hydro-atomized spray within the aeroponic chamber. Also, there was a water faucet & electrical outlet designed within the system for optimum operation. 

Cloning

The process involves trimming away the stems of delicate plants like cacti to avoid bacterial infections. Do you know what’s so special about this technique? Well, with this, you can grow high-demand plants that have low success rates like medicinal plants such as Leptadenia Reticulata. 

Air-Rooted Transplants

Air-rooting transplanting is one of the major aspects of aeroponics. Now you can directly clone & transplant the plants into the soil. However, the aeroponic plant roots are more vulnerable to transplant shock & leaf loss. So, it is important to maintain the right humidity level that is below 21 degrees Celsius. But, these air-rooted plants are not prone to pathogen infections & comparatively healthy.

Genesis Growing System

This is considered a second-generation hardware apparatus for aeroponic. Invented in the year 1985 by GTi, this system comes with a closed-loop mechanism. Specifically, it uses recycled effluent controlled by a microprocessor perfect for seed germination & faster harvesting. 

Commercialization

It was Stoner who first marketed the freshly grown aeroponic food in the market in 1986. By then, farmers & producers started to incorporate this farming technique into agricultural practices for water conservation & less space consumption. 

Industrial Applications of Aeroponics

Now that you already know about aeroponic farming techniques, you must be wondering about their practical applications. Before investing in this farming process, it is important to check out the use cases once. 

Space Plants

The scientists in Sputnik 4 carried seeds of maize, peas, wheat, spring onion, etc. into space. Also, the Discoverer 17 space researchers carried Chlorella Pyrenoidosa cells into Earth orbit to conduct plant experiments. Though all these seed species exhibited slow growth, lettuce grew faster despite the low gravity. To your surprise, it was possible due to the aeroponic farming techniques.

Biocontrols in Space

Stoner’s research on ODC, or the Organic Disease Control system received NASA funding due to its importance. He successfully developed a liquid natural biocontrol solution for the hydroponic technique to prevent plant disease & better production. 

The experiment was successful and one of the examples of its incorporation into agriculture is the cannabis industry. Today, even you can grow aeroponic plants in controlled environments with suitable humidity & temperature. 

Cultivation on Earth

NASA supported the funding for the development of an Inflatable Low-Mass aeroponic farming. Particularly, this system grows plants faster & poses fewer challenges during transportation due to the lightweight inflatable structure. 

5 Techniques for Successful Aeroponics

Vertical Gardens

As you can guess from the name, you can grow plants vertically through this technique. Moreover, with this process, you can grow more plants even within a short space. To be specific, you can plant 30 plants in just a one-meter area. Isn’t that great?

NFT

In this system, you can circulate a thin film of nutrient-liquid solution over the plant roots. What’s special about it? Well, you can supply the nutrition to the plant roots in a more controlled & in the right amount. 

Closed Loop

If you want to grow plants in a completely enclosed area, this is the right technique for you. Well, with this, circulating the nutrition-rich water solution to roots is easier resulting in reduced water waste & better growth environment. 

DIY Systems

If you are a farming enthusiast, start your own DIY aeroponic farm with the farming essentials and construction knowledge & skills.  

Commercial System

Commercial producers grow various crops like herbs, leafy greens, fruits, etc. on a large scale. Mostly, the aeroponic farmers grow these plants for market profitability. 

5 Benefits of Aeroponics

Less Nutrient Solution

In the aeroponic farming technique, you supply the plant roots with essential micro-nutrients through a spray bottle. This controlled supply results in less resource damage. Moreover, the dense growth of plants requires less space.

Plant Environment Control

This is probably the best part of this farming process. You can have better & precise control over the environment. According to your needs, you will control the temperature & light supply. 

Improved Nutrition

Due to the right amount of oxygen & nutrient supply, aeroponic crops grow faster. Also, they do not compete for nutrients & are less prone to soil-borne diseases. 

User-Friendly

Trust me, the aeroponic technique is ideal for you if you are from an urban area. You can stack the plants according to your preference & even vertically for more production. 

Cost Effective

Not only do aeroponic plants grow faster, but also use fewer resources & space, and result in nutrient conservation through recycling. If you are low on budget, this is just right for you. 

3 Drawbacks of Aeroponics

Power Usage

The growth of the plants relies heavily on the temperature & humidity. To keep the environment warmer, you need to supply constant light that consumes a lot of energy. 

Water Quality

Since the growth of aeroponic crops depends on the quality of the water solution, making it nutrient-rich can be challenging. 

Technical Difficulties

Any technical malfunction in the aeroponic system or lack of knowledge can drastically fail your crop production. 

How to Set Up An Aeroponic Farm?

Now you know the pros and cons of aeroponics. However, if you still want to set up your own farm, check out these steps. 

Plan & Design

Moving forward with proper planning is always important. But where do you start from? Well, draft an idea of the crops or plants you want to grow. After that, move ahead with the layout of the farm or the size & shape you want. Do not forget about managing the water location & power sources for optimal growth. 

Setup The Infrastructure

Create a suitable place for crop growth. If possible, make some customized adjustments for further betterment. Also, invest in a plant chamber or towers if you can afford them. Arrange for a proper irrigation & lighting system along with others to control the right humidity & temperature. 

Prepare & Plant

Now, comes the interesting part. First, decide on a growing medium that is lightweight & porous for better nutrient exposure. After that, fill the net pots with that & plant your favorite herbs or seedlings. 

Maintenance

This is the most crucial part of this entire system. Once you are done planting them, make sure you monitor the plant health, functionality of the system, & nutrient levels. Moreover, you need to manage the nutrient solution properly for nutrient efficiency & disease prevention.

Aeroponics, Its Sustainability & The Environmental Impacts

Now, you might be thinking about how the aeroponic farming system affects the environment. Well, the controlled growth environment not only uses water efficiently but also, requires less use of chemical pesticides. However, some producers use the Integrated Pest Management system for better biological control these days. 

In urban areas, the aeroponic technique is highly popular due to the less space consumption. Furthermore, when combined with renewable energy resources, aeroponics can be a profitable & sustainable future farming practice due to less carbon emission.

The Future Of 21st Century Large Scale Aeroponics & The Latest Technology

Compared to other traditional farming techniques, aeroponic farming results in better plant growth. The trend has seen notable advancements in recent years. For Example, the AeroFarms in New Jersey is the largest indoor farm. 

Researchers have invented a new approach such as aeroponic bio-pharming for harvesting pharmaceutical medicines. Moreover, through advanced aeroponic techniques, Dr. Reese harvested GMO corn pollens. 

Recently, with the integration of this technique, Vietnam has seen significant growth in crop production. In India as well, farmers opt for this farming process to produce potatoes on a large scale. So, if you want to grow disease-free plants without soil with minimal operational costs, start your aeroponic farm. The market profitability is higher & you will get increased production. 

So, when do you want to start aeroponics at your home? Comment down below. 

Frequently Asked Questions