Groundless plant growing is a fairly new, but widely used technology that allows you to enjoy the fruits of a rich harvest literally from the air. Indeed, according to scientists, the intensity of plant development directly depends on the volume of air access to the roots. Do-it-yourself aeroponics is a great opportunity to grow plants without dust, dirt and at the same time solving pest control and soil depletion problems in this way.
The principle of operation of aeroponic installations
If we take as a basis the method of root nutrition, then there are two types of systems:
- Tanks in which the roots of plants are dipped by one third in nutrient solutions for aeroponics.
- Systems that spray plant root systems at predetermined intervals.
Due to the alternation of exposure to the roots of a cloud of fine particles with nutrients and enriched air, plants develop much faster, delighting the eye with a riot of colors during flowering and a rich harvest.
Aeroponic systems are designed to maximize the saturation of the root system with oxygen and nutrients
The systems of the first method of execution are intended for domestic use.
Compact equipment includes electronic controllers and sensors that support optimal conditions for plant growth and development
Aeroponics units of the second embodiment are more widely used on a production scale.
The systems are constructed in such a way that the aerial part of the plant is located on the shelves, and the root system is in a sealed container in which the necessary air environment is maintained
Aeroponics at home and in the country: advantages and disadvantages
The secret of the popularity of modern technology for growing plants over traditional ones lies in a number of significant advantages, the main ones of which are:
- Space saving. Large areas are not required to install aeroponics systems. Compact installations can be placed on vertical racks, creating multi-level plant compositions and thereby saving space.
- Creating optimal conditions for growing plants. Installation allows you to provide the root system of plants with oxygen and nutrients, stimulating their developmental intensity and rich fruiting. The roots of plants grown on aeroponics are covered with a “fluff” of moisture-absorbing hairs, which increases their ability to saturate with oxygen and increases the availability of nutrients.
- Easy to maintain. Both the aerial part of the plants and the root system are convenient to survey. This allows you to assess the condition at any time and timely identify and then remove the diseased parts. The technology of care itself consists only in regulating the regime of lighting and nutrition, taking into account the growing season of the plantations and the time of year.
Since a reserve stock is not provided in the plants, with the cessation of work, the roots of the plants begin to dry quickly, which leads to a loss of yield. Therefore, it is advisable to foresee methods for providing automatic backup power supply and the presence of filters in the feed solution system.
A vulnerability of aeroponic systems is their susceptibility to timer failures and power outages.
Visual salad growing on aeroponics:
6-plant aeroponic system assembly
To make an aeroponic system with your own hands, you will need to prepare a large capacity. The plants themselves will be placed in six pots of smaller diameters.
For this purpose, you can purchase a 70-liter flower pot, which will act as a reservoir for the roots
We cover the large tank with a lid, in which we first cut out the holes for placing the pots. As a material for the manufacture of the cover, you can use a sheet of PVC, which has sufficient strength and increased moisture resistance. You can buy it at any hardware store.
On a sheet we measure out a circle whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the upper side of a large pot. By the same principle, we plan the placement and circle circles for cutting holes for arranging six small pots. Cut the circumference of the lid and holes for small pots using a jigsaw.
To turn small pots into hydraulic reservoirs, it is necessary to use small “punctures” in the walls and bottom of the products using a soldering iron
The design is ready. It remains to equip it with a spray system. To do this, you need to purchase or prepare:
- The pump for indoor fountains at 2500 l / h;
- Turntable for watering the lawn;
- A piece of metal plastic in 50 cm;
- 2 adapters for metal plastic.
We install an adapter on the pump, we fix a metal-plastic plate to it, the other end of which is also connected to the turntable by means of an adapter.
We install the system at the bottom of the tank. Due to the fact that the pinwheel has a different angle of inclination of the jet supply, we can always adjust their most convenient placement
We install a turntable with a pump at the bottom of the container into which the solution is poured, and cover it with a lid. Conventional drain pipes can be used as plugs. The system is ready for operation, it remains to connect it to the power supply and adjust the angle of supply and dispersion of the jets in the pots.
You can fix the plants in pots using a soft clamp, which can be made quite simply from water-repellent synthetic foam. Nutrient solutions can be purchased ready-made at specialized gardening stores. They include potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, nitrogen and other trace elements necessary for plant growth.
