Aeroponics: Worthwhile, or waste of time?

[bigbubbacain]

I've been fascinated with this concept since it introduces oxygen to the root zone and doesn't keep it submerged in water. Have any of you seen this done with tomatoes? The AeroGarden brand is expensive and doesn't give the user a whole lot of control over types of nutrients or seed selection. I've also seen some units that look like they could be easily made from supplies available at the depot. Has anyone seen this being done?

[amideutch]

Bubba, there was a guy over at GW who was using 18 gal totes and had the plants in netted pots that sat in a hole cut out of the lid and had 2 plants per tote. I just can't remember if he used spray nozzles located at the bottom of the tote or used drippers watering from the top. They were connected to a submersible pump in a collection tank that was fed by the runoff from the tomato totes. He used hydro ferts and had it running off of a timer.
He lived in Arizona and had good results even in the summer months. I'll see if I can find some more info for you. Ami

[bigbubbacain]

Thanks Ami! I've seen some of the tote concepts out there. One involves using a large air pump and multiple air stones, but I can't imagine that would be enough. Another involves using ultrasonic fogger devices. This looks interesting. I'm actually trying to make one in a black 5 gallon pail I bought from a hydroponics store. It had a fitted lid available that had a large netted pot formed into the lid. I'm thinking that I might need another black pail to stack underneath as a reservoir, then I can drill holes in the top pail to allow drainage. I'm going to try a fountain pump first. I've seen the spray manifolds that are made for larger units. Usually put together out of PVC and with micro spray heads mounted in the PVC. I'll put this together, unless I can find the ultrasonic fogger first. If anything good comes out of it, I'll post pics.

[feldon30]

Saw this in Orlando at Epcot last year. I don't know how well it works.

[Worth1]

There was a dutch firm in San Marcos about 25 years ago that was doing something like this.
The squash plants were hanging free in the air with the roots dangling from them.
They would get a blast of water and nutrients on a timer.

I never heard what became of it but it sounds like something that would do well when I go to another galaxy in my rocket ship that is powered from one tiny magnet and a can opener.

Worth

[amideutch]

Bubba, here's a website that will get you pointed in the right direction. The DIY aeroponic system described can be built larger if needed but gives you the basic design concept. Ami

http://www.hydroponicstuesday.com/Ar...roponic-System

This is supposed to be a good primer which covers aeroponics.

http://books.google.com/books?id=e5x...AarEuOQkiz-sAg

[bigbubbacain]

Thanks AmieDeutch!

Sorry it took so long for me to respond, but I didn't want to be empty handed when I did. The link you provided showed some great photos of a do it yourself Aero unit. Like Ben (at Hydroponics Tuesday), I too wanted a single site system. I just don't have the space to more than that. Here are the photos of what I've done so far.

[bigbubbacain]

For my supplies, I bought 2 aquarium airstone blocks, an air pump, a very small fountain pump, and the corresponding fountain kit. My growing container consists of a black 5 gallon bucket with a 3.5 gallon bucket fitted inside. The 3.5 bucket has holes drilled in the bottom so the water and nutrients will effectively circulate back to the pump. Then I use a fitted lid which has a built in net pot to cover the 3.5 bucket to hold the plant in place with the expanded clay pellets. The 3.5 bucket has a hole removed from the center so the fountain head will spray the root zone, as the fountain and pump are kept in the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket. I decided to place the airstones in the 3.5 bucket. This puts them in closer proximity to the rootzone and also allows for aeration of the nutrient solution as it trickles back to the lower bucket

[bigbubbacain]

I regret that I wasn't more diligent in my photo documentation, I took photos when I had the chance. I travel a great deal. Anyway, These are the photos I have of my growth progress so far.

The first 2 photos are of the root growth and top growth of a 4 inch transplant at the time that I placed them in the growing container. The plant was healthy, but the root system was scant and I thought this would make the test interesting. Even at this late stage in our season, I still managed to find a healthy young transplant for Sweet 100.

The second 2 photos are what awaited me when I got home last night. I decided my little baby was ready for "tomato corner" in my greenhouse, so I moved her in today.

The growth was such a surprise for me. I've never had a 4 inch transplant grow so quickly for me in the ground!

[amideutch]

Bubba, glad the information helped and glad you took it and ran with it. I've been interested in all phases of hydroponics and have several books on the subject. Maybe I too will take the time to investigate and experiment as you have. Good stuff, Ami

[bigbubbacain]

Thanks Ami!

I'll be curious to see what kind of resources are at your disposal, as hydro is such a big business on your side of the pond. Over here, it gets to be a bit tedious looking for supplies and good information. So much of hydro in this country is associated growing marijuana. One cannot find a single supplier in this country who doesn't boldly display a sign in his establishment stating the mention of illegal drugs will void all sales. It's so blatantly funny when the names of some of the best hydro products have a double meaning. Please post anything interesting you might find.

Bubba

[bigbubbacain]

Well, the latest update I have to offer is that my plant has now grown another 1 1/2 feet, and the bloom clusters have opened. I'm still not convinced that my spray set up is the best, it has clogged on me a few times. I've been playing with the fogger since I ordered it. Very interesting, but it too has limitations. My attempt to do all of this in single enclosed container causes the fogger to generate heat. This means I'll need to add more water and aeration, and also putting the setup on a timer to let the heat dissipate during the off cycle. I'll post more tomorrow.

[JohnnyRock]

Bubba,
It looks like you're using a 5-gallon lid with a built-in 6" diameter mesh pot, right? Doing some research on this, I found these are available in 6", 8", and 10" mesh pots. Based on your results, do you think the 6" version is best for tomatoes? I'm thinking of trying some kind of hydroponic setup like this myself, probably a drip type system.

[amideutch]

Bubba, here is another site I came across concerning aeroponics and using LED's for grow lights. Interesting stuff. Ami

http://www.greenpinelane.com/default.aspx

[bigbubbacain]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Bubba, here is another site I came across concerning aeroponics and using LED's for grow lights. Interesting stuff. Ami

http://www.greenpinelane.com/default.aspx

Thanks Ami!

Perfect timing!

I just saw something about LED lights not too long ago. This is something I'm definitely interested in. I'm going to upload some photos tomorrow of my aero cloner. This little experiment is taking a turn for the better.

John