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Old September 19, 2008   #1
bigbubbacain
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Default Aeroponics: Worthwhile, or waste of time?

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?
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Old September 22, 2008   #2
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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
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Old September 22, 2008   #3
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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.
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Old September 22, 2008   #4
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Saw this in Orlando at Epcot last year. I don't know how well it works.
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Old September 22, 2008   #5
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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.

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Old September 22, 2008   #6
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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
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Last edited by amideutch; September 22, 2008 at 02:02 PM.
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Old October 28, 2008   #7
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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.
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Old October 28, 2008   #8
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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
Attached Images
File Type: jpg supplies.jpg (105.3 KB, 34 views)
File Type: jpg 3.5w:hole.jpg (94.9 KB, 32 views)
File Type: jpg 3.5w:air.jpg (95.8 KB, 33 views)
File Type: jpg netpot.jpg (97.7 KB, 42 views)

Last edited by bigbubbacain; October 28, 2008 at 05:03 PM. Reason: more info
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Old October 28, 2008   #9
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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!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg roothair.jpg (27.8 KB, 41 views)
File Type: jpg week1.jpg (67.4 KB, 48 views)
File Type: jpg rootweek2.jpg (117.5 KB, 52 views)
File Type: jpg week2.jpg (178.1 KB, 55 views)

Last edited by bigbubbacain; October 28, 2008 at 05:24 PM. Reason: more info
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Old October 28, 2008   #10
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I made a few observations that are worth mentioning:

1. This set up doesn't take a huge pump or powerhead for the spraying the roots. My pump pushes about 80 gallons per hour, and it was the smallest pump I could find. Any type of spray nozzle on a pump or powerhead will create back pressure and generate heat, a definite concern in a small unit like this. I learned the hard way when I found that my first transplant was "cooked" after a few days.

2.
I feel that in this type of bucket system it's important to keep the root zone away from the pump and too much liquid. I seen it written elsewhere in the www that "true aeroponics" doesn't involve letting the root mass grow into the liquid. When the root are allowed to grow where they will, this is what some people refer to as "deep water culture". Personally, I wouldn't be satisfied with this because I'd never know if the plants are receiving nutrition from the pump and spray of because the roots were growing into the water.

I'm not really anticipating a harvest from this setup, only a harvest of information. The implications of what one can do with this will be helpful for other things like propagating cuttings, and starting seeds.

Last edited by bigbubbacain; October 28, 2008 at 05:20 PM. Reason: more info
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Old October 29, 2008   #11
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Bubba, I'm wondering if you could route the plumbing in a way where the single pump would be administering spray to several buckets. That way you grow several plants and reduce the back pressure.

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Old October 29, 2008   #12
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Jay,

I'm sure it could be done, but then I would have to create some type of spray manifold for each bucket to keep the spray heads in perfect position for the root zone. That's not really what I had in mind. I have seen other bucket setups connected together, and they do tend to take over a small room. All I wanted to accomplish was to see if this could be done for a single site growing unit, with a self contained pump, sprayer, reservoir. The nice thing about using this little fountain pump from Lowe's is that it has suction cups on the bottom to keep it centered in the bucket. Well, I've got a long way to go. We'll see what happens if the plant makes it to the fruiting stage.

I only mentioned the problem with back pressure because on my first attempt the pump I originally used was too strong. Back pressure was only part of what made the water too warm. The other part was the fact that in my particular experiment I only had room in the bucket for 1 1/2 gallons of nutrient/water solution. With the right pump, I don't have that problem. anymore. The only factor I currently have affecting water temperature is that my bucket setup is black in color, so it absorbs heat. This hasn't been a problem now that we're getting cooler weather, but I'll need to plan this carefully if I ever choose to use this setup all year long.

The heat issue is also why I'm going to try this setup with an ultrasonic mister, similar to the power source behind tabletop room humidifiers. Several companies are now using a device like this in their growing and propagating devices. It produces a "cold fog", as they say. (http://www.futuregarden.com/hydropon...nutramist.html)

I suppose it's no coincidence that these aeroponic setups all look homemade with parts straight from the depot. In my opinion, that makes it a good thing because it just shows how ingenious, straightforward, and accessible something like this can be. I just can't imagine paying the exorbitant I'm glad I did some digging around on the internet and found this.

By the way, here's the web address from where I purchased the ultrasonic fogger:

http://www.mainlandmart.com/foggers.html
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Old October 29, 2008   #13
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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
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Old October 29, 2008   #14
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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
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Old November 7, 2008   #15
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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.
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