About Aeroponics
Aeroponics is a plant-cultivation technique in which the roots hang suspended in the air while nutrient solution is delivered to them in the form of a fine mist.
Aeroponics vs. hydroponics vs. soil
In an aeroponic and a hydroponic system, plants grow without soil. In hydroponics, they are grown with added nutrients in sand, gravel, or liquid. Aeroponics, a form of hydroponics, uses no growing medium at all. This is because plants do not require soil to grow, and soil can actually hinder the specific plant’s growth. Because plant roots are isolated in aeroponics and there is no planting medium, plants that are grown with this suspended, misted system will get maximum nutrient absorption.
Aeroponics and NASA
NASA’s plant growth experiments began in earnest during the 1990s. Experiments aboard the space shuttle and International Space Station have exposed plants to the effects of microgravity. These experiments use the principles of aeroponics: growing plants in an air/mist environment with no soil and very little water.
Years of research showed that aeroponic growing systems provide clean, efficient, and rapid food production. Crops can be planted and harvested in the system year round without interruption, and without contamination from soil, pesticides, and residue. Since the growing environment is clean and sterile, it greatly reduces the chances of spreading plant disease and infection commonly found in soil and other growing media.
Aeroponics systems can reduce water usage by 98 percent, fertilizer usage by 60 percent, and pesticide usage by 100 percent, all while maximizing crop yields. Plants grown in the aeroponic systems have also been shown to uptake more minerals and vitamins, making the plants healthier and potentially more nutritious. This has made aeroponics the ideal growing system for use on the Space Shuttle and aboard the International Space Station. NASA continues to research aeroponics as they look at more long distance space travel.
Volume. Velocity. Vitality.
Aeroponics supercharges plant growth with a surplus of oxygen at the root surface.
Aeroponics delivers pure fresh results, with zero pesticides, highest quality flavors, and maximum growth.