Aeroponics is a unique sub-division of hydroponics whereby no growing medium is required. Instead, the roots of the plants are sprayed directly with water rich in nutrients.
In Aeroponics, plants roots are exposed to air, ensuring constant availability of oxygen to your plants’ roots.
Aeroponics has been proven to be much more efficient than hydroponics in so many ways as more growers have adopted its growing methods over the regular hydroponic methods.
Aeroponics vs. hydroponics has become quite a popular topic for debate among modernized growers. This has helped to better understand the best soil-less growing methods that will increase your productivity and also maximize your profits.
Here are some of the advantages of Aeroponics which make it a better system over hydroponics:
Less water Usage in Aeroponics
Studies have shown that Aeroponics systems use 20% less water than hydroponics. This means that there is a relatively lower water usage with Aeroponics, and this cuts your extra costs on water provision.
Hydroponic systems have plants’ roots placed in a nutrient mix throughout the growing period. In Aeroponics, the roots of the plants are sprayed with water at certain time intervals. The water drains back into the reservoir and is repeatedly pumped back to spray the roots of your plants.
A hydroponic system requires an adequate supply of oxygenated water. Hence, routine water changes are necessary because standing water gets depleted of oxygen over time. It also requires regular water top-offs when the water volume becomes low in your reservoir.
However, in Aeroponics, oxygen surrounds the roots at all times because the roots are not dipped in water, so the regular spray of nutrient water keeps your plants healthy.
Higher yield potential
In hydroponics, plants are in closer contact with one other since they share the same nutrient solution. This makes it possible for water-borne diseases to spread swiftly from one plant to the next.
A major setback in hydroponics is the quick spread of diseases which eventually reduces your plants’ yield.
With an Aeroponics system, each of your plants gets its own spray of nutrients and has no connection with the other plants. This reduces the risk of easy spread of disease which in turn protects your yields.
Plants do not compete for nutrients in Aeroponics as there is no growing medium that needs to be shared unlike in hydroponics.
Plants, therefore, utilize their energy efficiently to grow faster which translates to the production of stronger plants and again, higher yields.
Aeroponics scales better
An Aeroponics system offers the most in terms of control and scalability which will enable you to quickly expand into larger operations.
Through water conservation, minimal efforts from the plants to acquire nutrients, and unrestricted access of the roots to oxygen, Aeroponics promotes an increase in your yields by an extra 40%. This makes Aeroponics easily scalable. Also, Aeroponics gives room for expansion within a short period of time.
Unlike in hydroponics, it is easier to transplant plants in Aeroponics without suffering the risk of transplant shock. This makes moving and expanding from one Aeroponics system to another (scalability) possible with little or no damage.