How to Build an Aeroponic System

Aeroponic systems are the top of the trade nowadays and although they’re difficult to build from scratch, enthusiastic hydroponic gardeners see this as their final goal. If you want to learn how to build your own aeroponic system, this article is here to help.

Of all the currently available technologies that allow us to grow plants in a soilless environment, aeroponics is the newest and most advanced.

Sometimes aeroponic systems are included in the same category as hydroponic systems, because they still use water, in conjunction with air, to propagate the nutrient solutions towards the plants’ roots.

But we’re not here to discuss whether or not aeroponics are also hydroponic systems, we’re here to see how we can build them. In order to do so, let’s take a look at how they work, to get a better understanding of their somewhat more complicated structure.

The Aeroponic System – How It Works

The main principle behind aeroponics is growing plants in a closed environment, with the help of vaporized nutrients. In most aeroponic systems, the nutrient pump is placed inside the closed or semi-closed container and has one or more mist nozzles through which air is vaporized inside it.

The plants are suspended on top of the container, with only their roots hanging inside, in order to grab the nutrients from the mist. The main advantage that aeroponic systems bring over normal hydroponic ones is that the plants are oxygenized a lot better in the former, thus allowing them to grow better.

Since there’s no growth environment used with aeroponics, the risk of pathogen formations is also reduced to a minimum which makes them a great option for the best hydroponics system.

The Aeroponic System – Components

You can purchase some of the components from your local store or order them online from a recommended hydroponics store.

• A closed or semi-closed reservoir
• A pump with a hydro controller – you’ll be using this pump to transport the liquid nutrients to the mist nozzles, where they will be sprayed onto the plant roots. The hydro controller helps you regulate the amount of nutrients that go through in one cycle and it can also control the intervals in which the mist is sprayed in the air.
• Mist nozzles or sprayers – these guys will be the “showerhead” to your entire system, turning the nutrient solution that comes through the pump into small water particles that will form the nutrient mist.
• A suspension system and plant holders – the suspension system’s role will be to keep the plants suspended over the reservoir, while the roots go inside it. The system can be a net of wires, root spreaders or small baskets that help the roots grow further apart from one another as well.
• Tubing system – you’ll want a solid PVC tubing system to transport your nutrient solution to the pump and from the pump to the mist nozzles.

The Aeroponic System – How to Build It

Set up your aeroponic container and fix the plant suspension mechanism on top of it. If the nutrient pump you’re using goes inside the container, make sure you introduce that in first and set the nozzles.

Connect the timer to the pump and link it with the nozzles (and to an auxiliary nutrient container if your aeroponic system uses one) using the PVC or safe flexible tubing you’ve bought.

Place the plants, carefully inserting the roots through the suspension system and positioning them inside the container. Fire up your aeroponic system and tweak it in small steps in order to get the results you’re expecting.

The Aeroponic System – Building Difficulty

The components used in an aeroponic system are a bit more complicated and delicate than those used in homemade hydroponics systems, which automatically raises the difficulty bar.

On the other hand, you won’t have so many components to set up and you only have one big container, no extra trays, so that might smoothen up the process a bit.

However, it’s fair to say that in comparison to aeroponics, most hydroponic systems are a breeze to set up and utilize correctly.