The Advantages of Fogging Your Roots in Hydroponics

Fog Basics

• High-energy ultrasonic foggers produce vibrations that turn water into a fog-like cloud. The particles of water in the fog are less than 5 microns. A micron is 1/1000 of a millimeter. These particles are so small that they penetrate roots without condensing on their surface. By contrast, misters work by dropping water on a spinning plate or forcing it through a tip with small holes. Water from misters condenses on plant roots, which can lead to disease and other problems.

Oxygen and Nutrients

• Plants can absorb a 5-micron particle through their pores. Water does not settle on the surface of roots as it does with misters, so the roots are able to absorb more oxygen, which plants need for robust growth. Misters produce roots that are smooth and white, while foggers yield roots covered with fuzzy micro-roots. These micro-roots increase the total surface area of the roots, thus absorbing more oxygen and nutrients.

Less Disease

• Fogging is better than misting for delivering nutrients to the stomach, or pores, on the bottoms of the leaves. Fungi, mildew, mold and other pathogens can develop on droplets of water left by misting. Misting roots with nutrients can turn roots into a tangle, stifling their growth and encouraging disease if they do not dry out. Roots stay dry if they are fogged.

Disadvantage

• Since foggers encourage the growth of root hairs, they reduce the development of lateral roots. Fogging systems are technically elaborate and expensive. You need a shop compressor to run a fogger that produces particles of water smaller than 5 microns. Foggers are costly to set up, and you have to control water and nutrients precisely. If your fogger breaks down, your plants can dry out and deteriorate rapidly; for that reason, you should have a backup mister.