My Aeroponic Plants Are Wilted

Nozzles

• In an aeroponic system, the plants are completely dependent for all of their needs on the system. This means that if any part of the system fails, it will cause problems with the plants. Because of the way most aeroponic systems operate, there is a chance that the nozzles can become clogged or even fall off, resulting in no water to the plants. Since there is nothing around the roots of aeroponic plants to keep the moisture in, they will quickly begin to wilt.

Pump

• The pump is an essential part of an aeroponic system. It is responsible for ensuring that the nutrient solution is applied to the roots of the plants on a frequent and regular basis. If the pump fails for any reason, no water or nutrients will be delivered to the plants. They will quickly being to dry out and will show signs of wilting. If the problem is not resolved quickly the plants will die.

Nutrients

• One possible reason for wilted plants in an aeroponic system is a nutrient deficiency. Since aeroponic plants are completely dependent on the nutrient solution they are fed with, when that solution is not properly balanced it can result in various problems for the plants. If the young leaves are wilting and older leaves are curled up and blue or dark green, the problem is most likely a copper deficiency. The correction is usually to flush the old liquid out of the system and replace it with fresh solution.

Considerations

• Problems with an aeroponic system can quickly grow from nuisances into catastrophes if not dealt with in a timely manner. The nozzles on an aeroponic system should be checked twice a day to prevent a hidden problem from causing the death of the plants before it is discovered. Spare nozzles and a spare pump can be kept on hand, so if one part fails, it can quickly be replaced so the plants don’t suffer. A filter on the pump’s intake will help to prevent clogged nozzles by filtering out anything that might cause a problem before it reaches the nozzles.