Aeroponics & Feeding Your Plants

Aeroponic Setup

• Aeroponic gardens feature plastic growing trays with individual pods or openings for plants. The growing trays dangle plant roots into an open changer for air and water circulation. These systems don't use a growing medium at all, and depend solely on air and water for nutrition.

Nutrition

• Lack of soil or other growing medium means a lack of vitamins and minerals for aeroponic plants. Use specially made hydroponic nutrients to solve this problem and maintain the plants. These mixtures contain all the necessary macro- and micronutrients in concentrated amounts, and come in plant-specific mixtures. Don't use soil fertilizers for aeroponic plants, as they are insufficient.

Watering

• Aeroponic plants depend heavily on water as well. Mix the hydroponic nutrients into the water source at manufacturer-recommended rates, and always maintain this water and nutrition source. The Growing Edge recommends using pure water to avoid contamination in the system.

Sunlight and Warmth

• Plants cannot live on nutrition and water alone; they require sunshine and air to turn those vitamins and minerals into food. Keep the aeroponic system in an appropriate location for light, air and warmth. Summertime fruits and vegetables need temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and six to eight hours of sun every day, as do sun-loving annuals and perennials. Cool-season vegetables and shade-loving annuals and perennials do best at 60 to 70 degrees F and four hours of sun every day.