If you are constantly battling an overly warm or cool growing environment, aeroponic technology can allow the production of plants which would normally not thrive under certain conditions. By heating or cooling the nutrient before it is misted into the root zone, the temperature inside the growing chamber (which needs to be insulated) can be precisely controlled. Depending on how extreme the aerial environment, it is possible to grow crops with nutrient solution warming or cooling only in aeroponics, something which is more difficult to achieve in other hydroponic systems where the solution rapidly cools/heats as it flows through the system. In Singapore, by cooling the aeroponic solution by 10 - 15C below the ambient air temperature, cool season crops can be grown within modifying the temperature of the aerial environment. While this technique is still be investigated it is worth experimenting with on a small scale if hot/cool temperatures are a problem in your growing environment.
What Can Go Wrong with Aeroponics
While the incidence of root diseases is much less common in aeroponics, since oxygen starvation and root damage don't tend to stress the plants, these can still occur. One of the most important aspects to remember is to check the temperature of the nutrient solution in a regular basis. Plant roots can become stressed if root temperatures are too high/low, resulting in root death and the opportunity for pathogens to attack. Keeping a close check on the appearance of the root system is important. Roots which are thin, brown and lack the fine 'root hairs' indicate a problem and often indicative of a nutrient solution which is too warm. Nutrient solution temperature should not exceed 72F for most crop plants or 68F for cooler season crops such as lettuce.
Grower Ability
While building your own aeroponic system is not difficult, it can be a prolonged trial and error process. Aeroponic chambers have to be completely water tight, light proof, large enough to contain a mature root system, well designed to ensure good mist coverage and have a support system for the plants. The equipment required to run the system can be confusing - selection of nozzles with the correct droplet size and a pump with sufficient pressure to run the system are vital to the success of the aeroponics unit. Fortunately there are a number of excellent small aeroponic systems on the market where all the correct components have been put together into a workable (and leak proof) system, and purchasing one of these is a good way to become familiar with aeroponic technology before bigger projects are planned.
Running the aeroponic system is no more difficult than other hydroponic methods. The one important rule with aeroponic systems is regular checking and maintenance. If one of the nozzles becomes blocked or the pump fails for any length of time, the plants can rapidly desiccate as there is no reserve of moisture as would be found in a media based system. Tiny particles of nutrient salts, or vegetative matter often block nozzles in many aeroponic systems, so regular checks inside the chamber are important.
Perhaps one of the major attractions of aeroponics is the ability to watch the root system grow and develop - plants can be removed from the system and inspected for root damage, diseases, and with crops such as gourmet potatoes being grown in such systems, the process of tuber promotion can also be viewed. Aeroponic technology is progressing at a rapid rate, not only is this an easy to operate system of hydroponics but it has the potential for faster growth rates and higher yields than most traditional methods of plant production.
