Aeroponic vs Hydroponic

[Xavior]

Ok, so I'm pretty sure that eventually I want to do this type of growing (havent even done it the normal way yet, hehe) - but this model I'm looking at says it is an Aeroponic system...??? Is that the same thing as hydroponics - or, will it still grow my future children?

http://www.americanagritech.com/aero.html
http://www.discount-hydro.com/combo.asp

I'd get the '4 plant site' one cause I'm just growing for me, and 4 is more than I'd need by 3 plants.

Also, will this be enough support for them?
5” net pot with grow rocks...?

Thanx

[Xavior]

Just another picture....only this time with lids.

[SuiJuris]

Hello there. it looks like a pretty simple setup by the pictures, and I see no reason why it wouldn't support your plants, thats what its designed to do.

Basically, aeroponics is a system where your roots are suspended by (in this case) net baskets, and are intermittintly (with use of a timer) misted with a nutrient solution, this way they get all of the oxygen they need, while not interfereing with feeding. I have never grown this way, so I have no direct feedback, but it looks very intersting to me. (http://www.hydromall.com/infocart_mf...c_systems.html)

Hydroponics on the other hand, traditionally anyway, (as this company is also calling thier areo system a hydro grow also, i suppose anything grown in a primarily water based system qualifies as hydro.) a system which either suspends your roots in a nutrient water solution with a constant flow of air provided from a pump of some sort -to not only keep them from drowning but to provide needed oxygen- thus increasing oxygen uptake (as with the aero system) whilst not interfering with its feeding needs, or as with an ebb (interesting term, bassically means a reflux or a drop of levels of the sea tide) and flow system, your plants are grounded using rockwool, you fill the tray with your solution at certian intervels and than drain it again, so the roots are not always suspended in the solution as with other setups. obviously there is much more to it than this, you must check everything on a regular basis, much more than soil anyway so that there is no or few as possible conflicts. lots to read on hydro setups, certianly worth the effort it seems.

Hydro as it is said produces larger yeilds in a shorter time due to the uninturupted flow of oxegyn thats available to the roots, as well as a direct application of nutrients to its roots, there is no need for the plant to focus on finding its food, its always in fresh supply :-) thus less energy for the plant to waste trying to stay alive, and more time focusing on growth.

I am by no means an expert, so please wait for a few more educated responses, I just like practicing responding to inquiries as it shows me just how much i really know...hope I helped a bit.

Good luck.

also, check out http://overgrow.com/articles/12 for a simple hydro bucket system you could easily construct yourself, just might save enough to buy other needed supplies.

Ave atque vale.

[Xavior]

Thanks, sadly I don't really have any equipment to go into consturction so I hafto rely on buy my product. I had hoped that hydroponics/aeroponics was easier than soil, but I guess its about the same - if not more difficult.

[SuiJuris]

hello again, I hope I didnt come off as saying that hydro is not worth looking into, for certian it is worth a try. You said that you are short on equipment, but that setup is a hundred bones, you may be able to do better grow for less using a bucket system, this is just coming from someone who could easily use a few more bucks and does not have many resources on hand either ;-) there are definately more toys to learn to use with hydro, but for a small grow to provide for yourself this may not be the case, hell go to overgrow.com and check out the stealth cabinet setup they have design plans for, just dont use the stealth cab...lol it looks relatively simple, and it uses the scrog method, so its good in a limited vertical area. aslo after a second glance at that 4 grow system, Crowding came to mind, and it almost certianly will be a problem, not much space in between grow arease on that setup, light deprivation will most certianly become an issue, especially growing 4 plants. give me a bit, and ill provide you with some websites with decent perhaps better suited for your need systems.

[SuiJuris]

Hello there, Im curious as to what decision you came to? if any, did you purchase a rig yet? just in case, and for future ref., here are some links as promised, to some hydro system sites, also is a link about hydroponics, (whats involved etc.)

Have a good night.




a bit pricey, but by looking at the systems they offer, a smart minded person would be able to duplicate them pretty easily.

also they include information about Hydroponics in general ( http://www.futuregarden.com/knowledg...droponics.html )
The link is:
http://www.howtohydroponics.com/aero.html

Here is a basic, easy, plans they are definately not professional setups, but perhaps it would suit your needs.
The link is:
http://www.simplyhydro.com/freesys.htm


another free plan site:
http://www.granitehydro.com/learn/free/free.htm

an all around information source on gardening, (albeit the legal type, it might help, if your like me and like to go further and learn more than just the basic ideas of growing a plant. of course overgrow.com gives much more than the basics of growing a plant...look there first without question.)


but here is the link:
http://www.growingedge.com/ (scroll down to bottom to see the links)



thats about all for now, the information on hydro in general is all included within the above sites... have fun, hope it helps bring things in perspective.

Now, if I could only get this topping thing down...

Ave Atque Vale.

[agladius]

what are te benefits of growing hydroponic compared to just growing in soil?????

[SuiJuris]

Well, from what I understand, a plant in soil must

1. work to find the nutrients, Oxygen and water it needs to grow, if not to only stay alive. So, much of its time is used in finding them, expanding its roots, in search of its needs, instead of growing big, fast.

2. Also with soil, its easy for the soil to become packed hard around the roots, delaying growth by much time, if it doesnt kill the plant.

3. oxygen is an issue, the soil must have good drainage, yet maintain a steady oxygen to h20 holding ratio, not enough air will drown your roots, too much..well I dont know about this... but to the point...

with Hydro,

the water is obviously always in good supply, and with the help of a pump, there is a steady and constant supply of fresh oxygen reaching the plants (so its increased oxygen and water ratio, without the problems of soil packing, or drowning) besides the fact that your nutrients are delivered directly to where its needed, thus reducing the amount of energy the plant must use to find these essentials, and more time growing, (faster) and in effect increasing size and yeild (as I understand there is much debate on this issue) besides, soil is heavy, makes a mess, and is more of a hassle to maintain in general. so this is my take on the benifets of hydro....basically everything, except for the issue of organics vs chemical fertilizers, which I understand really are all one in the same to a plant, I suppose you could find an organic fert for hydro, I just havent looked.

Take care.

Ave atque vale.

[agladius]

thanx man

I think that when i get up the money i am gonna try a hydroponic system so your info actually helped out alot

[SuiJuris]

Well thats always nice to hear...glad I was able to.


Take care,
Ave atque vale.

[HyDrOpOnIcS]

Hi Peeps,
Just wanted to say that growing in Hydroponic systems is good but not error free as i 1st found out to my horror. I potted 10 babies in 10 litre pots using cell-max which is a diced version of rockwool, thinking everything was ok i gently moved them under a 600 watt sodium over a period of 2 to 3 days, which was my 1st mistake, because of the stregnth of the bulb. Then by feeding them 1 litre per plant each day i slowly stunted them. After losing 2 or 3 plants i decided to repot some of them which after a while worked, but maybe a lil to late, they budded up but yield was minimal. We also had a much larger setup on a hydroponic active resevoir trays which also ran into over-watering problems, by not having a timer on the pumps & making sure that the pump vent was set to low it stunted them & we had a failed crop. In my experiance watering is probably one of the most important things to read up on, you must get this system correct before anything else.

Thinking of growing in soil? try coco-peat very cheap with some of the finest results i've ever seen.

Let me know on some of your setups in watering, never to late to test new ways.

[dirtydingusus]

? i thought plants needed
carbondioxide?

and then produced oxegen


never heard of plants needing
oxegen before?

[HyDrOpOnIcS]

A healthy root system still needs a source of fresh oxygen, that is why water logged pots are a bad thing, causing major root damage (ROOT ROT).

[dirtydingusus]

thanks hydro
new to growing
still useing dirt
hadent heard that before

[silk]

You can't have hydroponics vs aeroponics because Hydro is aero.