Are Aeroponic Sprayers versus Hydroponic Drippers I am about to enter the final flowering phase of my first aeroponic grow – which was 4 pots in a 35 gallon tank using sprayers + an air stone. I had ‘mixed' results – partially due to my nubie incompetence in messing up the nute concentrations and nute burning in the early days and nearly killing a few plants which never really recovered fully. (By contrast, 2 of the plants are monsters and are nearly 4 feet – so tall that they will soon be hitting the overhead HID lights.) For my next grow, I want to build my own system and am debating between 2 different 2 set ups. 1) hydro-aeroponic – same 35 gallon tank, perhaps with 6 (rather than 4) plants, and the air stone + aero sprayers set up inside the tank underneath the netti pots 2) 9 different 5 gallon buckets, which would fit perfectly in my 3 grow tent, each with an individual air stone + small submersible pump + drip tubes that would be positioned in a circle around the plant stem and buried in the medium. The water pump + air pump would be turned on 24/7. Strictly speaking, this is NOT an aeroponic system as there is NO spraying going on – merely a constant drip. (This would be a LOT easier for me.) My question: In terms of maxing out yield in minimum time, is SPRAYING (as opposed to dripping) really any superior to the drip-drip I will get from well arranged drip tubes? The sprayers I am using in my present system, which was custom built by a super-guru of Hydro growing, are merely shooting a little weak stream of water. Further, both the aero spraying system and the drip system with have reservoirs with an air stone running 24/7. So, will the aeroponic-spraying method REALLY significantly add the ultimate yield/weight at harvest – and take fewer weeks to get to harvest??? I personally do not understand how the little stream of water from an aeroponic sprayer will really add to my end yield weight in comparison to a drip drip from a tube feed. But, then again, I am a newbie and nearly massacred half my crop due to nute burn!!
I built a system using sprayers as decribed and have since moved on to the drip ring irrigation. Lots of problems with sprayers keep popping up. They plug and won't spray or not in the right direction. you need a BIG pump because you need musel to spray. You have to keep checking on it.Certain nutes will plug the sprayers. A drip ring has gravity on its side .You can use a cheap small pump. multipe holes so no plugging .you can SEE what its doing. Sprayers work but the maintinance is high i wouldn't reccomend it to a newbie i would a drip ring with dwc
Agreed - IMHO, given all the basic technical glitches than can and do pop up with a sprayer, the drip rings are nearly '"fool proof". More importantly, I see NO reason why a plant where the nute/water solution is delivered to the roots by a drip (rather than by a sprayer) would in the end yield any less.
Aeroponics no water logging, no root rot, more oxygen, more root hairs, more nutrient up take. just build a quality set up RubyRoots
Been considering the same thing. Either wilma drip feed system or amazon aeroponics? Never done hydro before, so would appreciate any educated input, from people who have used both. Also would 36 plants in the amazon be to much, I don't want 5ft monsters just lots of big kola's ie lollipoping. Planing on using a 600w hps in a grow tent 1.2 by 1.2 by 2.00m tall.