What if you could take the concept of soilless cultivation a step beyond hydroponics? This is what an aeroponics system is all about. Whereas with a hydroponic system you place the plants' roots into a growing medium that contains a nutrient solution, the aeroponic garden system dispenses with even that; plants are literally grown in the air.

Nature's Own Precedent
Although the modern aeroponics grow system is based on solid, modern scientific principles, the concept is as old as life itself. In the tropical rainforests of the planet's equatorial regions, plants derive as much water and nutrition from the moisture-laden air as they do from the ground. In fact, one manufacturer of aeroponic grow systems has even taken the name of this unique and bountiful ecosystem; the Rainforest Aeroponic System is one of the most popular products among those who choose this type of cultivation.

At its simplest level, an aeroponics system is one in which plants are suspended with their roots bare; the nutrients are administered through a mist of water and and air within an enclosed environment. Since oxygen in the root zone is necessary for plant health, the plant itself is able to grow to maturity in a very short time.

The Aeroponic System and Hydroponics
An aeroponic grow system is really a form of hydroponics; in fact, many people use a hybrid aeroponic hydroponic system. With an aeroponic hydroponic system, the latter functions as kind of "fail-safe" in the event the former should fail for any reason.

Send In The Clones!
One of the advantages of an aeroponic system is that it makes it much easier to propagate plants from cuttings, which is a form of botanical cloning. The reason is that the aeroponic grow system environment is less likely to contain the type of pathogens that can result in damaging bacterial infections to which cuttings are susceptible. In some aeroponic garden systems, this process can be automated, allowing for hundreds of plants to be propagated at one time.

Advantages of the Aeroponic System

In addition to minimizing plant diseases, aeroponics actually increases the efficiency of the photosynthetic process by making virtually all CO2 in the environment available to the plants. This is especially useful for those living at higher elevations. With an aeroponic hydroponic system in place, you can be assured of a healthy, bountiful crop. The aeroponics system of cultivation is indeed the future of home gardening, if not agriculture itself.