Outdoor Aeroponics

Outdoor Aeroponics

I had dreams of a vertical outdoor aeroponic system this year but I decided to go with what I know and what works. I think the vertical aeroponics is a great idea and still want to work on it as I have seen a model out that is selling for $500. If you have flown through the Chicago Airport I believe the units are being displayed growing vegetables. I myself think it is awesome but I think I could make a lot of aeroponics with $500.

If you have not taken a peek at how to build a system I suggest getting my book, it’s free. As my own critic the book is okay and I do have some editing to do to it here soon as I have advanced some of my techniques.

I just built an outdoor system that I will be sharing throughout the summer and am looking forward to watching things grow in the natural sunlight. I am also going to be sharing a small four bucket system that I was making that would have multiple purposes and save room for tight areas. I am looking forward to showing.

So I have all sorts of things going on in aeroponics and am really looking forward to post a bit this growing season and share my garden. I just put up this video on my simple aeroponic system and the cost to make this was less than $150 and will grow up to 34 plants when all said and done. But this is showing what I have right after constructing. It took me two days while tending to my other chores to make this plus the trip to home depot, ace hardware and buying some things on line. So it took about a week in preparation and two days building. Enjoy!

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Spring Is Getting Closer, Outdoor Aeroponics

Another year of gardening is here. It is time to start preparing for a great growing season. Each year I get better and better at growing outside. I find it just as much of a challenge as growing indoors. But I have my flowers germinating right now and have my lettuce started too. The tomatoes are germinating right now. I have big plans for this year with My Aeroponics System.

I was earlier concentrating on vertical aeroponics but have come to my senses of what will work best. I know for a fact that the roots of the plant follow the water flow and that the root systems can get huge. While taking measurements of some of the root systems I have had, I just cannot see a 6 inch pipe holding the root system. Not just one plant but many plants could cause a clog of roots not allowing the water to pass. This can and would present a problem down the road. So I decided not to use tubes but stick with the tubs making sure the roots stay suspended and avoid flow back clogs.

So I decided to take the 20 gallon tub outside and mount my tubs off the house above the ground. My south side of the house has full sun during the middle of the day where the morning and evening sun does not get to. It is a shame because the morning sun is so important to a successful garden. In the years past my outdoor garden was in the ground and each year I have improved my yield but I have never been satisfied with my harvest. It really makes you appreciate the farmers who grow and maintain such great harvests. Vegetables do not grow over night and take a lot of time. Every time I buy a pepper or a tomato I know how long it took to become ripe enough to eat. And not only that, but how perishable it is.

Last year I started all my plants indoors using my germination method and my aeroponics cloning system. Before I transferred the plants to soil the root systems were well established. It amazes me how the plants respond going from aeroponics directly into the soil. They do not react the same way as going from soil to soil and actually do not show any stress from the transplant. The plants are so healthy they just keep right on going. My pepper plants last year were full of flowers before I put them in the ground. One of the main reasons I transferred them to soil is because I was having a hard time pollinating the flowers and decided to let the bees do it. Did you know that bees have been dying? Since then, I have figured out how to pollinate a flower indoors using an electric tooth brush and moving air. It works!

This year I plan on taking the indoor starters that have good roots and move them outside in my outdoor Aeroponic System. I am so excited to build my system I can hardly wait. All I need to buy are the tubs, some half inch pvc pipe and a new 1000gph pump and I am ready to go. I have extra sprays, 2” net pots and hydroton to get me going.

Build a Custom Aeroponic System

But the tubs are still $6 at home depot and at the dollar store. I figure starting out with 6 tubs will be great. The pipe may cost me $20 and the pump is around $50. I counted up how many tubs I can install on my outside wall. I counted 30 tubs total and I am thinking two pumps. So it will be a goal to have that many tubs growing all sorts of plants and have a huge aeroponic system growing a showering field of green in my backyard. I am excited about this year and my project.

I will be posting details of the build on video and pictures, so please look forward to seeing my outdoor project as I build it, expand it and the growth of the plants. After watching food prices increase, not knowing where the vegetable came from and just having control over what I am putting in my body will be a huge plus for me and my family. Between Monsanto and Bayer I am dedicated to making sure I do not eat any products that were designed by them. They are probably the reason bees are dying, but who knows? The EPA or the FDA sure doesn’t care about cause and effect and what we ingest as they calculate their risk factors if it will kill us or not. They have no idea what will happen while they play the game of “Well, Let’s See What Happens” the manufactures reports don’t show any side effects of danger. And anyways, that little bit of chemical will not kill anybody; we will take the risk because the lab rat did not show any illness after eating twice the amount a human will.

There are reasons I am experimenting and sharing. We need a better way to sustain. !/3 of our food is coming from another country, over half of our oil is coming from another country. Just look at the prices and that should give you and me fair enough warning. It wasn’t like we didn’t see the great recession before it got here on our door steps. Those that prepared for what was coming planned for it to sustain. Those that did not, well, we have heard the stories, and it’s not over. Grow a garden, you may have to feed your neighbor some day!

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Boring Aeroponics

Once you have a garden growing in aeroponics, patience becomes a thing you have to deal with. Don’t get me wrong, there is always something to do to your garden, but the time it takes to maintain the reservoir takes only minutes a day or even every other day. In matter of fact if your lights are set to a good level above your plants you can walk away from the garden for days.

20 gallon Tub With 1000 GPH Pump

I cannot help but stare at my plants as they grow and if I sit there long enough I will actually see some move while they are stretching towards the light. Even the next day I can see new growth while I have to do nothing but watch and observe. It can be very boring as any garden grows.

The plan is in the calendar, marking the days when things need to be done and doing those tasks when it is called for. A good example would be topping the plant to spur lower branches of the plant to shoot up. I do this to create more yields from the plant and only take the littlest portion of new growth.

Aeroponics can be boring to say the least and really is no different than an outdoor garden. Taking the seed to germination, raising to good root growth and then watching it grow over the next few months to maturity. What I like at this stage is where I can take a plant that is just in maturity and clone it to make others just like it. This is  a true sustainability without seed and germinating. This process can take months off the process of growing and you know what to expect from the plant.

Seven Sprays

Seven Spray Aeroponic Manifold

I believe as more people see how easy it is to grow plants indoors they will also come to realize the importance to having fresh plants to harvest and feast from. As prices go up and are expected to increase I can say that having a productive garden that can be grown year round gives me a great amount of pleasure and comfort knowing I have a food source that is sustainable for me and my family.

I have to say also that aeroponics gives the opportunity for everyone to have a green thumb and success to having a fresh food supply independent from the super market. Give it a try, it isn’t that hard!

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