Aeroponics is a branch of hydroponics that suspends plant roots in air rather than water. Due to the lack of soil, aeroponics nutrients are a must for proper plant growth.
In this article, we’ll look at what we mean by aeroponics nutrients and the best ways to supply plants with what they need.
What Aeroponics Nutrients do I Need?
Oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen are already available in air and water. The water, depending upon the additions made by the local treatment plant, might contain a number of other elements, and these elements should be considered while determining the final conductivity. Rain water should have a 0.0 EC.
The key aeroponics nutrients required for crops are potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. The required amount for each nutrient will depend upon the type of plant as well as their stage of growth.
Secondary aeroponics nutrients include sulfur, magnesium, and calcium. You will also need to add a number of micronutrients, such as iron, chlorine, cobalt, copper, boron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.
As far as the water is concerned, the pH of hard water is generally too high for aeroponics plants. For ideal growth and nutrient absorption, the water pH should be slightly acidic (a pH of less than 7 is considered acidic; a pH of 7 is considered basic or neutral).
Generally, plants prefer a pH of around 6, which is mildly acidic. It is important to remember that the pH scale is not linear but logarithmic – this means that a shift from pH 6 to pH 7 makes the water 10 times more alkaline. Hard water has a pH of about 8, which is way too alkaline for plants.
Usually, an aeroponics nutrients solution is capable of lowering the pH by itself. These solutions are created with the assumption that the starting pH of the water will be 7.0. So, if you add this nutrient solution to pH 7 water, the solution will bring the pH down to 6.0, which is just what your aeroponics plants require.
Do Aeroponics Use Fertilizers?
The soil in a garden will normally already contain a large proportion of the nutrients required by plants. If any nutrients are missing or insufficient, a general-purpose fertilizer can help bridge that gap. As far as aeroponics farming is concerned, the solution must contain all the aeroponics nutrients required by the plant. The nutrient solution is the only thing available to the plants. Hence, if that solution lacks the essential contents, the plants’ health and appearance will quickly reveal this lacking.
You can check out this video for a brief explanation of how plants absorb nutrients.
Aeroponics plants require all the primary, secondary, and micro nutrients listed above, and a nutrient solution will generally contain all of these aeroponics nutrients in the right amounts.
How are Aeroponics Nutrients Supplied to Plants?
There are a few different types of aeroponics systems, each of which provide nutrients to the plants in their own unique way. In general, though, aeroponics systems make use of small sprinkler heads to create daily mists for a period of around 10 to 20 minutes. The mist, consisting of the nutrient solution, targets the plant roots, clinging long enough for the aeroponics nutrients to be absorbed. Once the liquid starts dripping off, the roots are able to fulfill their oxygen requirements. This cycle is repeated periodically (usually once a day).
In this section, we will discuss some of the most common aeroponics nutrients systems.
- Low-Pressure System:
The most commonly-used aeroponics nutrients system is the low-pressure system. This system is common due to its simplistic technology, low price, and low maintenance requirements. In a low-pressure system, you need to organize the sprinklers in a way that they target and wet the complete root zone. Once the root hair becomes bulky and large, it can become quite hard to cover the whole root zone using a low-pressure system. The reservoir will contain the nutrient solution, and the roots of the plant will be suspended in this reservoir.
The low-pressure pump will make use of PVC pipes through sprinkler heads to supply the nutrient solution to the plant roots. Any additional water will return to the reservoir and be reused. This is a simple and basic design, and is sold at most aeroponics stores. Even though the low-pressure system has a few limitations, it is a good option for home gardens, and is therefore quite popular amongst aeroponics home farmers and gardeners.
- High-Pressure System:
A high-pressure aeroponics system makes use of high-pressure pumps in order to produce the mist, and the high pressure of the pump leads to smaller-sized water droplets. The mist can uniformly cover the whole root area (even with bulkier root masses) and allow the plants to consume higher quantities of nutrients. For this reason, high-pressure systems produce higher-value plants that lead to better production and greater profits.
This system offers more features compared to its low-pressure counterpart, including smaller-sized water droplets, nutrient sterilization, water purification, and excellent aeration. Although high-pressure systems are more expensive than low-pressure systems, inexpensive and affordable models are finding their way into the markets, making high-pressure systems more accessible to aeroponics farmers on tighter budgets.
- Ultrasonic Fogger System:
A less common type of aeroponics system is the ultrasonic fogger system, which is mainly reserved for commercial aeroponics farming. These systems consist of high-pressure water heaters as well as a number of other enhancements that improve harvest maturation and prolong the plant life. Some unique features of an ultrasonic fogger system are:
- Thermal management of the nutrient solution
- Cooling detectors
- Precision timing along with pressurized solution
- Excellent ergonomics
- Low labor requirements
- Fail-safe sensors
- Durability and reliability
Aeroponics Nutrients Solution Recipe
The truth is that plants do not care about their nutrients being organic, man-made or home-produced. The only thing that a plant wants is to have all its nutritional requirements fulfilled.
Soil-grown plants are usually picky, absorbing only the nutrients that they need. However, aeroponics plants rely on the owner to supply them with the right nutrients in the right amounts. Since homemade formulas are quite different to each other, one batch of a particular type might offer different ratios than the second batch of the same type.
You can also use nutrient salts while preparing your solution; these salts are easier to prepare because the mixture can be fine-tuned according to the salt weight. If you do decide to go for nutrients salts, make sure to keep them dry and cool, as any absorbed moisture will impact their weight.
Another thing to know is that many nutrient solutions are available in three- or two-part bottles. Hence, a few of the recipes that we discuss will require you to make either two- or three-solution batches.
Also, the formulas will require good weighing scales, rubber gloves (only for formulas consisting of crystalline chemicals), and measuring spoons.
Lastly, purchased nutrients sometimes have extra pH buffers. For this reason, you will also need a pH Down solution, pH Up solution, and a pH-measuring digital pen.
Let us now discuss a couple of aeroponics nutrients solution recipes.
Recipe 1:
The first recipe offers a one-part mix and promises excellent results. However, you must closely observe your plants to make sure that they are not displaying any signs of nutrient burn or deficiencies.
This formula will require around five gallons of water, and can only be used on non-circulating aeroponics systems. Since the formula is not diluted, it is best for small systems where the roots are sat inside the solution.
If you wish to use this recipe for a circulating system, you will have to keep increasing the quantity until you have enough to fill the tank.
Ingredients:
- 5 grams of Epsom salt
- 10 grams of Calcium Nitrate
- 10 grams of tomatoes
This recipe is quick and easy to prepare. Depending upon the plant that you are growing, you will have to dispose of the solution once the EC/salt levels go beyond a certain point. If you find that this recipe is not fulfilling your plants’ nutritional requirements or detect any indications of deficiencies, you can use the second supplementary formula for some additional nutrition.
Recipe 2:
Compared to the first recipe, the second one requires a few extra compounds, but is still quite easy to mix. After mixing, you will need to put in 10 grams of this solution for each gallon of water present in the tank.
Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon of Iron Sulfate
- 113 grams of Mono-calcium Phosphate
- 43 grams of Ammonium Sulfate (powdered)
- 170 grams of Magnesium Sulfate
- 198 grams of Calcium Phosphate
- 255 grams of Potassium Nitrate
Mix all the dry ingredients together and create a powder. Once you have done that, you can put in 10 grams of the nutrient solution for each gallon of water inside your tank. The high concentration of this dry mix can lead to irritation, which is why you need to wear protective gear and goggles while preparing the solution or adding it to the water.
After adding the solution, you should check all the EC and pH levels just to stay on the safe side. Checking the levels is even more important for farmers who use growth enhancers for their plants.
Final Thoughts on Aeroponics Nutrients
As you can see, aeroponics nutrients are no different from standard agricultural mixes. However, the difference lies in their concentrations and delivery methods. Hopefully, with the information above, you’ll be able to set up your own aeroponics farm at home!
