Having a healthy, lush, and full produce garden is almost every gardener, cook, or health-conscious individual's dream. Watching fresh produce plants sprout & grow after months of hard work, and being able to pick those vegetables/fruits/herbs to use them in your culinary endeavors is something that all of us would love to do!
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However, with the ongoing urban crises of space constraints and lack of time, there's little hope when it comes to home-growing fresh veggies or other produce. But... there's a catch. There's a knight in shining armor that comes to the rescue when urban dwellers call for more space to grow their own produce.
If you haven't guessed it already, we'll save you the wondering and tell you that your knight in shining armor (on a tall white horse) is aeroponic farming/gardening! The much-beloved way of growing produce indoors with little effort and much less time.
But what makes this type of gardening such a savior for all those who lack enough garden space? Let's get into it so you can start growing your favorite, perfect produce on your own!
• What Is Aeroponic Farming?
If you've ever confused aeroponic farming with hydroponic farming, we're happy to tell you that your potential shot in the dark wasn't very far. The two are very similar only aeroponic farming does not involve any growing medium as such.
Hydroponics make use of water as a growing medium, while aeroponics just let the roots of their plants stay suspended from the air. These plant roots are kept in a dark chamber or space, following which they are sprayed regularly with nutrient-rich solutions or fertilizers.
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• Can You Set Up Your Own Aeroponic Tower Garden at Home?
Yes, setting up your own aeroponic tower garden at home is a rather simple process. You do not need much space as the garden will be vertical and you don't even need to give in too much time for maintenance, as there is not such growing medium to keep refilling or changing.
However, you will have to keep in mind just a few things. Here's everything to know:
1. Give Your Plants Enough Light
Since plants in an aeroponic farming system grow indoors and away from light, they need to be given extra light to ensure adequate growth. So, you can strategically place LED grow-lights near all your plants.
For optimal growth, they must be placed 6-12 inches above the plants and must give them at least 8-10 hours of light.
2. Nutrition for the Roots
Since the roots of the plants are suspended without any growing medium, they need to be given the right nutrition, at the right time, in the right ways. So, it is essential that you pick the correct, balanced, and all-round fertilizers that will provide your plants with the right nutrition.
Pick a water-soluble NPK fertilizer that you can dilute in water and spray on the roots. Remember that your aeroponic tower garden will need to have a water set-up that will allow for misting at regular intervals, i.e. every 15-20 minutes.
3. Temperature and Humidity Needs
The right temperature is between 18-25°C and the humidity for the plants in your vertical aeroponic tower garden must be maintained at around 60%.
Remember to use filtered or distilled water to avoid any unnecessary chlorine or minerals that could cause adverse effects for your plants.
• Best Plants for Your Indoor Aeroponic Tower Garden
While most produce plants can be grown through vertical aeroponics, some do better than the rest. But which ones will work indoors and give you the wonderful harvests that you are so eagerly looking for?
Here are a few plants you can grow for healthy, full, and lush harvests!
1. Lettuce
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When growing lettuce through vertical aeroponics, you have complete control of when and how to provide it with the nutrients it needs. Additionally, with the right set up, you will be able to give it the exact conditions it needs to thrive, and the best part is that it is completely fuss-free when growing!
Additionally, once mature and completely grown, you can harvest this plant almost every 2-3 depending on how many seeds you had previously sown.
2. Tomatoes
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Did you know that growing tomatoes aeroponically gives you almost a 50% crop yield increase as compared to growing them in soil? This makes it more beneficial to grow all kinds of tomatoes on an aeroponic tower.
Growing fresh tomatoes gives you sweeter, juicier, and healthier produce that will add a great depth to your dishes.
3. Basil
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Even with Basil, growth is much faster and healthier due to 100% availability of oxygen. Additionally, the roots - when kept adequately moist - grow wonderfully to give you healthy leaves and great taste.
Basil also comes with many health benefits such as reduced inflammation, cancer prevention, and blood sugar regulation.
4. Kale
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Growing Kale in your vertical aeroponic tower garden allows you more space to grow the leafy vegetable, giving it more room to breathe and grow faster. Additionally, you can harvest it all year long and get fresh farm to plate Kale for all your culinary endeavors.
5. Capsicum
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Just like the other plants, capsicum grows much faster when grown aeroponically. This gives it better taste, more nutrients, and faster harvest time.
With the right care, you can grow the best vegetables aeroponically for better taste and more nutrition. So, take your pick and start your own aeroponic tower garden.
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