When it comes to growing plants indoors, many people usually think of their experiences with common houseplants growing in the potting soil that the local supermarket always have sitting out front all summer long. But that's old school. These days, it's quite possible to grow almost any plant indoors, at any time of the year, with modern no-soil-required growing technology. One of the most advanced forms of indoor no-soil-required gardening is called Aeroponics.
The term "aeroponic" refers to the technique of growing plants in air instead of soil. At first this concept seems almost unbelievable. How could it be possible to grow plants in nothing but air? Here's how many aeroponic plant growing systems work:
Seeds are placed in some sort of water-permeable material, like a sponge. The sponge is then suspended above a reservoir containing clean water and a nutrient solution. At periodic times throughout the day, an electric pump turns on and floods the sponge material with the nutrient-rich water from reservoir. The excess water drips back into the reservoir, ready to be recirculated and maybe be absorbed by the growing plant.
To simulate the sunlight plants need to photosynthesize, most aeroponic gardeners use florescent growing lights. These growing lights are designed to exactly reproduce the specific part of the light spectrum that plants use for photosynthesis, the biological process that plants use to turn light into energy. Most modern aeroponic gardens use an array of florescent grow lights that are controlled via a digital timer that has been programmed to turn the lights on and off at specific intervals to optimally simulate the natural cycle of daytime and night.
Some of the main advantages of aeroponic growing is that since the growing environment is completely controlled artificially, it can be done at any time of the year. No need to wait until the perfect time to plant seeds in the spring...you can start and maintain an aeroponic garden at any time of year. Almost any plant can be grown aeroponically, although many larger plants may require very large aeroponic growing systems.
Food grown with aeroponic technology is far healthier than produce grown through traditional soil techniques. As aeroponic fruits and vegetable are usually grown indoors, the use of dangerous pesticides is not necessary and many aeroponically grown foods also classify as organic. Since produce grown aeroponically is growing in probably the most ideal scenario possible, it's always of exceptional quality and flavor.
The best part about growing plants with aeroponics is that thanks to modern design and manufacturing technology, there are fully self-contained and almost totally automatic aeroponic growing systems available for less than 0. With a device like this, the hobby of indoor gardening with aeroponics is easy enough for almost anyone to try.
One very popular model of indoor self-contained aeroponic gardens is made by a company in Boulder, Colorado called AeroGrow. Their flagship aeroponic growing system is called the "Aerogarden". Retailing for just 0, the Aerogarden is an exceptionally easy to use indoor gardening system. It's got a fully automatic pump system and integrated grow lights. After getting the Aerogarden initially set up, maintenance is as simple as keeping the water reservoir filled and adding nutrient tablets every two weeks. The Aerogarden's control panel even alerts you when the water is low or even when it's time to add new nutrients. Most Aerogarden kits even includes a herb seed kit to get you going growing seven different plants right out of the box. Each Aerogarden seed kit contains seeds and enough nutrients to sustain the plants for months. If herbs aren't to your liking, Aerogrow offers dozens of varieties of Aerogarden seed kits and even empty pods so you can try to grow whatever you'd like... so long as it grows small enough to not exceed the capacity of the counter top-sized Aerogarden!
With small home aeroponic systems like the Aerogarden, even people that would not have previously had the opportunity to raise a traditional outdoor garden, such as urban apartment dwellers, can now enjoy easy success at one of mankind's oldest art forms. These systems are so easy to use that they can be used successfully by both the old and young alike. Instead of a fish-filled aquarium, aeroponic gardens even make a great alternative piece of room décor and are sure to be a conversation starter amongst your friends and household guests.
Thanks to the amazing aeroponic plant growing technology of the 21st century, the joys and rewards of raising a garden can now be had by anyone in the comfort of their own home.
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