Aeroponics #2 - Pro's and Con's

Aeroponics #2 – Pro’s and Con’s

            The benefits of using Aeroponics are immense, but nothing can exist without a Design Flaw, or in other words a drawback or flaw. In this case, due to years of experimentation and research, there are few flaws in aeroponics however; they do exist.

 

            Pro’s – To start, the purpose of aeroponics is to speed the rate of growth in plants from adolescence to maturity, and to allow scientists the ability to study a plant while it grows, but at a faster rate than normal. Aeroponics accomplishes this. Due to the increased access to oxygen, nutrients, and sunlight (depending on exposure allowed to the plant) plants achieve the higher rate of growth strived for by scientists, and urban farmers. Cost of propagation may also be lower, as long as the given Aeroponics system is calibrated properly.  Without the need for a growing medium one may not only save money, but save space as well. Many Aeroponic farmers hold their plants in vertically standing walls that are thin, and very close to each other, making it possible to have higher yields due simply to more efficient maximization of space.

 

            Con’s – Alas, no system is perfect. A few of the down sides to Aeroponics can also be cost, size, and the plants rapid growth. The cost may decrease originally due to the lack of need for a growing medium, and less water consumption however; now that you do not have a growing medium, you must either purchase fertilizer to make your nutrient rich solution, or find a way to make your own organic fertilizer that soot’s the job. When it comes to size, this may or may not be necessarily a problem. If growing vegetables for example, your plants will never reach a size of concern. However; if you were to grow a plant that has the potential to one day be a very large tree, this may not be the course of action for you, as eventually the plant will become too large for your Aeroponics unit. As for the rapid growth of the plant, this is a good thing and a bad thing because, like I said if the plant has large potential, in the Aeroponics system it will reach a point where it will become too large for the unit much quicker. Do not be completely discouraged by this however; as plants that are started in an Aeroponics system have a larger chance for success if one were to transplant them into the soil after they have become too large for the unit.