Your Ultimate Guide to Aeroponics: Everything You Need to Know for Maximum Plant Yields

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Live in an apartment without a garden? Lack the space in your backyard to grow all the veggies you need? With aeroponics, you can grow more in less space.

I mean, if it works for NASA’s indoor farms, it should work just fine for you.

But I won’t sugarcoat it. Out of all six types of hydroponics (the other five being wick, drip, ebb and flow, deep water culture, and nutrient film), aeroponics is the most technical.

Its results are impressive, though. The fact that there’s no growing medium used whatsoever (the roots are literally dangling in the air!) makes the system even more impressive.

This begs the question:

How the heck do aeroponics systems work?

And that’s the part you need to understand before you invest in an aeroponic system. If any of the system’s many components stop functioning, your plants will die fast.

But if you set all the parameters just right? Oh, aeroponics is worth every penny!

For the longest while, I’ve been meaning to craft an in-depth guide to aeroponics to show fellow gardeners what’s going under the hood, so to speak, and how to get the best results. This is that guide!

How an Aeroponic System Works at a Glance

I’ll dive into the details (components, types, best practices, etc.) later. But for now, let’s just get some high-level questions out of the way:

• What is the main concept here? Growing plants suspended in the air.
• How are the crops fed if there’s no soil? They’re misted with a nutrient-rich solution using time-controlled sprinklers.
• Doesn’t this compromise the crops’ nutritional value? Nope!
• What’s the fuss about? Really? The technique is space-efficient, consumes less water, and is suitable for year-round growing without soil or sunlight.

Breaking Down the Average Aeroponic System into Its Core Components

Not all aeroponic systems are created equal. For instance, some of them (fogponics) use a single unit, while others rely on multiple heads.

But if you take the average system and break it down, you’ll find a few basic structures.

On the top, the only thing the plants need is artificial light. Beneath the surface is where the magic happens, starting in the reservoir and all the way to the timers.

There’s usually a control system and a few sensors, but the components you need to know about are:

The Reservoir

This is where all your water and nutrients will be stored.

It’s a closed-loop system, meaning whatever the plants don’t absorb gets dropped back into the reservoir to be re-sprayed again and again.

The plants are never submerged in the water, though. They’re suspended in the air from net cups.

Net Cups/Grow Chambers

An aeroponic system’s lid has precisely cut holes, and each one fits a cup used as a grow chamber.

These cups are typically sealed with a styrofoam collar that provides support for the stems and acts as a barrier to keep the water within the reservoir.

Water/Nutrient Pump

Secured to the base of the reservoir is a pump used to push the water through the piping and into the misting nozzles.

Misting Nozzles

Different aeroponic systems will have a different number of nozzles inside the chamber.

But the number isn’t the only important factor. Water droplet size matters quite a bit.

The smaller the droplet, the more likely it is to remain in the air (like a fog) and raise humidity. Larger droplets, on the other hand, fall out of the air fairly quickly.

Some sources say the ideal size is 30–100 microns, while other growers prefer 5–50 microns.

Repeat Cycle Timer

Much like your lawn sprinkler, the aeroponic misters don’t have to be on all day to be effective.

If you research the recommended cycle times, you’ll find that some growers have had success with a misting cycle of one minute on and 5 minutes off. Others have similar successes with misting for 15 seconds every 5 minutes or so.

There are no hard and fast rules for misting intervals. But you still need to set one. Otherwise, the roots will be drenched.

Your best bet is to test a few cycles for every new plant. Ideally, you want the plant roots to nearly dry before hitting them with another burst of atomized water.

As I mentioned earlier, although the core components and concepts are the same, there are still different types of aeroponics…

The Different Types of Aeroponics Systems

All aeroponic systems fit into one of three categories: low-pressure aeroponics (LPAs), high-pressure aeroponics (HPAs), and fogponics.

LPA	HPA	Fogponics
Mechanism	Low-pressure submersible pump	Pump with a pressurized accumulator tank	Ultrasonic fogger
Rating	GPH and head height	PSI	Disc size (in mm)
Droplet Size	~100 microns	45–55 microns	Less than 10 microns

Confused? Here’s an in-depth explanation of each type:

Low-Pressure Aeroponic Systems

The LPA system is the most common and cost-efficient option for home growers. They’re also the most widely available—not limited to hydroponic specialist suppliers.

Pumps

It’s possible to make your own LPA system by attaching misters to PVC pipes and using a submersible fountain/pond pump secured to a reservoir.

The problem with finding the right pump for a DIY setup is that pond and fountain pumps don’t tend to have a PSI rating. Instead, they come with head height ratings and GPH (gallons per hour) flow rates.

Head height is a vital factor because the pressure needs to be forceful enough to travel up the piping to the misters. Then, the more GPH the pump can push through the system, the higher the pressure you’ll get.

Misters (Number and Positioning)

Depending on the overall size of the container, you could have three or six sprinklers. Keep in mind that the number of misters will affect the efficiency. With each mister, there’s going to be a slight pressure drop.

Either way, each nozzle should be angled upwards to spray above the roots with a slight overlap between nozzles. You want the water to run from the top of the plant roots and trickle down and drop back into the reservoir.

What you don’t want to do is angle the sprinklers to direct the water straight at the roots. That would drench them and create what some aeroponic growers call “soakaponics.”

Pro Tip for DIYers

LPAs are definitely fit for a DIY project as long as you consider the two ratings: GPH and head height.

And remember this part…

Whatever you think you need, go higher because you can always decrease the water pressure. You can never increase it without upgrading to a more powerful pump, though.

High Pressure Aeroponics Systems (HPA)

HPA systems can only be described as the commercial farming method of the future.

To get a peek into how vertical farms produce fresh vegetables in city centers, check out this video showing an aeroponics farming system in action…

In the 90’s, that would’ve been sci-fi. Today, it’s happening, but with one caveat.

Starting Expenses

As you can see, HPA systems are extremely technical, and you can just imagine the cost of setting up a farm like this.

So, I’d say it’s not the best pick for hobbyists or home growers. It’s better suited for large-scale commercial growers.

Pump and Tank

A general HPA system pump will start with 60—90 PSI. But the more powerful the pump, the finer the spray.

For a professional-grade setup, you’d be looking at a pump capable of delivering a steady flow of 100 PSI or more.

Unfortunately, you can expect the pump to break down often. When you consider the sheer scale (hundreds of plants), you’re looking at a far higher cost for misters, pumps, and tanks.

To extend the life of an HPA pump, a pressurized accumulator tank is used in professional HPA systems. I won’t get into the technicalities, but the gist of it is that the tank will reduce the workload from the pump.

Fogponics

All aeroponic systems are fairly advanced, but fogponics takes things to another level—the level of ultrasonic technology.

At the heart of the fogponic system is a disc submerged in the water. This disc vibrates at extremely high frequencies, turning the water into a gas form. Yes, the produced droplets are really that small!

I know saying something like “less than 10 microns” will not seem impressive right away.

But to put things into perspective, one micron is equal to 1 millionth of a meter. Pollen is actually 7–10 microns!

See how fogponics works in this short video:

Which Aeroponic System Do You Need?

For purposes of this post, I’ll be focusing on the affordable setup suited to home growers—the LPA.

Now, you just need to know how to work with one of those.

How to Work with a Low-Pressure Aeroponics System

Okay, so a simple LPA is your guy if you’re just starting a small-scale vertical farm.

You get the components and put them together. What now?

Well, here are the best practices to keep in mind:

Let’s talk Temperatures

The ideal temperature for hydroponic reservoirs is between 65°F and 80°F.

Let it get too hot, and you’ll suffocate the plant. Let it drop too much, and the system gets less effective.

That said, the problem you’ll likely face is dropping temperatures. After all, it’s easy for the heat to get lost via contact with the concrete floors. For some reason, many growers like setting up the system in their basements.

An aquarium heater with a thermostatic regulator should fix the situation, though.

On the other hand, if the reservoir temperature is too hot, you may want to use a reservoir chiller—that’s if just turning the heater off doesn’t lower the temperature enough.

Nutrient Solution Basics

As the roots are suspended in air, your plants will get all the oxygen they need and maybe a bit more.

What about the building blocks, you ask? You’ll provide them with a well-balanced nutrient solution with the essentials:

• Calcium
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Sulfur
• Zinc

You can buy the solution as a concentrated liquid or a powdered mixture. Both options will do as long as it’s an aeroponic-specific blend.

Balancing pH Levels Throughout the Cycle

Deionized/distilled water has a neutral pH of 7. The ideal pH for aeroponic systems, however, leans more on the acidic side of the spectrum, with a pH of 6.

Lucky for you, the level doesn’t need to be exact. As long as it stays above 5.0 and below 7.0, the roots should grow just fine.

Some folks will advise you to use rainwater in your LPA. But here’s the thing: not all rainwater has the same pH—or nutrient value, for that matter. Environmental factors can be tricky!

For instance, the pH level drops to 4.0 in some states. So, there’s no way around testing your local water source and adjusting accordingly.

I often hear people say that the cheapest method is to use paper strip tests. Sure, the initial expense is lower, but you will need to consistently monitor the pH of your water.

In the long run, it’s more cost-effective to use a digital pH meter.

Why do you need to test regularly and not just when you’re prepping the solution the first time?

Well, the LPA system is closed-loop, so the water will be recycled until the plant roots absorb it. Eventually, the reservoir will need to be topped up. Every time you go for a top-up, you’ll need to test and adjust the pH to keep it consistent throughout the growth cycle. 

The test part is already covered. For the adjustment, you can grab a pH up and down solution on Amazon.

Monitoring EC Levels in Your Reservoir

EC stands for Electrical Conductivity, which can sound a bit off-topic until you remember that dissolving chemicals in water affects its conductivity.

As a rule of thumb, the higher the mineral concentration, the higher the EC. Of course, this also means that more “goodies” are available in the reservoir for your plants to take in.

If the “goodies” aren’t enough, your plants will struggle to grow. But there’s also such a thing as too much nutrients, and leaf burns are a testament to that.

To avoid both issues, you want to monitor the EC readings (with a digital meter) daily. If they go up, the nutrient solution is too strong and needs diluting.

Much like pH, the EC will change every time you refill/top-up the reservoir.

Aeroponics Troubleshooting: 3 Common Problems

When you’re growing with aeroponics, you’re cutting down the plant care routine. But at least a part of the effort you’ll save needs to be redirected to maintaining the LPA system itself.

Issues like growth rate, leaf burn, and fungal infections indicate that there’s something wrong with your system.

The most common problems to expect with your first aeroponic setup are:

Full-on Pump Malfunctions

If there’s one advice I can give you here is that you should never skimp on your pump—the life of your crops relies on it.

Inside the reservoir tank, the humidity should be close to 100%. When your pump stops working, humidity drops fast.

Combine the fast humidity drop with the fact the pump won’t be able to spray any nutrients, and you’ll get starved roots. No bueno.

Clogged Pipes and Nozzles (Partially or Completely)

This system hiccup is an easy one to miss, but it’s also easy to fix.

You see, the water going through the nozzles is chock full of minerals. Eventually, salt will accumulate in (and block) the pipes and nozzles.

A partial blockage will slow down the misting, but things could be even worse.

Fully blocked sprinklers = zero plant feeding = a bunch of dead crops in a stinky reservoir

For that reason, it’s best to check your nozzles regularly.

If they’re blocked, the only solution you need is isopropyl (aka rubbing alcohol). Just rub it over the nozzles, and it’ll break down the salt build-ups.

Problems With Fungi

Aeroponics cuts the need for soil, and this alone keeps a whole lot of soil-borne diseases and infections away.

That said, there’s one pesky culprit to worry about: pythium root rot.

The reason why aeroponics is particularly vulnerable to root rot is that pythium spores can actually swim. I told you, they’re pesky little things!

A bit of hydrogen peroxide can kill pythium along with plenty of other pathogens. However, it’s incredibly strong—so much so that it will likely kill your plants, too.

This means you have to get the dilution just right, which is even trickier than you’d imagine because the majority of hydrogen peroxide suppliers already dilute what they sell to you.

Food grade (a 35% solution) is the best option for edible crops. But you will need to dilute it down to 3% first. To do this, mix one part of the 35% solution with eleven parts distilled water.

If you’re already working with the more commonly available 3% solution, use 3 ml per 1 liter of water or 2–3 teaspoons per gallon.

Just note that your doses will only last for four days or so.

Maintaining Your First Aeroponic System: The Two Golden Keys

The two words to remember with aeroponics are “sanitize and sterilize.”

1 – Sanitize

Just because the aeroponic is good to go in your basement doesn’t mean it’s okay to let it get filthy.

Everything in and around your grow room needs to be kept clean and dust-free. Get rid of anything that’s going to encourage bacteria growth or attract pests.

I can only recommend that you treat your grow room as your kitchen—if anything is spilled, clean it up.

As for the foliage, you’ll want to trim off dead leaves regularly.

2 – Sterilize

The main focus here is the reservoir and the tank. Ideally, the tank should be cleaned and refilled once a week or up to a fortnight. 

You’ll also have to clean up the irrigation system with hydrogen peroxide to prevent salt build-ups.

Between grows, you can do cleaning flushes. A typical flush involves completely sterilizing the system (piping and nozzles included) using bleach or similar agents.

I’d grab a scrubbing brush and make sure all crevices are pristine, too!

Once your flush is done, run the system with just water to get rid of lingering chemicals. Then, let oxygen do its part, drying everything before you put the system to use again.

I know I said the reservoir/tank are the key areas. But you also need to sterilize any equipment you’re using. Just one snip with a pair of dirty shears could introduce pests or diseases!

With the two golden maintenance keys out of the way, it’s time to assess the setup as a whole…

The Pros and Cons of Aeroponic Farms

Here’s a bite-size list of the advantages and the disadvantages to help you decide if aeroponics is a good choice for you:

Pros

• Faster and better yield (45–75% more yield than geoponics!)
• Space-efficient as a vertical grow system
• Closed-loop design reduces nutrient waste (around 60% reduction in nutrient use!)
• More control on the growing climate
• Reduced pest risk without the need for pesticides
• Reduced water consumption (around 90% less!)

Cons

• Technical malfunctions can kill the entire crop
• Requires experience, know-how, and regular follow-up on the grower’s part
• The moist environment can be inviting to fungi

FAQs

Is aeroponics the same as aquaponics?

Nope. Despite the similar sounding names, aquaponics is actually a way of raising fish. 

Is aeroponics the best hydroponic technique?

I wouldn’t say “best.” But it’s definitely the most advanced hydroponic option, and it provides a whole lot of oxygen flow. Compared to the simple wick system, aeroponics is more expensive and more likely to get clogged, though.

Which aeroponic system is easier to manage?

All aeroponics need a certain level of expertise and technical know-how. However, some folks find LPAs easier simply because their design is basic enough for a DIY.

Others find that maintaining fogponics is less of a hassle because it runs on a one-unit system. Still, you’ll need to consider adding fans to the system.

What can I grow in my aeroponic system?

Lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, mint, basil—you have lots of aeroponic-suitable crops to pick from. Spinach, kale, cucumbers, and beans will work, too.

For fogponics, herbs might be your best bet because they’re super lightweight.

How do you germinate seeds for aeroponics?

There are different ways, but generally, you’ll need to put the seeds in water or a growing medium until they sprout. Rockwool pods/cubes with vermiculite are a common soil-free option.

You might need to transplant the sprout younger than you would in a regular garden, though. They’ll outgrow the pods in no time!

Can I use any nutrient solution for my LPA system?

Ideally, you want to steer away from thick, organic-rich nutrient solutions. Aeroponic systems don’t handle them well.

How can I drain my aeroponics?

It depends on the model. But on some HPAs, you need to close the accumulator tank valve, close the reservoir valve, and open the return valve. Then, you can open the drain line and let the pump redirect the leftover nutrients to a bucket.

Final Thoughts

There are more pros than cons to aeroponics. But there’s a high level of commitment needed here, so don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a magic fix to all your gardening problems.

Plus, a quality aeroponic system could set you back a few hundred dollars. If things don’t work out? You now have one expensive mistake on your hands!

All in all, I think it’s a high-risk, high-reward scenario. When the system is controlled to perfection, you will get good quality crops with a higher yield, all while saving water, nutrients, and space. Isn’t that the dream?

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