Aeroponics - anyone here currently using?

[Observationist]

Anyone here growing aeroponic style?

 

[Observationist]

Anyone here growing aeroponic style?

Found some threads from 2010/11 about it but not much rn

 

[ninjadip]

I fell down the rabbit hole...
No one here

 

[Observationist]

I fell down the rabbit hole...
No one here

Haha, just waiting to get my own aero going

 

[ninjadip]

Haha, just waiting to get my own aero going

I'm going to try my hand at some mcGyvering this gifted aerogarden I have into an aeroponic thing. It already has a submersible pump and it is on a cycle timer.
Ordered some hose and nozzles, I'll put a thread up when I start, once it comes in mail.
Want to use it for A cloning station

 

[beluga]

I run low-pressure aero.
Basically just upsized aerocloners with some net pots

 

[Zill]

I attempted aeroponics growing tomatoes. It much more tedious than hydroponics. The nutrients, micro and macro on all on you as is everything else. Not unlike hydroponics. The root spraying, misting and intense on/off frequencyy of the misting is what is tough to dial in then keep dialed in. One fouled nozzle and you can kiss that plant good bye. It’s the root ball suspended in a near constant nutrient mist that separates it from hydroponics.

You hydroponic guys got enough to think about.

Zill.

 

[Zill]

Obsersionist,

If you want I can send you some docs I collected while evaluating the process. And that goes for the rest of you.

Zill.

 

[beluga]

It’s the root ball suspended in a near constant nutrient mist that separates it from hydroponics

Right, so with aerocloners and a system like I use, they are aeroponic until they hit the reservoir; then it's a sort of DWC hybrid... which really improves the durability of the system because failed nozzles don't really do much except while in its aeroponic/root development phase.
I leave my pumps on 24hrs. I follow nutrient recommendations per the label, if sometimes at 1/2 strength. It's been uncannily foolproof for me. And it produces:

 

[ninjadip]

Yeah there is headache with nozzles and the more parts of a system.
I really want to use it for cloning only. I love the videos of the fast root explosion with clones that come from aeroponics. Then I would transfer into dwc for me.

 

[ninjadip]

This thing I am getting has removable/replaceable nozzles.

It will be new to me, so
If, or when, they get clogged, what is the best tried and true way to clean them?

Soak in peroxide/rubbing alcohol? Or soak in some flushing solution?

 

[beluga]

This thing I am getting has removable/replaceable nozzles.

It will be new to me, so
If, or when, they get clogged, what is the best tried and true way to clean them?

Soak in peroxide/rubbing alcohol? Or soak in some flushing solution?

Depends on the nozzles.
If they're just these:

Then you can just use a pin or something small to physically remove any clogs. Sometimes preceded by but definitely followed by a soaking. I always do a sanitizing soak all of my stuff after each run.. I'm not partial to which sanitizing agent is used, just whatever's around the house within in reason. But, for those who don't have household chemical reasoning, H2O2 is indeed the popular choice.

I don't have any experience running finer nozzles, but I would guess you would mostly want to soak them in a cleaner and try to agitate any clogs out of them.

 

[ninjadip]

They are metal, hopefully more fine like a mist.

 

[beluga]

They are metal, hopefully more fine like a mist.

Yeah, I've always avoided them because, quite frankly, I can be pretty negligent with my equipment if there's any decent amount of time between my runs.
I've had the basic sprayer nozzles sitting around clogged for 2+ years, then I clean them out when I spark things up again and it just goes right back to purring.

I am, however, thinking about getting some of those finer SS ones like you showed as I hope to keep things going in perpetuity for a while at this point. 1 of those could probably make up for the coverage of 4 strategically placed plastic nozzles... but the tradeoff is how easily the fine ones are compromised.

 

[ninjadip]

Yeah, I've always avoided them because, quite frankly, I can be pretty negligent with my equipment if there's any decent amount of time between my runs.
I've had the basic sprayer nozzles sitting around clogged for 2+ years, then I clean them out when I spark things up again and it just goes right back to purring.

I am, however, thinking about getting some of those finer SS ones like you showed as I hope to keep things going in perpetuity for a while at this point. 1 of those could probably make up for the coverage of 4 strategically placed plastic nozzles... but the tradeoff is how easily the fine ones are compromised.

Definitely same thing I'm thinking. But hoping with the low ppm used in early cloning stage will be easier on nozzles. For me I might be doing them two weeks for each clone batch.
Also might run small amount of flushing agent in res if I see signs of salt buildup with nozzles, idk, I will def be experimenting to see what works best for least maintenance