Grow Your Own Food Using Aeroponic Gardening
Aeroponics is a unique and increasingly popular gardening
technique. The reason why it is appealing is because it is soil-less and
therefore, amenable to a vertical irrigation design. In an aeroponic
garden, the plants can be suspended in a Tower-like apparatus where the water
softly trickles on to the roots. This, in turn, promotes improved air
circulation which expedites plant growth.
This horticulture technology is so simple and efficient that it is
sanctioned by NASA and you may have even noticed it in the Living with the Land
attraction at Disneyworld.
As part of a Healthcare initiative to promote clean
eating I have been traveling among school and civic communities to tout the
benefits of growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs using aeroponic
gardening. This growing method is extremely
efficient because it uses far less water and space than any other methodology
and the plants are as clean and organic as they can get. I personally,
don’t even wash the food that I harvest from my garden and just about any
edible plant can be grown including cantaloupe and watermelon, but excluding
root vegetables.
One variety of this gardening system, The Tower Garden®, comes with a
conveniently proportioned food tonic consisting of the same minerals that you
find in soil, along with organic Nitrogen sources. It requires minimal
maintenance other than adding water to the trough when it gets low, adding food
tonic every two weeks or so, and harvesting, which ensures continued growth.
Recently, I set up a Tower Garden® with the students and
Physical Education teacher at St. John the Apostle school in Clark, New
Jersey. The garden was initially set up outdoors but recently was moved
to one of the Science classrooms for the winter where the plants are still
growing like gang-busters. These students are not only learning about the
benefits of growing your own food but also acquiring an appreciation of the
science behind Aeroponic gardening.
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