DIY Aeroponics

Aeroponic gardening systems have been said to be one of the most effective ways to grow plants inside. The aeroponic system allows the grower to completely control the nutrients that are fed to the plant, unlike the typical soil system. Aeroponics falls under the hydroponic system category because of this fact. Aeroponic systems work by allowing the plant roots to grow down into the air below it and is then misted with atomized water and nutrient particles in order to supply the plant with its much needed nutrients.

Total time to build the system: 2-3 hours

Total cost to build the system: $90  <—– Compare to this aeroponic system:

Here are the materials you will need to build your very own 6 site aeroponic tub system: (this system can be easily modified to include more than 6 plant sites depending on how big you will be growing your plants)

From Your Local Hardware Store
25 Gallon Storage Tote (Rubbermaid is preferred because the plastic is soft enough to cut)	$11.00
5 ft of 3/4” PVC (really only need 4 ft but it is good to have extra and it’s cheap)	$1.50
1 PVC T shaped connector – 1/2” threaded bottom, 3/4” open sides	$0.60
2 PVC T shaped connectors – 3/4” open	$0.33 x 2 = $0.66
4 PVC 90 degree elbows – 3/4” open	$0.34 x 4 = $1.36
6” long 1/2” nipple pipe (usually in sprinkler section)	$0.69
1/2” x 1/4” high density weather stripping	$3.00
From Your Local Grow Shop
Water Pump – I like the EcoPlus 264, but any pump with comparable GPH to 264 would work fine	$22.00
12 Sprinkler Heads – Get the 360 degree sprayers, preferably the EZ Cloner sprinkler heads	$0.60 x 12 = $7.20
7 3.75” mesh net pots (1 extra)	$0.85 x 7 = $5.95
7 3.75” foam inserts (1 extra)	$1.19 x 7 = $8.33
Air Pump – 1-2 output	$10.00
1/4” air hose	$2.00
1 air stone (high grade for hydroponic use)	$2.50
1 15 minute cycle timer:	$12.00

The recommended tools for this project are:

• Drill
• 11/64″ drill bit (to drill the holes for the sprinkler heads)
• Serrated knife
• Scissors or box cutter (to cut the weather stripping)
• Saw for cutting PVC

Here is the step-by-step guide to build your own aeroponic system:

1.) Line up 6 pots on the top of the lid, evenly spaced in a rectangle shape. At this point go ahead and trace the pots onto the lid using either a screw or marker. I decided to use a screw and you can see that there is just a very faint line to follow. This keeps the lid clean looking without leftover marker after cutting out the hole.

2.) Now you want to cut out each of these plant sites. Start by drilling a hole big enough to fit the tip of your knife into. This will give you the ability to make the first cut, and then make your way around the circle (1-2 mm within the circle). Make a test cut to make sure the baskets fit into the hole. When cutting the holes, you will want to stay just inside the line you trace to make sure the pot doesn’t fall through the hole. You can always make a hole bigger, but it’s pretty hard to make one smaller.

After cutting the hole the basket should fit right in:

Also, you will want to make a notch to fit your power cord from your water pump and your air tube up through the edge of one of the plant sites. I used a drill and just rubbed it against the side of the hole until I had a notch that looked about right:

3.) Cut your PVC into the required pieces: (make sure to clean off any loose shavings so they don’t end up getting caught in your system when it’s all done)

• 6 – 7″ pieces
• 2 – 3″ pieces

Once you have your pieces cut, you will need to drill two holes into each of the 7″ pieces using the 11/64″ drill bit, evenly spaced. These holes are where you will be putting your sprinkler heads:

4.) Place all sprinkler heads into the holes and assemble the PVC pieces to look like the image below:

5.) Screw the 1/2″ diameter 6″ long nipple pipe into the water pump and screw the newly assembled PVC unit above onto the top of the nipple pipe. Place in tub.

6.) Place weather strip seal around the edges of the underside of the lid.

7.) Place air stone into the basin, run your power cord and air tube through the corner notch made earlier.

8.) You are all done! Just plug your unit in to a 15 minute cycle timer and run 15 minutes on, 45 minutes off.

Thanks for taking the time to use our guide and build your own aeroponic system.

Troubleshooting:

• Leaks:  If you have trouble with leaks, try taking the weather strip off. For whatever reason, sometimes the tubs will actually do better without it. If you still experience leaking, try to use a clothes line clip/chip clip/document clip to squeeze off the are that is leaking.
• Clog: if you get a clogged sprinkler head or if your pump gets clogged up somewhere, clean it out and make sure you change the water. If you have a lot of debris and growth in your water you will have a much higher chance of getting a clog.

 

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