What's the difference betn aero & hydroponics

[ShareCropper]

We've looked all over the site but haven't found a clear explanation of these systems. Also what are good feeding (& nutrient replenishing) schedules for these systems. Are different nutrients absorbed at different rates? Any guidance would be appreciated.

[v3d4]

theres a couple different systems that are called hydro -drip, deep water culture, ebb and flow, nft, and more- the thing they all have in common is that the roots go into water (nutrient solution) in one way or another.

aero is different in that the nutrient solution is turned into a fine mist, either by a strong pump pushing water through a special spray nozzle or an ultrasonic thing which turns the water into a fog all around the roots;. the point of this is to let the roots have as much access to oxygen as possible, because the plant uses oxygen taken by the roots to grow. so having the roots hanging in a chamber full of nutrient mist can give the perfect oxygen/fluid ratio

the pro side of going areo is fast and efficient growth, but the con is that its more expensive and requires special equipment. i think thers more that can go wrong with an areo system, but once you got it goin on, theres no doubt it will give some crazy fast growth potential.

heres an old unfinished thread about using nutrient solution in a drip system Can someone explain how to use nutrient solutions

feeding schedules depend on the plant. the best way is to use a EC or PPM meter to judge how quickly the plants are taking nutrients out of the water. obviously little seedlings will want a dilute solution of more nitrogen and can take a while to absorb nutrients, while a big flowering plant will take in lots of water and suck up the P and K like crazy.
it also depends on the size of your reservoir, a bigger one is generally better than smaller, because a small one youll have to change all the time. i think the general rule of thumb for most hydro systems is to replace the reservoir at least once a week. less often than that, ph can go crazy and salt buildup can happen. more often can be a waste of effort and nutrients

hope that helps

[ShareCropper]

Thanks v3d4. We're just gettin back in the game and remember you and your help years ago when we were doin soil. Trying hydro/aero now and have to go through the learning curve so you might see some more ?s on the board. Thank God it is still here.
Thanks again