If you're familiar with hydroponics, you're probably aware that it relies on water to grow plants. Growers in conventional Hydroponics would immerse plant roots in nutrient-rich water. However, as hydroponics progresses, individuals have devised a technique in which plants may be hung freely without direct access to water and nutrients. With the misting nozzles, they are sprayed and moistened.
Aeroponics is the name given to this system. However, water misting isn't the only option. Fogponics is an advanced version of aeroponics that employs fog as the primary growth of the environment.
What is Fogponics?
Working fog can be characterized as fogponics or fog and ponics (labor). Growers employ fog to cultivate plants in a fogponic system, in its simplest sense.
The fogponic system employs electric foggers that pump and vibrate under pressure to convert nutrient and water combinations into humidity, similar to that found in the rainforest. This results in a continuous humid and nutrient-rich fog for plant roots.
The root system can have complete coverage with fogponics because the tiny droplet size of the gravity-defying fog can move and penetrate all areas surrounding it.
How does Fogponics Work?
Plants are provided with everything they require, just as in any other active hydroponics system: moisture, nutrients, and oxygen. They do not have to actively seek these out, as their counterparts in the soil do. Their whole focus is on growth, blossoming, or sprouting (for seedlings), and root development (for cloning).
However, unlike traditional hydroponics farming, which uses an air pump to oxygenate the water, fogponics/aeroponics works by suspending the plants in the air. It is kept in place by a tray/foam. Because the plant roots are floating, they have easy access to oxygen. Plants are supplied water through foggers. A timer is frequently used to automate the action.
What crops are best for Fogponics?
In principle, you may grow any plant with Fogponics, however, it is recommended that you select appropriate plants for the maximum results.
Seedlings and clonings
There's a good reason why fogponics works so well with seedlings and clonings. Because young cloners from cutting do not yet have grown root systems, it is quite difficult to keep them wet and supply nutrients to them. Water levels must be kept at an adequate level.
Growers supply a constant mix of small weak moisture for cloners at regulated levels using fogs created by fogponics systems.
Green vegetables
Fogponics also works well with green vegetables such as lettuce, kale, spinach, beans, and so forth.
Herbs
Most herbs, such as basil, mint, and chives, flourish in the fogponic system since they are lightweight and have a short growth life cycle.