In a
hydroponic
Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions in an artificial environment. Terrestrial or ...
system ultrasonic hydroponic foggers
are used to create a fine mist, the individual particle size of which is typically of about 5
μm
The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...
in diameter. These fine particles are capable of carrying nutrients from the standing water of a
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
to plant
root
In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
s. Benefits include humidification and exponentially improved root exposure to oxygen.
Ultrasonic hydroponic foggers can be used in conjunction with prior advances such as
aeroponic misters or even
ebb and flow systems to help improve humidity levels (mimicking a rainforest canopy) and increase nutrient absorption, thus boosting growth rates. Research into standalone fogger-supported hydroponic growing is underway.
References
Hydroponics
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