Research-Backed Benefits of Aeroponic Gardening
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is a foundation of good health. When you invest time and energy in growing your own produce, you’re also more motivated to eat it!
But food gardening isn’t necessarily as simple as sticking a seed into the ground. You’re also considering yield potential, sustainability, safety, and more — particularly when deciding how you’ll grow your food.
Sticking a seed in the ground may not be your best option, but Tower Garden and its aeroponic technology just might be. Here are five research-backed reasons why.
1. Tower Garden can increase harvests by an average of 30%.
The University of Mississippi compared product yield of crops grown in aeroponic growing systems and in soil. Researchers found the yields of plants grown with aeroponic technology were more than 30% bigger on average. Here’s the breakdown by crop:
- Basil – 19% increase
- Chard – 8% increase
- Red kale – 65% increase
- Parsley – 21% increase
- Bell pepper – 53% increase
- Cherry tomatoes – 35% increase
- Cucumber – 7% increase
- Squash – 50% increase
On a side note, the study also measured total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidants in the produce grown. It turns out that aeroponic and soil methods yield produce with comparable nutritional value.
2. Plants grow up to three times more quickly.
According to NASA, plants can grow up to three times faster in aeroponic growing systems than in soil. Plus, yields are more consistent, and, with grow lights, year-round growing is possible.
3. Tower Garden uses as much as 98% less water.
Traditional agriculture uses approximately 80% of our water. This is a serious problem, especially for western states, where water is already in short supply. The good news? NASA noted that aeroponic technology can use up to 98% less water.
4. A vertical design requires 90% less space.
Another common issue with traditional growing methods is the need for a lot of space. And we have less and less of it — in fact, we’re losing farmland to development in both urban and rural areas. But growing vertically requires only 10% of the space traditional farming uses.
5. Pollution and pests are less of a problem.
How much do you really know about your backyard’s history? Before you dig a garden, consider that urban soil is often contaminated with heavy metals, asbestos, petrochemicals, and other pollutants — a number of which you can’t test for. Since Tower Garden is a soilless growing system, there’s no cause for concern about contaminated dirt.
Worried about pesticides? Thanks to a closed-loop system that recycles water and nutrients, Tower Garden plants experience less stress. That means they’re healthy enough to naturally resist most pests. Weeds are not an issue, of course, since weeds need soil to grow.
According to Tower Gardeners...
In addition to the research referenced above, Tower Garden conducted its own informal study on Facebook. Here’s a glimpse of what Tower Gardeners wrote about why they chose aeroponics over soil gardening:
