Recently, someone on Facebook asked me,
"How does growing hydroponically compare to traditional ground gardening? Some farmers I’ve talked to recommend soil gardening as healthy soil (full of worms and compost) yields higher nutrient-dense vegetables. Are the nutrients added to the tower gardens all-natural or more like synthetic chemicals like Miracle-Gro?"
To that, I say: great question! I'll answer that question with some great answers!
What is the Tower Garden?
The Tower Garden system is aeroponic and was developed in conjunction with NASA and The Land at Epcot. Aeroponic growing produces highly nutrient-dense veggies with very little water and high yields. This study, Tower Talk: Growing Our Own, with Tim Blank, discusses why the Tower Garden was created and the benefits of growing aeroponically from the creator's perspective.
Is the Tower Garden Better?
These are some of the benefits of growing in a Tower Garden:
Grows plants 3x faster than traditional gardening
Increases yields by an average of 30% months)
Minimal water usage. Uses as little as 2% of water as traditional gardening.
Leaves a smaller CO2 footprint.
Uses only 10% of the land of traditional farming.
Recycles 100% of nutrients and water.
Reduces the need for pesticides and herbicides.
According to NASA, growers employing the aeroponics method can reduce water usage by 98 percent, fertilizer usage by 60 percent, and pesticide usage by 100 percent, all while maximizing their crop yields by 45 to 75 percent. By conserving water and eliminating harmful pesticides and fertilizers used in soil, growers are doing their part to protect the Earth. Moreover, the NASA SBIR results demonstrated that this aeroponic technology delivers an 80-percent increase in dry-weight biomass per square meter compared to hydroponic and soil-based growing techniques. (When a dry weight measurement is taken, all water is removed from roots, leaves, and stems—thereby removing water from the biomass.) These results proved that aeroponically grown plants uptake more minerals and vitamins than other growing techniques.
Also, in a study done by the University Of Mississippi about how Tower Garden grown veggies compared to organic gardens, the researchers found that,
"A comparison of the product yield, total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant properties was done in different leafy vegetables/herbs (basil, chard, parsley, and red kale) and fruit crops (bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and squash) grown in aeroponic growing systems (AG) and in the field (FG). An average increase of about 19%, 8%, 65%, 21%, 53%, 35%, 7%, and 50% in the yield was recorded for basil, chard, red kale, parsley, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and squash, respectively, when grown in aeroponic systems, compared to that grown in the soil. Antioxidant properties of AG and FG crops were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DDPH) and cellular antioxidant (CAA) assays. In general, the study shows that the plants grown in the aeroponic system had a higher yield and comparable phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant properties as compared to those grown in the soil."
The Tower Garden is incredibly amazing for:
Apartment dwellers
People in flood-prone areas
People who lack space for a large garden
Busy people
People who want to avoid pathogens that can be present in compost (transplant patients and other immunocompromised people)
Renters who move frequently
In short, the Tower Garden produces clean food and is environmentally friendly. You'll grow more food in a smaller space, all the while protecting our natural resources!
Happy gardening!
Feel free to contact me by clicking here with any questions or concerns!
~ Leah Brooks
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