Fresh & Easy: Grow Your Own Veggies with Aeroponics

The movement for more plant-based nutrition in our diets is not slowing down.

But it's not always cheap to buy fresh, organic produce.

What if you could easily grow your own veggies at home, with little-to-no effort or cost?

Aeroponic growing is one way to go about that.

You may have heard of hydroponic growing, where plants are grown in a water and mineral solution. The issue with this type of growing, however, can come down to a matter of space. These plants are grown horizontally. So, you can see, that if you're short on space in your home or yard, it might be a challenge to use this type of growing.

Aeroponics is the "next generation" of hydroponics, and was actually developed by NASA.

This type of growing takes into account the benefits of vertical growing. The plants actually grow "up" on walls, towers or similar structures. It can be done indoors or outdoors, and from an efficiency standpoint, it uses 90 percent less water than soil-based growing and about 80 percent less space. It's a very efficient way to grow your own vegetables.

Which types of vegetables can you grow with aeroponics?

Root vegetables are not ideal, nor are tall plants such as sunflowers or corn. But pretty much any sort of veggie that can be grown with hydroponics can be grown this way. Peas, beans, leafy greens (probably the best) and tomatoes are all great choices.

Is it hard to set up?

Not at all. In fact, most systems can be set up in about 30 minutes. Not only that, but it's extremely simple to maintain. The water system runs on a timer, so you never have to worry about watering or "feeding" your plants. You can even go away on vacation and come home to fresh produce.

The tower garden only takes up about 5 square feet, so as long as you have a power supply, you can put your system almost anywhere. Overall, it's a very low maintenance, neat and tidy system.

And, a great option for fresh, natural vegetables.

Certified Health Coach, Arthur Field, joins Lisa to share more information about aeroponic growing methods, as well as step-by-step instructions on how you can get started on your own.