SupercalifragilisticexpiAeroponics!

Today we will be giving you a description of how to build your own cheap and very effective aeroponic "cloning" chamber to use for quick rooting of cuttings. We came up with this design a few years ago and it is incredibly simple and efficient and can be completed with a few parts from your local hardware/pet/Borg store. We will not add a picture (because we won't have our digital camera until Christmas), so you will have to use your imagination.

The parts you will need are:

-Rubbermaid™ or other suitable plastic or plastic-lined wood box or aquarium

-water pump (~>200GPH), preferably magnet driven & fish-safe (those are usually corrosion proof and made to run continuously)

-some plastic sheet (preferably white)

-Exacto™ knife

-misting, nebulizing, vaporizing (vapourizing), or atomizing head(s) from the lawn-sprinkler/garden department of the store (try to get them in full circle 360 degree coverage) you could also order on-line @:

http://www.truefog.com/catalog.html

http://www.kesmist.com/homepage.htm

http://www.raindrip.com

or you can use an ultrasonic fogger mister when they are readily available

-some poly pipe & fittings

Firstly take the lid of the container & cut some dime-sized holes in it, approximately 3-6 inches apart. Then attach your misting nozzle to the pump on a 5-10 inch riser (piece of poly pipe) and place it in the bottom of the container and add enough water to cover the pump + a few inches extra so it doesn't run dry and test the nozzle to see what kind of spray pattern you get. There is a myriad of misting nozzles available around the world, so the toughest part of this endeavor will be to fit the nozzle(s) to your pump so you get a good mist going in the container. You may have to use a couple of heads & couplings & T's & nipples, but everything will be available in the plumbing section of the store. Today I went to a local hardware store (which shall remain nameless) and purchased a head for 98 cents and it worked well enough when attached to my 250 GPH pump to fill my box(10 gallon) with mist, I was lucky.

When you get the pump & misting head(s) set up, you are done. Add water and maybe 1/5th of a multivitamin (dissolve the vitamin in a jar of water first & strain it into the box so you won't clog the mister head with chunks), put the lid on with the piece of white plastic on top which now has slits cut in it to poke the cuttings in through the holes, insert your cuttings, put the pump on a timer to be on whenever light is supplied or in intervals & you're off. Your cuttings should root in 1-3 weeks, depending on the species. This technique won't work for all plants, but you can test a few from around the house & garden, & some will love it.

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