If it sounds complicated that’s because it is. Aeroponic cloning combines two twentieth century practices of plant growing and something we‘ve been doing for hundreds of years. Though it was first discovered in the early 1940’s as a way to grow plant life without a growth medium, it didn’t start being widely used until the 1980’s. Here it was quickly discovered that this cost-efficient method made plants duplicate in size.

Aeroponics growing uses mist, humidity, and nutrient enhanced sprays to sustain itself and grow. Plants are placed with their roots dangling above a water trough. Then water and a selected nutrient solution are sprayed directly onto the plant’s roots. It’s odd to think of a plant growing in anything besides soil isn’t it? Aeroponic cloning contradicts that old-school assumption. Also, hydroponics (similarly to aeroponics) uses water directly as it’s suspended in water instead of soil. This shows us that aeroponic cloning, while certainly different than the average outdoor garden, isn’t the only unconventional method being used.

Cloning is a gardening practice that involves cutting off stems of a plant and planting that stem in order to create a completely identical genetic match to the original (or mother) plant. Not as exciting as cloning animals or people, but still a fascinating act in it’s own right.

Aeroponic cloning is the act of taking a sample (clone) of a healthy plant and growing it with the aeroponics method. Now if cloning sounds intimidating to you, fear not. It’s really fairly simple. Here’s what you’ll need if you want to be successful:

- First of all you need an aeroponics system. This will be the suspended “planter.” This will most likely have a water reservoir underneath. This is used for humidity and spraying of the roots. It will also have holes on the top for you to insert the clones through.

- If you are interested in aeroponic cloning for it’s environmentally conscious qualities and wish to make your own, it’ll require a little more work. Preferably you will have a green-house like environment that’s closed off and sterile. Though most plants flourish through this direct method, parasites can affect the healthiest of plants.

- When using aeroponic cloning for the first time, pick the plant you want to clone. You’ll need a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the clone samples. The stems near the bottom of the plant are the best for cloning. Cut the parent plant at a forty-five degree angle to get a stem at least 2-4 inches long. Place directly in a bowl of water. If you have time, water that has been sitting out for twenty-four hours is the best choice.

- If you’d like, you can get a cloning gel from your local hardware store. Dip the stem in the gel before suspending it in your aeroponic cloning system.
If you purchase your aeroponics system you’ll have it easy. Not only does this particular means of cultivation allow plants to thrive and flourish (due to the increased amounts of oxygen that reaches the roots) it’s also a time and energy saver. The water underneath the aeroponic cloning system will naturally evaporate towards roots and excess will drip back down. This means you won’t need to be constantly spraying your plants. They even have models that are fairly inexpensive with built in sprinklers that go off on the intervals you set them to.

If you don’t have the funds for an expensive greenhouse, there are models with built-in humidifiers. This causes a man-made greenhouse effect. You can also mix the nutrient liquid you choose into the water trough. Doing so allows the nutrient to be dispersed along with the water. But if you chose to make your own system you still have it fairly easy. All you need to do is spray the roots as needed. Wondering what types of plants can be grown using this space-age idea come to life of aeroponic cloning? Surprisingly most commonly grown plants and herbs can be grown this way. This includes lettuce, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and even parsley.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about aeroponic cloning is the outcome. Plants grown this way are known to flourish particularly well, which is quite a feat considering you start with a 2-4 inch stock from the parent plant.