Making your Aero Garden

• 1). Turn over a 50-gallon storage bin. It must have a tight-fitting lid and allow no light. Drill 7/8-inch holes on opposite ends about two-thirds up from the bottom. These holes should be in alignment as the pipe they will support is level. Insert a 3/4-inch PVC pipe through the bin holes cut so an inch remains outside on both sides. Cut the pipe in two and add end caps. Add three or four sprayer holes to each section of the PVC pipe. Drill out the 1/8-inch holes, taking care to remove drilling debris from pipe.
  
  
• 2). Slide the pipe sections firmly through the holes with the spray holes facing up. Twist the spray nozzles into the pipe holes. Connect and glue the two pipe sections at the center with a "T" connector. Glue reducer adapter to the "T" fitting and fit to the hose. Turn the bin right side up and place an aquarium pump on the bottom inside. Connect the hose end to the pump and the "T" connector center with clamps.
  
  
• 3). Add an aquarium heater and thermometer if they will be used. Drill out eight 1/2-inch holes in the top of the bin. Seal the outside rim of the bin container with tape. Fill the bin with nutrient-rich solution just below the sprayers.
  
  Check out the system operation. Observe the sprayer efficiency. The pump may have a speed adjustment to increase or decrease the spray being delivered. Also try the heater and adjust to an optimum temperature for your plants' growth. Insert the plant netted root pods through the open holes in the top of the bin. The roots grow in darkness under a constant bath of nutrient solution, and the plant tops remain outside the bin to assimilate sunshine and promote photosynthesis 24 hours per day, seven days per week.