Hydroponic Growing

• Hydroponic growing utilizes a specific, controlled system for supporting and growing plants. Instead of open soil, a hydroponic system uses trays for water and planting, with a system that circulates water directly over a plant's roots. Sometimes a hydroponic system incorporates non-soil foundations like peat moss.
  
  

Aerogarden

• The Aerogarden is a specialized hydroponic system. Instead of an organic foundation like peat moss, the Aerogarden holds plants suspended, with the roots exposed, and circulates water, nutrient solution and oxygen over the roots to nourish the plants.
  
  

Pods

• The pods of an Aerogarden are the designated planting pots. These pods hold the plants in place while they're sprouting and growing. Pods come as part of the structure of an Aerogarden, which is classified by the number of pods it supports.
  
  

Growing Foundation

• Because the pods hold the plants, they are an integral part of the Aerogarden. Without the pods, plants would have no containment, and would fall into the water tray below them. Seeds would not have a foundation, and would drown before they could grow. In addition, if the pods were not holding the plants' roots exposed, they would not have any access to the water and nutrition flowing through the system.
  
  

Structural Functionality

• The pods of an Aerogarden are part of the system's set structure, which includes the water tray and circulation system. Removing the pods would damage the structural integrity, and most likely disrupt the Aerogarden's functionality.