MetaEfficient Reviews » Hydroponics

AeroGarden: Easy, Efficient Indoor Gardening

Pamela — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:44:29 +0000

In 2004, MetaEfficient.com pre-reviewed the AeroGrow aeroponics growing system. That was before the system was released. A couple of years ago, you couldn’t cut on your TV without seeing an ad for AeroGrow indoor gardening systems. It isn’t as ubiquitously advertised now, but it hasn’t disappeared from the market. In fact, five years after its initial release, there are several AeroGrow systems for consumers to choose from. Now that the AeroGrow system has been tried and tested, how has it fared? (more…)

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Chinese Design Winner: High-Rise With Vertical Hydroponics

Justin — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:35:59 +0000

This apartment high-rise concept won a sustainable housing award recently in China. It integrates a vertical greenhouse into the high-rise. Designed by Knafo Klimor Architects, the “agro-housing” concept allows the residents to produce their own food, reducing commuting needs and providing a green neighbourhood. The greenhouse is a multi-floor structure for cultivation of crops such as vegetables, fruits, flowers and spices, equipped with a drip irrigation system that re-uses grey water.

The greenhouse climate is controlled through natural ventilation and a heating system. A roof-top terrace garden offers open-air green space for recreation and informal gathering.

A sky club on the roof is designed to host social gatherings and celebrations, and a kindergarten on the ground floor keeps young children close to home and family. The individual apartments allow maximum flexibility to arrange interior spaces to accommodate family changes over time, including integration of a work space.

The building has a minimal footprint in order to free the ground surface for gardening and rainwater harvesting. Paving is limited and made of recycled materials.

Here’s a presentation video of the project.

Link: Living Steel

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SmartGardens: Automated Growing

Justin — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 07:16:36 +0000

SmartGardens are specially designed gardens that automatically water and feed plants without the need for pumps, timers and nutrient monitoring. They incorporate a watering system called a SmartValve, which enables the plants to be gravity fed, instead of through a pump. This means there is no need for a reservoir below the garden to capture runoff. There are some more details here. SmartGardens can be placed on the ground, on racks or even on shelves.

The system is intended for growing small- to medium-sized herbs and flowers without the complexity of a recirculating hydroponic system. The SmartValve resembles that of an ebb & flow growing system by employing a simple flood and drain principle but without the need to return depleted solution back to the reservoir.

SmartGarden are available from FutureGarden. A basic kit costs $74.95.

AeroGarden: Easy, Efficient Indoor Gardening In 2004, MetaEfficient.com pre-reviewed the AeroGrow aeroponics growing system....
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LED Lights: Efficient Indoor Growing

Justin — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 19:59:57 +0000

LED grow lights are a good choice if you are interested in growing indoors without a lot of hassle. Traditional grow lights generate a lot of heat and use large amounts of electricity, which raises your monthly electric bill by noticeable amounts. These LED grow lights stay cool, and use only a minuscule amount of energy.

Each “SolarOasis Ruby Grow Light” uses less than 2 watts of power. They are designed and optimized for plant growth, not human vision. They produce only red and blue light which the plants can use. See more details on this page. The LED lighting strip seen here is available from LEDTronics for $159.95.

There are also some more powerful and expensive LEDs available at LEDGrowLights.COM and on their eBay Store.

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Red LEDs to Grow Lettuce

Justin — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 07:09:29 +0000

Apparently red LEDs are 60% more efficient than fluorescent light when growing vegetables hydroponically.

According to IEEE Spectrum Online: Of all the colors of the rainbow, red is lettuce’s favorite. Chlorophyll, the electrochemical engine of photosynthesis, runs on red photons. So if you are growing the vegetable indoors in a factory, why waste energy on colors you don’t need?

Using a red LED-based growth process developed by Cosmo Plant Co., in Fukuroi, Japan, instead of a fluorescent lighting based one, cuts a factory’s electric bill by 60 percent, the company told Agence France Press.

Cosmo’s customers uses the technology to produce 7000 heads of lettuce per day all year round in a 10-floor building on just 1000 square meters of space. The lettuce matures more than three times as fast under the LEDs than outdoors. While growing lettuce in an open field is still less costly, growing it inside under LEDs means you don’t have to worry about crop-decimating typhoons and other nasty weather.

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Self-Regulating Aeroponics System: AeroGrow

Justin — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 17:35:06 +0000

We don’t usually feature products that are prototypes or not yet on the market, but this aeroponics system looks quite intriguing. It is due to be released in the next month of so, and it is aimed to take aeroponics to the mass consumer market.

Aeroponics is similar to hydroponics, but the roots of the plants are exposed to the air and a nutrient solution is sprayed on to the roots.

The Aerogrow System is designed to be a “plug-and-play” system for growing. It uses a humidifying chamber regulated by electronics. The details of the technology are here.

We are curious to know if the system will live up to it claims.

The basic model is priced at $99.

Home Page: AeroGrow

AeroGarden: Easy, Efficient Indoor Gardening In 2004, MetaEfficient.com pre-reviewed the AeroGrow aeroponics growing system....